Offensive Zone Faceoff Plays: 5 Set Plays That Score
The best offensive zone faceoff plays start with a planned first option before the puck drops: win the draw to a spot, not just anywhere. The five plays below (the D-to-D one-timer, the point shot with a net screen, the quick wheel, the direct tip, and the pick for the shooter) give your center a target and your shooters a head start, so a won draw turns into a scoring chance instead of a scramble.
Every play here works at youth, high school, and beer league levels. Draw it up, call it before the whistle, and rep it until it is automatic.
What makes an offensive zone faceoff play work?
A faceoff play works when three things line up: a clear win direction for the center, a first option that is ready the instant the puck moves, and a backup for when the draw is lost. Most goals off a draw are scored within two to three seconds, so the play cannot depend on reading the ice after the puck drops. Everyone already knows where they are going.
That is why the call matters. Before the whistle, the center signals the play and the win direction (back to the point, forward to the net, or to the wall). Teammates set their feet and their sticks for that exact outcome. A play called late or not at all is just five players hoping.
Where should each player line up for an offensive zone draw?
Standard five-skater alignment on an offensive zone faceoff puts your center on the dot, one winger on the wall (board side), one winger inside (hash marks), and both defensemen at the points with the strong-side D favoring the shot. From there you adjust by play. The diagram below shows the base look you can build every set play from.
5 offensive zone faceoff plays that create goals
Run these in order of your personnel. If you have a big one-time shooter on the weak-side point, start with play one. If your center is strong forward, lean on plays three and four.
Custom Pro Hockey Whiteboard -w Handle | 2 Sided
Set faceoff plays only stick when players see them. Draw each win direction and net drive on a two sided pro board, full rink on one face and zone detail on the other, so the whole bench reads the same play.
Should you win a faceoff forward or backward?
Both have a place, and good teams can call either. Winning backward is safer and sets up a shot from the point with bodies at the net. Winning forward is riskier but can score immediately off a tip or create a loose puck right on the doorstep. The table below sorts out when to call each.
| Win direction | Best for | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| Backward to the point | Quick shots, screens, and rebounds | Shot blocked if the lane is not cleared |
| Forward to the net | Tips, jams, and chaos at the crease | Turns into a clear if you miss the tip |
| To the wall or wheel | Possession and a reset when behind in the matchup | Slower, gives the defense time to close |
How do you practice faceoff plays so they actually work?
Reps and clarity. A set play nobody has run at game speed falls apart under pressure. Build five to ten minutes of live faceoff work into practice and keep the calls simple.
Offensive zone faceoff plays: quick answers
For most teams it is the win back to the point for a quick low shot with a net-front screen. It is simple, hard to defend, and creates rebounds. Add fancier plays like the D-to-D one-timer once that base play is automatic.
Backward is safer and sets up a point shot with traffic. Forward can score instantly off a tip but becomes a clear if you miss. Strong teams call both depending on the shooter and the goalie's weak side.
At a teammate's stick, not open ice. Pick one target per play: the strong-side point, the net-front winger, or the wall. Committing to one win direction wins more draws than hedging.
Two or three per situation is plenty. Offensive zone, defensive zone, and neutral zone each need a small set everyone knows cold. Too many plays cause hesitation, and hesitation loses draws.
Usually the strong-side defenseman or the point shooter the draw feeds first. Build your set plays around your best release, and give that shooter a screen so the goalie never sees it clean.
Yes. Keep it to one win direction and one net drive. Even a basic win it back, shoot low, go to the net play teaches spacing and scores goals at the youth level.
Turn won draws into goals this season
Faceoff plays live or die on everyone seeing the same picture. A clear, two sided pro hockey board lets you show the win direction, the passes, and the net drive in seconds, on the bench and in practice, so your set plays actually get run.
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