Meaning & use
faceoff circle
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Meanings
nouncountablesport
One of the marked circles on an ice hockey rink where the puck is dropped to start or restart play.
Grammar: Countable, so it takes a/an or a plural: a faceoff circle, the faceoff circles.
Patterns
- in the faceoff circle
- skate to the faceoff circle
- win a faceoff in the circle
The referee dropped the puck in the faceoff circle to the left of the goal.
Both centers skated straight to the faceoff circle for the restart.
He is very strong in the faceoff circle and wins most of the draws.
nouncountablesport
A painted circle in the middle of the rink where play begins at the start of each period.
Grammar: Often used with "center" to name the middle one: the center faceoff circle.
Patterns
- the center faceoff circle
- at the center faceoff circle
The teams lined up around the center faceoff circle before the opening whistle.
The logo is painted inside the center faceoff circle.
Word forms
| plural | faceoff circles |
|---|
Common combinations
- win a faceoff in the circle
- She won the faceoff in the circle and passed the puck back to her defender.
- the center faceoff circle
- The captain stood alone in the center faceoff circle waiting for the puck.
- line up for a faceoff circle draw
- The players lined up for a faceoff circle draw after the icing call.
- skate to the faceoff circle
- He skated to the faceoff circle and tapped his stick on the ice.
Synonyms and how they differ
- faceoff spot
- A faceoff spot is a small marked dot rather than a full circle, so use it for the exact point where the puck is dropped.
- draw
- In hockey a draw is the act of dropping and contesting the puck; the faceoff circle is the area where that happens.
Word family
- faceoff noun
- The moment when the puck is dropped and two players try to win it.
- face off verb
- To start play by taking a faceoff, or more generally to confront someone.
Commonly confused: faceoff circle or center circle?
faceoff circle vs center circle
In soccer the center circle is a similar marking, but in hockey the usual term is the center faceoff circle.
Practice
Which sentence uses "faceoff circle" correctly?
Choose one answer.
"Faceoff circle" is the fixed hockey term for the marked circle where the puck is dropped. "Faceoff ring," "faceoff round," and "faceoff loop" are not used in hockey, even though ring, round, and loop can describe circular shapes in other contexts.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “faceoff circle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.