In a perfect world, the face-off X would be a place where rules are followed and every draw is done cleanly. But in reality, that's not the case. It’s a place where two individuals will scratch and claw, doing whatever it takes to get the ball for their team.

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I have written about and given numerous talks on the fundamentals of facing-off, wing play, etc. You can read the technical aspects here: http://www.laxnews.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=148

I am frequently asked, “What really happens out on the X?”  Some secrets of the trade will always stay between face-off men but this article will cover some of the tricks of the business.    

Although I don’t recommend these moves to any players, they are a part of the reality of the game. My goal is to educate players on what to look for so they can try to prevent these cheats from happening to them.  

The most proficient cheaters are so crafty with their moves, they may be so subtle that nobody even notices them, including the other face-off man. Officials are often too worried looking to see if someone jumps the whistle as well as staying out of the way to catch illegal moves.  

There are many old-school tricks of the trade as well as new ones. When the “set” call used to be in place, often you would hear about the classic “sniff” move.  When the players would approach the ball, the official would say “set,” and the objective would be to make a sniffing noise with your nose in an attempt to get the other player to jump the whistle.  Players are so trained to go on the next noise that you could often get them to jump for a procedure call. Without the “set” call in place, things often happen too quickly to use this move.  

After looking at it more closely, I decided to take it to the wings of the face-off. I tell my wing guys to watch when they match up hip to hip with their opponents. When they line up, one trick is to give the opponent a good push and try to rattle him while the officials are setting up the next face-off.  Then, as the face-off men line up for the draw and the official says “down,” wing men can tap opponents on the leg with the butt end of his stick and whisper “go” in his ear, trying to get him to jump off sides.  

You will be amazed how many times this trick will work.  It’s not one to use a lot but it's very effective when you see a new player come into the game who might be nervous or if it happens at a big moment in the game – for example, overtime face-offs, the first face-off after the half or even the first one of the game. It won’t always work but the face-off man can do his work just as he always does and it gives your team a chance to pick up a free one.

As far as taking position on the ball, you can push the limits. One way is to test your officials and force them to make calls against you. When you approach the ball, get as close to it as possible, try to cheat your stick's butt end over the midfield line, lean in on the ball for position and try to get the ball near the throat of your stick, closest to your hand offering the most ball control and speed on the draw. If the official allows you to get away with it, then it must not be wrong, right?  

Chances of getting away with all of those tricks is remote but try them and make adjustments as you need to.  When you practice facing off, practice as true to the rules as you can – stick straight up, ball in the middle of your stick, etc. That way, when the rules are enforced, you will be in proper position but also set up to push the limits when you're able to. If an opponent is using these moves against you, ask the official to keep an eye on him. If the official still doesn’t make the call, then you have the knowledge of the moves to level the playing field.

If a player is having a lot of success at the X, one element of why could revolve around their ability to grab their opponents' stick. There are several ways to grab the head of the stick.  Players will extend anywhere between two to four fingers on their right hand when the whistle blows and explode them into their opponent’s stick head, grabbing the sidewall with their fingers. This can work in two ways: You can either grab the stick and hold it in place to tie up that player and allow your wing men time to get into the play or you can grab and lift the stick and drive it off the ball, allowing you to come back for the ball and pull it out.  

Another way to grab the stick is if you flat-out get beat on the clamp. Once your opponent’s stick is clamped over the ball, jam your stick down the line (to the right) and slide your left hand up the shaft towards the head of your stick. Then, take your index finger and middle finger on your left hand and grab the top of your opponent’s stick.  When he goes to pull his clamp out, you can either hold his stick down, once again giving your wingmen time to crash, or you can lift up as he pulls back forcing his stick up and over the ball using his own power against him.  It’s an easy counter move to get you the ball.

If either of these moves happen to you, drive your stick back into your opponent and try to work the ball out using your shaft, and at the same time, yell to the official that your opponent is holding your stick.  

If you are getting beaten badly in a game, you can also use your stick to pin an opponent instead of using your hands. Once a player has the ball clamped, jam your stick down the line as you punch your left hand forward.  Lift your stick slightly as you do this and jam down on top of your opponent’s stick head.  This will keep the ball on the X, giving your wings time to crash as well as give you at least a 50/50 chance to get the ball. An old trick is to pin his stick down with your shaft and while doing so, look at the official and scream that he is withholding the ball. Often, they will award you the ball since withholding is illegal and when you pin his stick down, the official will have a time seeing anything except him clamped over the ball.

Another simple little trick is to walk out and talk with the officials.  There isn’t another player on the field that makes more contact with the officials than the face-off men. Take advantage of it. I always try to stay on good terms with the officials, talking to them about anything from the weather to next week’s game.  You never know when they might let you slide if you jump the whistle.  So, an old trick is to walk out and tell the official to keep an eye out for your opponent who is leaning, jumping the whistle, has his stick's butt end over the line, etc. That way, he will hopefully be focused on your opponent so now you can cheat a little bit yourself.

Recently, you may have heard about players grabbing the ball with their hands but that trick has been around for a long time.  It can be done with either traditional grip (over/under) or motorcycle grip (double over). You can often spot that because players will try to line up with the ball as close to the throat of their stick as possible.  That way, they have a shorter distance to go to get their hand on it.  When the whistle blows, players will jam/clamp down the line and grab the ball with their right hand and pull it out in front of them. You may be saying, “That must be easy for the ref to see and call.”  But, just like anything else, if you practice it, it becomes very difficult for the officials to see it and therefore call it. I’ve seen players grab the ball with their entire hand using the motorcycle grip and even players pull it out using merely their index and middle fingers while using the traditional grip.  

In order to prevent this move from happening to you, ask the official to make sure the ball is centered between the “crosses,” or in the middle of the heads. According to the rules, this is where the ball is supposed to be placed  but it is often overlooked. Make sure you tell the officials to be aware of the situation.  If that doesn’t work, I would walk out to the face-off man and tell him if he grabs the ball again, you are going to jam down the line high and hard and break his wrist. You should not do it, obviously, but I guarantee he will think twice about trying that move again.

These are just a few examples of some of the cheat moves that are being tried in the face-off X. Although I am not endorsing them, they are important to know. The bottom line is to practice hard to be the best at playing by the rules. With hard work and practice you can accomplish whatever you want in the X.

If you have a question or want to share a cheat move with me, send me an e-mail at: AnthonyKelly34@gmail.com

- Four year starter in college
- Only player in Ohio State history to lead the team in ground balls all 4 years of career
- Ranked Nationally in face-off win percentage all 4 years of college career
- Plays in MLL for the L.A. Riptide
- Named L.A.’s “Newcomer of the Year” by US Lacrosse Magazine in 2006
- Named to the MLL All Star game in 2008
- Plays with NLL N.Y. Titans