How do faceoffs work in this game?

[TomKabs93]

Does anyone actually know? I think most people just mash B. It's been a career long mystery to me and I think it's time we get to the bottom of it

[Brutus]

I'd heard it's just random as long as you hit b any time the puck is dropping. I've heard others say it's valuable to have a turbo button for faceoffs. I don't know. I always get close to 50% in all my games, even against guys like Plabax, who I would assume has mastered any edge you can gain.

My theory is always been it's like ROCK/PAPER/SCISSORS.

If you are pulling straight back, and I'm pulling left w/ a right handed guy, I win.

If you are pulling back & I'm pushing right w/ a righty, you win.

That type of combo. I find WHO is doing the faceoff to be meaningless, as good puck control/passing/etc or low hasn't raised or lowered my success/odds.

IN NHL15 (same EA only 20 something years later), these rules seem to apply still, minus the upgraded stat for faceoff being added.

I would imagine someone looked at the code by now???

[kingraph]

I have no idea if pressing B does anything. It'd be easy to test though....do 50 faceoffs with one person pressing B, the other not, 50 the other way, and then both, and neither, etc. and present the results.

Pressing the direction DOES move the puck where you want when you win though. Brutus' theory is interesting...maybe the direction you want to move raises or lowers your chances. Same way to test, but would require a few more scenarios.

[clockwise]

If there are no players on the ice, and the puck is dropped, the puck will still drift to one of the corner boards; the puck doesn't just stay on the face-off dot.

[tru]

great stuff, guys. please keep this thread going.

[jer_33]

I find I always have more luck winning face-offs when my team is playing south (1st and 3rd periods on the road, and 2nd period at home). I also find that I can more frequently win the face-off in the offensive zones on the powerplay, but less frequently 5-5.

Would anyone else like to share their faceoff tips/tricks?

Some that I've heard but never mastered:

1. Draw back to D and a quick-up back to the center for a breakaway.

2. One-timer right off the face-off (faceoff in opponents end)

3. Draw to the outside board and skate-back for the crease-cut, or slapper.

4. Neutral zone face-off, centre wins to himself and skates in on the break.

Edited November 11, 2014 by jer_33

[Skeletor]

I find I always have more luck winning face-offs when my team is playing south (1st and 3rd periods on the road, and 2nd period at home). I also find that I can more frequently win the face-off in the offensive zones on the powerplay, but less frequently 5-5.

Would anyone else like to share their faceoff tips/tricks?

Some that I've heard but never mastered:

1. Draw back to D and a quick-up back to the center for a breakaway.

2. One-timer right off the face-off (faceoff in opponents end)

3. Draw to the outside board and skate-back for the crease-cut, or slapper.

4. Neutral zone face-off, centre wins to himself and skates in on the break.

If you have a good checking center, you can hold down the direction of your opponent and press check to knock them down and take the puck.

This site needs more protips to bring up the overall level of competition. I still haven't figured out the pass shot (except for the diagonal one from the hash marks).

[kingraph]

This site needs more protips to bring up the overall level of competition.

I want to make a site for this very reason...leaning towards this spring/summer if I find the time to start.

Here's my outline: http://tinyurl.com/94strategy

I would flesh out each section with text, diagrams, and videos. It would take some time, but I doing it piecemeal, and perhaps with some help from other veterans, can be done.

[tru]

yes, please!

[Skeletor]

I want to make a site for this very reason...leaning towards this spring/summer if I find the time to start.

Here's my outline: http://tinyurl.com/94strategy

I would flesh out each section with text, diagrams, and videos. It would take some time, but I doing it piecemeal, and perhaps with some help from other veterans, can be done.

This would be greatly appreciated! Also, it could help bump some of the B-level guys to A-level, which could probably use some new blood.

[aqualizard]

So do we know what stats -- if any -- affect winning faceoffs? I was thinking possibly stickhandling or agility might be important?

Or is ability to win faceoffs truly up to the coach's reaction time and luck? (And independent of the skill of your center?)

[TomKabs93]

So do we know what stats -- if any -- affect winning faceoffs? I was thinking possibly stickhandling or agility might be important?

Or is ability to win faceoffs truly up to the coach's reaction time and luck? (And independent of the skill of your center?)

We still have no idea whatsoever

[Depch]

In NHL95 (based on NHL Hockey, which is based on a mixture of NHL93/NHL94 on Sega) the faceoff skill plays no part in winning faceoffs. This is at least true in AI players verified in multiple NHL95 manager leagues. I know there is no such skill in NHL94 Sega, but it could be random too. You can win a faceoff without pressing the putton too, just tested this vs AI.

Edit. I actually won 3 faceoffs in a row without pressing the button.

Edited October 31, 2015 by Depch

[IceStorm70]

you can definitely win the draw just pushing down if you're going up or up if you're going down.

[Brutus]

For those that believe pulling the face off "back" wins all the time, what if BOTH guys are pulling back?

I've found I win a lot of face offs pushing left, even though most of the guys I'm going against tend to pull back more times than not. I think it's 50/50 and want the puck going to my LeftWinger if I do win.

I was at 52% for GDL season, 58% in the playoffs vs Habs, who was #1 in the regular season at 53%, so I'm not putting TOO much stock in any of these numbers.

Looking through my Blitz teams, I was generally closer to 49% and my Classic & GDL seasons around 50 to 52%.

The one guy who stood OUT the most was Plabax. NOT for some HIGH AVERAGE, but for ALWAYS being at 50% or higher, usually closer to 53%. Seems like whatever method he uses tends to work more than everyone else given a 5-6 league average, to still end up top 5 each time on a "random" skill implies there is more to it than "random".

[IceStorm70]

When guys get face off goals from wingers I tend to switch to draws straight back

[Premium]

I'm pretty sure it's rock-paper-scissors. I am good at noticing the habits and picking the correct option when I need to. If you look, I'm usually near the top in during the playoffs, which is when I am actually focusing on the game.

[TomKabs93]

I'm pretty sure it's rock-paper-scissors. I am good at noticing the habits and picking the correct option when I need to. If you look, I'm usually near the top in during the playoffs, which is when I am actually focusing on the game.

Pretty sure it's not rock paper scissors at all. Care to elaborate? It's just fkin random.

I always try to win it back to one of my dmen because it seems to be the safest. Winning it to a winger seems to often end up as me getting my ass b (or c) checked.

[Premium]

Pretty sure it's not rock paper scissors at all. Care to elaborate? It's just fkin random.

I always try to win it back to one of my dmen because it seems to be the safest. Winning it to a winger seems to often end up as me getting my ass b (or c) checked.

If it were random then I wouldn't be near the top all the time. It's a game that is similar to rock-paper-scissors. Houly and I tested this one day.

[skip]

Interesting. I'm not sure if it is as simple as R-P-S, because there has to be some reason why I am always well above 50% wins. I have no strategy, just mashing B and pulling in direction I want to win (towards best player). I am a bit slower on the trigger with my new controller, but I don't think it has affected my numbers.

[aqualizard]

I didn't realize this was such an unknown/controversial topic? I will test it myself by using two controllers head-to-head and trying different permutations.

I will say I didn't realize until now you didn't have to press B. (I always pressed B, because that is what give you the little animation, but now I have tried without and see it still works.)

[HABS]

I've won faceoffs pressing nothing at all before... How does that work?

[TomKabs93]

Yeah plabax it's not rps because I usually have a semi decent faceoff % and i just mash b and hold back

[Premium]

I am not going to share anymore knowledge. All I know is that whoever gets the puck can be decided by whatever direction both players choose. I have already tested this and I know it's true.

Also, you can lose a faceoff due to not pressing B.

Edited November 1, 2015 by Premium

[smozoma]

You have to press it in time with the music, obviously

(j/k)

[Limpan]

Several years later and this is still unclear? Or has any new facts emerged? Curious!

[DominikJagr]

Check SegaVisions, doubleissue (October, November) from 1993, Hot hints. According to that its all about timing.

[Brodeur30]

Has anyone had any success holding the B button down and pressing a D-pad direction on face-offs? I wrote a blurb about it in this topic earlier this year : 

 

Was this just my imagination that you have more success on face-offs by holding down the B button and timing the d-pad direction with the B button held down rather than just tapping B, or was I on to something?

[Brodeur30]

On 11/13/2019 at 4:21 PM, DominikJagr said:

Check SegaVisions, doubleissue (October, November) from 1993, Hot hints. According to that its all about timing.

I have come to the conclusion that it involves using the hold down B button and press a direction method of passing. The trick is you can't starting holding down the B button too early. I think a lot of people get stuck on this part. If you start holding down B too early then wait for the ref to drop it before pressing a direction with B held down chances are you will lose the face-off. When you are holding down B too long you give your opponent the opportunity to press the B button themselves hold it down and press a direction and gain the advantage. The CPU team mimics this button sequence as well and it's random.

The key is to wait until the last possible second before the ref starts his drop puck animation to start holding B down. It's holding down B and pressing a direction in a fluid motion right before the ref drops the puck. This takes a lot of practice to get used to it, but I've determined that it's the best way to win face-offs and the most fun. This was a mystery to me and a source of frustration at not getting how you're supposed to win face-offs. I encourage you to try this method and see if you find success winning face-offs. I sure have.

[clockwise]

@backhandfloater and I tried to figure this out for a few weeks sometime in '06. I wish I remembered half of the stuff that we tested.

I'm going to try to figure this out again, but there's so much to test... When the game is remade there should probably be a rating for face-offs, with the exception of a classic mode.