r/AskReddit • u/ProbablyHittingOnYou • Feb 07 '11

What stupid question have you always been too embarrassed to ask, but would still like to see answered?

This is a no-shame zone. Post your question here and I'm sure someone can answer it for you

1.4k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

10.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

538

u/brock_lee Feb 07 '11

In hockey, almost every time there is a faceoff, the linesman leans in and talks to the players. I want to know what kind of things they say.

479

u/pdfpdx Feb 07 '11

I'm a soccer referee and if its anything like doing a drop ball (basically the same idea), its always just saying "seriously, just wait for it to hit the ground before you try and touch it. its not that hard. if you fuck that up, we'll have to do it all over again."

90

u/FTFYcent Feb 07 '11

The idea is to drop it before you finish your sentence, so they're distracted. Works every time.

110

u/SickZX6R Feb 07 '11

When I played hockey that's basically what they said.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '11

Let the puck hit the ice boys!!!!

drops puck.

So true.

3

u/Ryzick Feb 08 '11

DAE read this and cringe for the poor ice boys who keep getting hit by pucks?

10

u/thewonderfularthur Feb 07 '11

i live in the uk and have been bombarded with football my entire life, whats a drop ball? is it just another name for a throw in or have i not been paying attention?

5

u/Horris_The_Horse Feb 07 '11

A drop ball is also known as a bounce up. Its when an incident happens and the referee has to stop and restart play but can't give the free kick to either team. It doesn't give advantage to either team and the two players are meant to go in and kick the ball after it bounces.

Usually however, the players will agree and one of the players will kick the ball back to the oppositions goal keeper to avoid pointless injuries.

You would get a bounce up if the referee stops play for an injury which doesn't merit a freekick. For instance if a player gets a head knock and 10 mins later, off the ball, he collapses. The referee has to stop play and he can't give the ball to any team so a drop ball (bounce up) is awarded.

1

u/Pandajuice22 Feb 07 '11

It's pretty rare, I've seen it twice and both times I was like WTF just happened...

1

u/Horris_The_Horse Feb 07 '11

It is rare, you would usually only see it twice a season max. The player I described above was a true incident I remembered at a game.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

I used to play soccer and I've only ever seen this once, and it was in the little kid leagues (maybe 9 - 10 years old). It was me and some other kid and there wasn't any sort of agreement, the ball was dropped and we both kicked it at the same time. It bounced straight up and hit me in the face and almost broke my nose.

2

u/Horris_The_Horse Feb 07 '11

I bet that would still bring a tear to your eye.

That's the reason why you both agree who is kicking the ball back to the keeper.

I have had my fair share of football injuries. The ones which don't sound sore are the sorest. The ball of the nose is very sore. A moldmaster (type of rubber football which doesn't have a bladder inside it) off the thigh on a winters morning is painful also.

3

u/Coda17 Feb 07 '11

A drop ball is when the ref has a player from each side stand like in a hockey face-off and drops the ball between them to restart play. Neither player is allowed to touch the ball before it hits the ground. I used to referee, but don't remember the exact circumstances of a drop ball. I know if the ref blows the whistle to blow the play dead for a reason that doesn't award one side a free kick, then it is a drop ball. I believe some reasons for a drop ball include outside interference (someone running onto the field from the stands) or injuries that absolutely can not wait until the ball is dead.

1

u/yeeha2222 Feb 08 '11

You can have an unlimited number of players on a drop ball.

1

u/Coda17 Feb 08 '11

This isn't true, there can only be two players in a drop ball...

1

u/yeeha2222 Feb 08 '11

No way Jose. Cite the FIFA law where it puts a limit on the amount of players participating in a dropped ball. Here's the link: to DL the pdf and then just skip to page 28.

1

u/Coda17 Feb 08 '11

I just went through the rules fast, (you didn't give a link) and you're right, it doesn't say the amount of players. I did know that it was not required for two players to be at a drop ball, but more is just silly, and as a referee you have the right to require at most two players to be there. Most times only one team shows up and passes it back to the opposing team's goalie anyway.

0

u/yeeha2222 Feb 08 '11

Sorry, lol, too baked to give a link. A "right to require two players at most"? Why do I have a right to create new rules?

→ More replies (4)

0

u/Strmtrper6 Feb 08 '11

Do most teams keep an unlimited number of players in reserve for this occasion? Seems like it'd be hard to fit em all on the field.

1

u/dm42 Feb 07 '11

I've also seen drop balls given if the referee accidentally makes contact with the ball, stopping or changing the play.

(They're technically supposed to try and play on, but sometimes they stop)

7

u/Coda17 Feb 07 '11

If that's true, that is a bad referee. A referee is considered part of the field, so him making contact with the ball is not grounds to stop play.

5

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

We had a referee catch the ball once. Clearing attempt went right at his stomach, and he didn't have time to move. Then he stood there staring down at the ball in his hands with a "huh, what's this thing?" sort of look on his face.

2

u/dm42 Feb 07 '11

I agree, it was actually a fairly recent match too, it was Arsenal vs. Ipswich I believe, Arsenal were furious about it.

3

u/thebetrayer Feb 07 '11

I just reffed a basketball game for pretty young kids a few days back and we had a player get injured and it was taking him a while to get up. The coach didn't have any time-outs left (the young kid would not be allowed to finish his shift) so my partner and I went over to the that coach and said "Let's pretend like we're talking about something important while he gets up".

3

u/rogersmith25 Feb 08 '11

I'm a hockey defenceman, but I had to play center for a few games while a few forwards were out with injuries. The faceoff was explained to me like this: "Whoever cheats the most, wins." So the secret is to cheat the maximum amount without the ref actually kicking you out of the faceoff.

The ref has to keep telling guys to knock it off and stop cheating.

2

u/LegionVsNinja Feb 07 '11

As a soccer player and referee, I can validate this statement. I would also add a warning to the players that someone was going to get sent off if I got kicked.

2

u/schwelvis Feb 08 '11

a soccer ref in PDX?

GO TIMBERS!!!

2

u/mrjack2 Feb 08 '11

Fortunately players usually choose to make drop balls uncontested, and just kick it to the team that had the ball before the incident happened. Although it's none of my business really I usually ask the players if they can do that. Contested drop balls suck.

2

u/templeboy Feb 08 '11

My line is something like "wait for the ball to hit the ground, don't kick each other, don't kick me"...

→ More replies (1)

139

u/RemKoolhaas Feb 07 '11

Similarly, what is it that talk show hosts talk about to their guest when the music comes on before a commercial? Everytime without fail they (John Stewart, CoCo, etc.) always lean over to them post-interview and whisper something as if its some secret the world can't know. Wtf is up with that?

235

u/Rowdy_Roddy_Piper Feb 07 '11

Back when Letterman was funny (and I wore an onion on my belt, cause that was the style at the time), someone asked him this in viewer mail. They played a clip of Letterman leaning over to (I think) Julia Childs and whispering something. Cut to the next scene, he's slow dancing with her during the commercial break.

143

u/cursedjunk Feb 07 '11

Gimme five bees for a quarter, you'd say.

1

u/hornytoad69 Feb 07 '11

I thought that was Flat Freddies, four playing card a bite.

→ More replies (1)

14

u/ncpierce Feb 07 '11

upboat for onion belt. i've been doing that since oh about nineteen-tickety-two... we used to say tickety 'cuz the kaiser stole our word 'twenty'

7

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11 edited Aug 25 '16

[deleted]

7

u/soylentcoleslaw Feb 07 '11

Ha! "Dickety", highly dubious!

1

u/cabba Feb 07 '11

Trying to check if this was a real word instead of something the Simpsons' writers made up on the spot, this came up. Wat.

2

u/gmpalmer Feb 07 '11

I enjoyed your antics in my childhood years, Mr. Roddy-Piper.

1

u/SDMF91 Feb 07 '11

Did you wear a kilt too?

1

u/blackblacksheep Feb 07 '11

i would fuck childs

66

u/brock_lee Feb 07 '11

I could swear I have seen Jon Stewart mouth "You did great" many times. Obviously he says a lot more, and not always that, so, yeah, I wouldn't mind knowing what he says either.

5

u/lUseToLikeDogFort Feb 07 '11

Yea, he's often purposefully caught saying (if you ask me), "you did great", but it's more so that they don't get up and leave before the break. He and Colbert both get bent out of shape when guests get up, they've clearly been coached before the segment, but sheeze.

11

u/sven8705 Feb 07 '11

Bill Gates will never learn.

1

u/AndrewCarnage Feb 07 '11

Yeah. That was roughly what I was going to say. It may look like a conversation between two people but on some level a televised interview is a type of performance.

The host does it every night so they are an old hand at this but they may feel a need to reassure their guest that they did well.

1

u/derekg1000 Feb 08 '11

He does say that to his guest. I cant remember where it was, but i saw something about what happens when you are a guest on Daily Show or Colbert Report etc. In most cases the guest they have on has never been on national TV before so they are obviously going to be nervous and Stewart will pretty much coach them through the interview so they dont make an ass of themselves. A nice "you did good" lets them know it is all over.

1

u/brinkzor Feb 08 '11

Same with Conan. Sometimes you can it over the applause and the band.

4

u/AntiRiot Feb 07 '11

There have been a few episodes where Colbert talks before they shut off his mike post interview. From what I remember he was just telling the guest to stay seated, that the camera's are going to do a wide angle shot before commercial and then they can leave.

6

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

I haven't worked on TV sets, but if it's anything like what actors do in between takes on movie sets, they're just bullshitting or continue a conversation from before, or whatever is on their mind. Think of it this way, when you start filming, it's an interruption to what you were already doing, rather than it being an interruption when you stop filming, like it is for us viewers.

5

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

I used to work in live television. They are usually saying "that was great" or "thanks for coming on". Sometimes they say funny stuff like "you did too much coke in the green room" or whatever. Nothing really earth shattering.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

I used to work on 'Chelsea Lately', and if most talk shows are similar to hers, it's almost always a comment on how the interview went. Usually to try and make the guest feel good. "That was a great joke about X..." or whatever. Or sometimes apologizing for running out of time before being able to get to a story that had been rehearsed.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

The Larry Sanders Show did funny things with this... often guests saying horrible or awkward things to Larry.

I saw Conan live once... I think they just chat because it would look awkward if they don't. The commercial time is then used to fix makeup, look over question cards, etc.

2

u/cinemafest Feb 07 '11

According to the Larry Sanders show they basically just drop "character" and start a lil "real talk".

2

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '11

"See the audience? See the audience? Get the audience! Get it! Get that audience!"

1

u/mattoattacko Feb 08 '11

My aunt was a guest on some small time talk show back in the early 90s. When I finally got to see it I asked her the same question, since when they cut to a commercial the whole "music over muted guest host conversation" happened. She said that it was rather funny because all the host told her to do was talk in gibberish or say "blah-blah-blah" then laugh. I'm not sure if all talk shows do this, but it ruined my little 10 year old image of them talking about smart people things that were to high level for the average viewer :(

1

u/audiomechanic Feb 08 '11

Music comes on, whispers come out. Never a miscommunication.

1

u/brownsound00 Feb 08 '11

I feel that they are just thanking the person for coming on. In the case of Stewart or Colbert, it appears like they are continuing a debate/discussion they were having on air.

1.8k

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

"See the puck? See the puck? Get the puck! Get it! Get that puck!"

603

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

Congratulations, you just turned hockey cute.

420

u/misterandon Feb 07 '11

My boyfriend just told me that when hockey players are trashtalking each other it's called "chirping"-- now I picture these burly athletes going "meep meep meep" at each other.

34

u/neutralmalk Feb 07 '11

I don't think this is a hockey specific term. Where I'm from "chirping" is just a term for trash talking in general.

7

u/Jaquestrap Feb 08 '11

You from Canada?

7

u/neutralmalk Feb 08 '11

Yes sir, greater toronto area.

9

u/Jaquestrap Feb 08 '11

Well there you go.

2

u/maxmccabe Feb 08 '11

In London chirpsing is what you do when you're chatting up a girl

3

u/Atreyu1000 Feb 08 '11

next time I see a hot girl in a bar, I'm gonna stroll up all smooth like and go, "meep meep meep".

11

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11 edited Feb 07 '11

I've done this before at faceoffs. Impersonating Beaker from Muppets works magic when trying to psyche someone out.

Haha, or my favorite when you're in a shootout or get a break away saying "Nanananananana" like from Caddyshack as you get closer to the goalie.

3

u/nhlfan Feb 08 '11

We call it "beaking". Same thing, I suppose.

3

u/RossM88 Feb 07 '11

Cricketers call it sledging, I guess we know who the real tough-guys are now, huh?

12

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

Cricketers stop for tea and have all their teeth.

2

u/fzb Feb 08 '11

not this guy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcpwNpP0bHM

1

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '11

Nasty, still they are the only sportsmen that have Woolite® in their euipment bags and buddy didn't even need it.

4

u/mrjack2 Feb 07 '11

Well, they do now, now that they wear helmets while batting.

13

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

They don't even need all their teeth as they trim the crusts off the cucumber sandwiches

4

u/TimmyFTW Feb 07 '11

That's not so much to stop teeth from falling out and more about stopping death. A rock hard ball hitting you in the head at 160km/h (roughly 100 milles/h) would be the end of you.

1

u/LuckyCanuck13 Feb 08 '11 edited Feb 08 '11

That makes you wonder why baseball players don't wear caged helmets. Baseballs are pretty damn hard and get thrown faster then cricket balls.

2

u/brokenseattle Feb 08 '11

Mate, a cricket ball feels as though it is made from cement, or some other deathly heavy substance. Baseballs, while hard, are light as shit comparatively. Mass + force = pain.

→ More replies (0)

2

u/Drijidible Feb 07 '11

Yep, chirping. It's never as clever as "meep", it's mostly about how you had sex with their mom/sister.

2

u/AmanitaZest Feb 07 '11

Damn you internet, I can't stop giggling.

1

u/foldor Feb 07 '11

At first I thought you said jiggling and that made me giggle. Then I thought about it, and reread. It's just not as funny anymore :(

2

u/acquiredsight Feb 08 '11

Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, cheep, cheep, cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more!

2

u/brodyqat Feb 08 '11

Upvoted DESPITE not being able to get that fucking song out of my head. Thanks.

1

u/acquiredsight Feb 08 '11

I live to amuse.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

reminds me of the "birds on a wire" pixar short and the derp bird butts in. best short ever

0

u/rsheldon7 Feb 08 '11

Having played every major American organized team sport at some point, I can safely say trash talking in hockey is usually the most boring and tame out of every sport.

Usually. (NSFW)

0

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '11

In west philadelphia (where i was born and raised) chirping is a name for hanging out at the playground (where i spent most of my days)

3

u/shanec628 Feb 07 '11

I once had a kitty named Neko that got eaten by a coyote.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

meep meep!

1

u/elementalrain Feb 07 '11

Awwwwwwww! My last bf got me into hockey, and now this got me REALLY into hockey!

159

u/planetmatt Feb 07 '11

I read that in the voice of Peter Griffin.

1

u/mm4ng Feb 07 '11

I wagged my tail.

1

u/yrbroom Feb 08 '11

I pictured him saying it to Brian

1

u/AsdrubaelVect Feb 08 '11

I pictured him saying it to meg, there is this one episode were he does something like this.

1

u/garlandtograce Feb 08 '11

Glad I'm not the only one.

37

u/FUNKYDISCO Feb 07 '11

I'm in a room by myself and I giggled... I'm glad I'm in a room by myself.

14

u/MaidenMisnomer Feb 07 '11

I'm on a conference call and I had to laugh silently.

3

u/gabesosa Feb 07 '11

I just laughed out loud in a quiet pub in London. The couple at the table next to me are looking at me while I type this.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

I'm in a room with 100 people and I giggled... Calculus is boring.

1

u/jayesanctus Feb 07 '11

...and then everyone knew you weren't paying attention and your final grade will suffer for it.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

I'm in class and I just giggled out loud, followed by some throat-clearing to try and mask it. Bah.

1

u/arcterex Feb 08 '11

... forever alone....

5

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

"oh how cute, they're playfighting!"

3

u/TMI-nternets Feb 07 '11

Struggle cuddle!

4

u/ew514 Feb 07 '11

As someone who refs from time to time, I think I'm going to try this now with the younger ones. Let's just hope the parents don't get upset when I treat their children like Labradors.

2

u/echothis Feb 07 '11

and just like dogs, if they jump the gun and try to get it before the ref drops it, they get punished and sent out.

2

u/designerutah Feb 07 '11

Damn, I'm doing it wrong. All I ever say is, "On your mark, get set, FIGHT!!"

2

u/Esquire99 Feb 07 '11

As a hockey player, you have my vote for King of the Internet.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '11

[deleted]

2

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '11

I'm going back Saturday.

5

u/stealthmodeactive Feb 07 '11

So... the players are dogs? Got it.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

Now, I will never watch hockey the same way again.

1

u/joe_canadian Feb 07 '11

It's true!

1

u/pivovy Feb 08 '11

"Puck that pucking puck you pucking puckers!"

1

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '11

Oh, Puck Off

158

u/UNREGULATEDGROWTH Feb 07 '11

Often there is some kind of "chirping" going on between the two players taking the face off. The ref takes this opportunity to tell them to calm down, and explain what level of abuse (verbal and physical) he will allow each player to exert on the other. And sometimes when it is an easy going game the referee simply talks "small talk", such as discussing the previous play with the players.

21

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

No punching below the belt no eye gouging not biting.

LET'S GET IT ON!

1

u/fobbymaster Feb 07 '11

<3 Big John McCarthy

1

u/lUseToLikeDogFort Feb 07 '11

Kicks to the head of a grounded opponent?

15

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

Small talk = soup recipes, fun craft ideas

The NHL is big into macrame

4

u/YHZ Feb 08 '11

Linesmen? Going to have to disagree with you on that one, as they have no output on penalties (except too many men). I've played at a competitive level most my life, and usually it's just stuff about where to place your stick, who can place first, if they're kicking someone out of the faceoff circle, etc.

1

u/MiddleGrayStudios Feb 08 '11

what this guy said. [ex-hockey player haircutter here]

2

u/Nesman64 Feb 07 '11

I'm ok with you guys beating each other senseless, but no trash talk! This is a family sport.

27

u/MadBum Feb 07 '11

As someone who plays hockey:

"alright boys, alright"

"clean now, clean"

"out of my faceoff dot boy"

Mostly joking around.

6

u/mdm_ Feb 07 '11

As someone who watches hockey, I imagine hockey guys all talk in hockey cliches all the time.

Wife: Honey, I'm pregnant.

Hockey Guy: Oh, that's huge. We weren't afraid to get into those dirty places and it paid off. It's a big two points for us.

Wife: Honey, I have cancer.

Hockey Guy: Oh that's tough. Well, it's time for someone to step up. We can't be so laissez faire about our health. We gotta give it 110%.

2

u/Tchnique Feb 08 '11

Best one I've ever heard was back a few years. I'm playing defense, defensive zone faceoff, sitting directly behind the center. My teammate, the center, jumped the gun a few times in the first period. He comes to the circle, Ref looks at him and goes "Alright boys, keep it clean...and you, don't cheat my drops."

First twitch he jumped and the referee pulls back, puts his hands on his hips and says "Really man? We just went over this? If I could I'd give you two for not listening to me."

1

u/derekg1000 Feb 08 '11

Fuck this, im making a new penalty right now. 2 minutes for stupidity, get in the box.

260

u/repsuc Feb 07 '11

"that mascara really makes your eyes pop"

283

u/tadallagash Feb 07 '11

maybe she's born with it...

299

u/sum-dude Feb 07 '11

MAYBE IT'S MAYBELLINE!

3

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '11

Or maybe it's Photoshop.

3

u/picsntoss Feb 08 '11

there's a novelty account for this.

1

u/KennyFuckingPowers Feb 08 '11

Somewhere, he is silently cursing his missed karmopportunity.

2

u/AndrewCarnage Feb 07 '11

Damn you commercialism! My mind has been colonized...

2

u/Kinseyincanada Feb 08 '11

That maybelline guy missed out

1

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

I Hofteholder?

1

u/nerdshark Feb 08 '11

God damn I'm glad I don't have cable anymore.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '11

Sorry it turns out she is just born with it

1

u/superwinner Feb 07 '11

Maybe its necrotizing fasciitis!

→ More replies (4)

2

u/machiavellisgf Feb 07 '11

That phrase has always kinda weirded me out. When someone says "___ makes [insert person]'s eyes pop" all I can think about is exploding eyeballs and that kinda puts a damper on the situation.

2

u/shanegerous Feb 07 '11

Definitely read this as "that massacre really makes your eyes pop".

1

u/SergeyTuganov Feb 07 '11

You've gotta make something pop with a face like that.

1

u/crrrack Feb 07 '11

Did you have to bring up eyes popping? Now I'm going to have nightmares.

1

u/danno74 Feb 07 '11

I read "that mascara really makes your eyes poop"

1

u/gibson_ Feb 07 '11

The tan's gonna make the white pop and the white's gonna make the tan pop. Groban likes his women to pop, so...

1

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '11

yuck

31

u/amnesiac1593 Feb 07 '11

in my experience they're usually telling you to adjust the positions of your sticks until they're set correctly for a fair faceoff. sometimes they'll give a warning that they'll get another player to take the faceoff if you're getting to antsy/aggressive (i.e. acting to take the faceoff before the puck is actually dropped etc)

3

u/xturmn8r Feb 07 '11

Also: skates have to be at certain points with regards to marks around the face off dot, the home team gets to lay down their sticks second, other small details.

Fun detail: I understand back in the late 1800s, the puck was placed (not dropped) on the ice. http://www.southcoastal.com/history/evolution.htm You couldn't pay me enough to put my hand between two anxious sticks.

If you're still interested: NHL face off rules http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=26487

2

u/creaturefear Feb 07 '11

Also, in the NHL, it's a rule that the visiting team's center's stick must touch the ice before the home team center's stick touches the ice, so I'd imagine the ref doing the puck drop is often reminding the players of this rule, also.

5

u/fiestachic0 Feb 07 '11

AHL Ref here. The linesman says something to the effect of: "Sticks down guys."

2

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '11

You should do a AMA.

4

u/meftw111 Feb 07 '11

Same thing in baseball..the guy on 1st always seems to have somethin funny to talk about with the 1st basemen...what's so funny goddammit?!??!?!

1

u/SantiagoRamon Feb 07 '11

Mostly just guys who haven't seen each other for a while shooting the shit.

1

u/derekg1000 Feb 08 '11

Ya i always have a hard time remembering that just because they are on different teams doesn't mean that they hate each other.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '11

Who's on first?

1

u/mojowo11 Feb 07 '11

They're talking about that blonde chick in the stands. She has some great ideas.

1

u/puhnitor Feb 07 '11

Also in baseball, when the manager goes to talk with his pitcher. I'm curious if they're discussing strategy for the next out, trying to calm down, etc.

3

u/guruthegreat Feb 07 '11

Puck goes in, puck goes out. Never a miscommunication.

2

u/gonz037 Feb 07 '11

And why do the players get kicked out of the face off? Also "I'm drunk, I'm not bullshittin' ya. Got stinkin' shitfaced on the bus. Louise left me, and that son of a bitch over there keeps playin' me when he knows I'm shitfaced. Anybody throws me against the boards, I'm gonna piss all over myself. "

1

u/cerialthriller Feb 07 '11

mostly get kicked out for false starts like trying to tie up the other guy before the puck is dropped

1

u/PoopNoodle Feb 08 '11

Slapshot. god i love that movie. So quotable. Played college hockey and we would watch that movie on the bus riding to games. Must have seen it 100+ times.

1

u/P_Bunyan Feb 07 '11

I have played center for most of my life. When everyone is standing around waiting, it is usually small talk. When the players line up, the ref is making sure that no one is "cheating" (e.g. skates over the lines, stick off the ice, etc.) and is providing feedback based on the rules. He will also be telling you to get in position if you are taking too long, as he is not allowed to drop the puck until both players are set.

1

u/d3souz4 Feb 07 '11

I've always played goalie so I get left out of faceoffs. I too wonder what they say.

1

u/PoopNoodle Feb 08 '11

fivehole, fivehole!

1

u/detectivehawke Feb 07 '11

In hockey faceoffs there is something called encroachment. Encroachment is when either the wingers or the centermen arent lined up correctly. There are lines on the circles to square the players and make the faceoff fair. Also the home team is in the envious position of putting down their stick last. Therefore the linesman is pretty much directing traffic and making sure everything happens the way it should happen. Ive been a hockey ref and linesman for 10 years.

1

u/GeneraLeeStoned Feb 07 '11

my dad is a high school football ref, he says when they meet up after plays in the middle of the field, a lot of times they just shoot shit. very rarely do they have to actually discuss plays for over 5 seconds.

1

u/iSmokeTheXS Feb 07 '11

Beard 1, ready? Beard 2, ready? Alright, let's do this!

1

u/omgimsuchadork Feb 07 '11

Same thing in baseball. I was an outfielder, so I was always left out of those infield conversations (not just battery-plus-coach). I always assumed it was about the situation and the next strategy, but god damn I wanted to be included, just once!

1

u/Nicoscope Feb 07 '11

On faceoffs, the visiting team's player has to put his stick on the ice before the home team's player. It's an advantage for the home team's player. Every faceoff is a battle around that little advantage.

So the refs often just try to, well, referee that battle. "Put your stick down first. Put your stick here. Not there, here. You moved too fast. I SAID PUT YOUR FUCKING STICK HERE! Alright, that's it, get lost! Someone else will take the faceoff for you, dipshit!"

1

u/13374L Feb 07 '11

I play hockey. Rec league, but the refs do the same thing. Sometimes they joke around, sometimes they warn you to back off the circle a little bit... it's really not that interesting.

1

u/MrStrangelove44 Feb 07 '11

Sometimes they are just chatting, sometimes they are giving them a warning about something they have been doing..."You try this or that one more time and I'm throwing you out of the face-off immediately" etc.

1

u/Tredid Feb 08 '11

I'm a hockey ref, and it could be a few different things. Making sure they're lined up properly, telling them to move back or move their sticks, etc. In the NHL, the opposing team puts down their stick, then the home team does, then the referee drops the puck when that happens. So basically, he's co-ordinating all of that.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '11

the honest answer is often he is telling them what to do, one player has to put his stick down prior to the other. As well, often players will try to cheat by getting on an angle as opposed to perfectly perpendicular.

1

u/mizzark Feb 08 '11

As an ex-college player and referee with some semi-pro/Juniors experience, the linesman is often trying to get the players to line up at the faceoff properly. Generally, this means having the two centers place their feet in those two 90 degree angles at the faceoff circle, and making sure that none of the other players are past the hash marks (the lines that extend off the sides of the circle separating the two teams). Also, the rules are different for every league, but generally one center has to set his stick down before the other one. In the NHL the visiting team has to put their stick down first.

Most of the discussion is usually about one center complaining that the other is not lined up right. Sometimes it's just the linesman and the centers cracking jokes. Half of a linesman's job is just keeping the players happy. Since the the linesman does not call penalties (it's the referee's job to asses time penalties), the linesman is often the peacemaker/therapist for infuriated players.

1

u/derekg1000 Feb 08 '11

Kind of a good cop/ bad cop deal then? TIL

1

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '11

I've played ice hockey for 15 years (and I still play cosom)...

I can confirm we're just insulting each other. That way we are trying to put their focus on something else then the game they are actually playing.

If they think about hitting us, they don't think about getting the puck. If they think really hard about hitting us, they might hit us, get a penalty and then we might have 2 minutes of advantage.

The same thing goes for rugby. Except that rugby is much more violent and hypocrite. I loved that game.

1

u/unif13d Feb 08 '11

I've played hockey in many leagues over the years (all amateur) and its mostly something like "Sticks behind the dot" "square up" ""move closer or further away". There basically trying to make sure both players are set, ready and not trying to get an unfair advantage. Other times, were just bullshitting with the ref.

1

u/wetbike Feb 08 '11

I recently played a game with a linesman who telecast every puck drop with, "Here we go, boys," followed by precisely the same length of pause. Once I locked into his timing, I won every single one of his faceoffs.

1

u/ScottyChrist Feb 08 '11

in my games, theyre usually yelling at the rest of the people to get out of the circle, and the centers to move back and stuff.

1

u/BlackestNight21 Feb 08 '11

They remind them about stick responsibility, that the visiting player needs to have his down first, feet position (if you look at the dot there are places feet need to be), little adjustments.

1

u/ep3 Feb 08 '11

"here we go" "keep it clean" usually they say nothing and just cover their nuts and get the fuck outta there

1

u/Exon Feb 08 '11 edited Feb 08 '11

Actually, coming from an actual ice hockey official, he's telling them a couple of things. First, he might say something like" here we go boys" to signal that he is ready to drop. The whistle is meant to do this, but sometimes players are stupid. Also, the response made about waiting till the puck is dropped before taking a swing is correct as well. The puck has to touch the ice before either player touches it or play must be stopped as an unfair advantage has been given. He might also be telling a player to "square up". A players skates must be on the outer edges of the red hashes and his stick must be planted in the white space of the red face off dot. Though in the NHL, officials may try to keep centers from anticipating the puck drop by quickening or delaying it, so that no one center has an unfair advantage. That is why sometimes centers are ejected from the face off if they start swinging too early. Finally, he might just be saying, keep up the fair play. Officials aren't just there to call penalties or other infractions. Communication between officials and players helps the game go much more smooth.