1. The on-ice official must drop the puck only on one of the nine designated faceoff spots.

2. Only one skater from each team is allowed to participate in a faceoff.

3. The two skaters taking the faceoff must be positioned squarely facing their opponent’s end, approximately one stick length apart, with the tip of the stick blade stationary on the white part of the faceoff spot. For end zone faceoffs, their skates must be positioned inside the markings on either side of the faceoff dot (double "L"), and players cannot encroach on each other’s space above the midway point of the dot with any part of their body.

4. If either skater taking the faceoff makes helmet-to-helmet contact with his opponent, he will be ejected from the faceoff. If the linesman cannot differentiate which skater caused the contact, both skaters will be ejected.

5. The on-ice official may drop the puck if only one skater is ready for the faceoff provided all other skaters not involved in the faceoff are onside and in ready position.

6. When the faceoff is in the defending half of the ice, the skater of the defending team must place his stick on the ice first followed immediately by the skater of the attacking team.

7. When the faceoff is at the centre-ice faceoff spot, the skater of the visiting team must place his stick on the ice first.

8. All skaters not taking the faceoff must keep their skates outside the circle (contact with the line is permitted). A skater’s stick may be inside the circle provided there is no contact with an opponent’s body or stick.

9. A skater must keep his skates on his side of the hash marks (contact with the line is permitted). A skater’s stick may be inside the area between the two hash marks provided there is no contact with an opponent’s body or stick.

10. All skaters must be on their side of the ice at a suitable distance removed from the skaters taking a faceoff between the blue lines. They must remain stationary and cannot skate freely during the faceoff procedure or influence or interfere with the faceoff procedure.

11. Once all skaters are in the set position for a faceoff, they cannot change positions.