<P> One player from each team stands at the face - off spot (see below) to await the drop of the puck . All teammates must be lateral to or behind the player taking the face - off . Generally, the goal of the player taking the face - off is to draw the puck backward, toward teammates; however, they will, occasionally attempt to shoot the puck forward, past the other team, to kill time when shorthanded . However, where the face - off occurs at one of the five face - off spots that have circles marked around them, only the two opposing players responsible for taking the face - off may be in the circle . A common formation, especially at centre ice, is for a skater to take the face - off, with the wings lateral to the centre on either side, and the skater, usually a defenseman, behind the player handling the face - off, one toward each side . This is not mandatory, however, and other formations are seen--especially where the face - off is in one of the four corner face - off spots . </P> <P> Face - offs are typically conducted at designated places marked on the ice called face - off spots or dots . There are nine such spots: two in each attacking zone, two on each end of the neutral zone, and one in the centre of the rink . Face - offs did not always take place at the marked face - off spots . If a puck left the playing surface, for example, the face - off would take place wherever the puck was last played . On June 20, 2007, the NHL Board of Governors approved a change to NHL Rule 76.2, which governs face - off locations . The rule now requires that all face - offs take place at one of the nine face - off spots on the ice, regardless of what caused the stoppage of play . Rule 76.2 also dictates that, with some exceptions, a face - off following a penalty must occur at one of the two face - off dots of the offending team's end . </P> <P> An official may remove the player taking the face - off if the player or any players from the same team attempt to gain an unfair advantage during the face - off (called a face - off violation). When a player is removed, one of the teammates not originally taking the face - off is required to take the face - off . Common face - off violations include: moving the stick before the puck is dropped, not placing the stick properly when requested to do so, not placing the body square to the face - off spot, or encroachment into the face - off circle by a teammate . In the NHL, the player from the visiting team is required to place his stick on the ice for the face - off first when it takes place at the centre - line dot . For all other face - offs, the player from the defending team must place his stick first . Before the league's 2015--16 season, the visiting player was required to place his stick first on all face - offs . </P> <P> In the first organized ice hockey rules (see Amateur Hockey Association of Canada, AHAC), both centres faced the centre line of the ice rink, like the winners do today . At that time, another forward position existed, the rover, who faced forward like centres did today, but a few feet away . </P>

Who has to put their stick down first in an nhl faceoff
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