Each shall alter course to starboard so as to pass on the port side of the other.
Paragraph (a): Each alters to starboard
When two power-driven vessels are meeting on reciprocal or nearly reciprocal courses so as to involve risk of collision, each shall alter her course to starboard so that each passes on the port side of the other.
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Wording follows the International Regulations as printed in the US Coast Guard Navigation Rules handbook (2024), with British spelling, and is shortened in places. Download the rules
Read the whole of Rule 14 on one page
Paragraph (a): Each alters to starboard
When two power-driven vessels are meeting on reciprocal or nearly reciprocal courses so as to involve risk of collision, each shall alter her course to starboard so that each passes on the port side of the other.
Paragraph (b): When it is deemed to exist
Such a situation is deemed to exist when a vessel sees the other ahead or nearly ahead, by night seeing the masthead lights of the other in a line (or nearly so) and/or both sidelights, and by day observing the corresponding aspect of the other vessel.
Paragraph (c): In doubt
When in any doubt as to whether such a situation exists, a vessel shall assume that it does and act accordingly.
Test yourself on Rule 14
Two power-driven vessels are meeting head-on, with risk of collision. What must each vessel do?
Alter course to starboard and pass port to port. Rule 14: each shall alter her course to starboard so that they pass on the port side of the other.
A training aid, not the official text. The COLREGs are an IMO convention, and your national authority publishes the version that applies in its waters. Check the rules themselves before you rely on them at sea. Download the rules.