Law 3: The Players

1. Number of players

• A match is played by two teams, each with a maximum of eleven players; one must be the goalkeeper. A match may not start or continue if either team has fewer than seven players.p59 · cited by 5 pages
• If a team has fewer than seven players because one or more players has deliberately left the field of play, the referee is not obliged to stop play and the advantage may be played, but the match must not resume after the ball has gone out of play if a team does not have the minimum number of seven players.p59 · cited by 2 pages

2. Number of substitutions

• Official competitions The number of substitutes, up to a maximum of five, which may be used in any match played in an official competition will be determined by FIFA, the confederation or the national football association. For men's and women's competitions involving the 1st teams of clubs in the top division or senior ‘A' international teams where competition rules permit a maximum of five substitutes to be used, each team:p59 · cited by 5 pages

• has a maximum of three substitution opportunities*p59 · 4
• may additionally make substitutions at half-timep59 · 4

• * Where both teams make a substitution at the same time, this will count as a used substitution opportunity for both teams. Multiple substitutions (and requests) by a team during the same stoppage in play count as one used substitution opportunity.p59 · cited by 1 page

• If a team has not used the maximum number of substitutes and/or substitution opportunities, any unused substitutes and substitution opportunities may be used in extra timep60 · 2
• Where competition rules permit teams to use one additional substitute in extra time, each team will have one additional substitution opportunityp60 · 3
• Substitutions may also be made in the period between full-time and the start of extra time, and at half-time in extra time – these do not count as used substitution opportunitiesp60 · 2

• The competition rules must state:p60 · cited by 6 pages

• how many substitutes may be named, from three to a maximum of fifteenp60 · 3
• whether one additional substitute may be used when a match goes into extra time (whether or not the team has already used the full number of permitted substitutes)p60 · 2

Other matches

• In senior ‘A' international team matches, a maximum of fifteen substitutes may be named of which a maximum of eight may be used, unless the two teams agree that more may be used, up to a maximum of eleven, in which case the referee must be informed before the match. The restrictions and procedures in place in relation to substitution opportunities in official competitions will apply.p60 · cited by 3 pages
• In all other matches, a greater number of substitutes may be used provided that:p60 · cited by 3 pages

• the teams reach agreement on a maximum numberp60 · 2
• the referee is informed before the matchp60 · 2

• If the referee is not informed, or if no agreement is reached before the match, each team is allowed a maximum of six substitutes.p60 · cited by 1 page

Return substitutions

• The use of return substitutions is only permitted in youth, veterans, disability and grassroots football, subject to the agreement of the national football association, confederation or FIFA.p60 · cited by 2 pages

Additional permanent concussion substitutions

• Competitions may use additional permanent concussion substitutions in accordance with the protocol listed under ‘Notes and modifications'.p61 · cited by 3 pages

3. Substitution procedure

• The names of the substitutes must be given to the referee before the start of the match. Any substitute not named by this time may not take part in the match.p61 · cited by 1 page
• To replace a player with a substitute, the ‘Time-limited substitution protocol' under ‘Notes and modifications' and the following must be observed:p61 · cited by 10 pages

• the referee must be informed before any substitution is madep61 · 1
• the player being substituted:p61 · 8
• receives the referee's permission to leave the field of play, unless already off the field, and must leave by the nearest point on the boundary line unless the referee indicates that the player may leave directly and immediately at the halfway line or another point (e.g. for safety/security or injury)p61 · 3
• must be off the field of play within ten seconds of the substitution board being shown or, where there is no board, of the referee's signal for the substitution to take place, except where this is not possible due to safety/security or injuryp61 · 5
• must go immediately to the technical area or dressing room and takes no further part in the match, except where return substitutions are permittedp61 · 2

• Where there are multiple substitutions during the same stoppage, all players being substituted must leave the field of play within ten seconds of the last substitution being indicated.p61 · cited by 3 pages

• if a player who is to be substituted refuses to leave, play continuesp61 · 1

• The substitute only enters:p61 · cited by 3 pages

• during a stoppage in playp61 · 2
• at the halfway linep61 · 1
• after the player being replaced has leftp61 · 3
• after receiving a signal from the refereep61 · 2

• The substitution is completed when a substitute enters the field of play; from that moment, the replaced player becomes a substituted player and the substitute becomes a player and can take any restart.p62 · cited by 1 page
• All substituted players and substitutes are subject to the referee's authority, whether they play or not.p62 · cited by 1 page

4. Changing the goalkeeper

• Any of the players may change places with the goalkeeper if:p62 · cited by 4 pages

• the referee is informed before the change is madep62 · 4
• the change is made during a stoppage in playp62 · 4

5. Offences and sanctions

• If a named substitute starts a match instead of a named player and the referee is not informed of this change:p62 · cited by 2 pages

• the referee allows the named substitute to continue playingp62 · 1
• no disciplinary action may be taken against the named substitutep62 · 1
• the named player can become a named substitutep62 · 1
• the number of substitutions is not reducedp62 · 1
• the referee reports the incident to the appropriate authoritiesp62 · 1

• If a substitution is made during the half-time interval or before extra time, the procedure must be completed before the match restarts. If the referee is not informed, the named substitute may continue to play, no disciplinary action is taken and the matter is reported to the appropriate authorities.p62 · cited by 2 pages
• If a player changes places with the goalkeeper without the referee's permission, the referee:p62 · cited by 3 pages

• allows play to continuep62 · 1
• cautions both players when the ball is next out of play but not if the change occurred during half-time (including half-time of extra time) or the period between the end of the match and the start of extra time and/or penalties (penalty shoot-out)p62 · 3

• Except where leaving the field of play within ten seconds is not possible due to safety/security or injury, if the player being substituted has not left the field of play within the required ten seconds:p63 · cited by 8 pages

• the player being substituted must still leave the field of play; they are cautioned only if they excessively delay the restart beyond the ten secondsp63 · 8
• the substitute may not yet enter the field of playp63 · 6
• play restartsp63 · 5
• the substitution cannot be cancelled nor a different substitute usedp63 · 6
• the substitute may enter the field of play only with the referee's permission during the first stoppage after one minute has elapsed following the restartp63 · 7

• For any other offences:p63 · cited by 1 page

• the players are cautionedp63 · 1
• play is restarted with an indirect free kick, from the position of the ball when play was stoppedp63 · 1

6. Players and substitutes sent off

• A player who is sent off:p63 · cited by 4 pages

• before submission of the team list cannot be named on the team list in any capacityp63 · 1
• after being named on the team list and before kick-off may be replaced by a named substitute, who cannot be replaced; the number of substitutions the team can make is not reducedp63 · 1
• after the kick-off cannot be replacedp63 · 1

• A named substitute who is sent off before or after the kick-off may not be replaced.p63 · cited by 2 pages

7. Extra persons on the field of play

• The coach and other officials named on the team list (with the exception of players or substitutes) are team officials. Anyone not named on the team list as a player, substitute or team official is an outside agent.p63 · cited by 1 page
• If a team official, substitute, substituted or sent-off player or outside agent enters the field of play, the referee must:p64 · cited by 4 pages

• only stop play if there is interference with playp64 · 4
• have the person removed when play stopsp64 · 3
• take appropriate disciplinary actionp64 · 2

• If play is stopped and the interference was by:p64 · cited by 5 pages

• a team official, substitute, substituted or sent-off player, play restarts with a direct free kick or penalty kickp64 · 2
• an outside agent, play restarts with a dropped ballp64 · 3

• If a ball is going into the goal and the interference does not prevent a defending player playing the ball, the goal is awarded if the ball enters the goal (even if contact was made with the ball) unless the interference was by the attacking team.p64 · cited by 4 pages

8. Player outside the field of play

• If a player who requires the referee's permission to re-enter the field of play re-enters without the referee's permission, the referee must:p64 · cited by 6 pages

• stop play (not immediately if the player does not interfere with play or a match official or if the advantage can be applied)p64 · 4
• caution the player for entering the field of play without permissionp64 · 3

• If the referee stops play, it must be restarted:p64 · cited by 6 pages

• with a direct free kick from the position of the interferencep64 · 3
• with an indirect free kick from the position of the ball when play was stopped if there was no interferencep64 · 3

• A player who crosses a boundary line as part of a playing movement does not commit an offence.p64 · cited by 3 pages

9. Goal scored with an extra person on the field of play

• If, after a goal is scored, the referee realises, before play restarts, that an extra person was on the field of play when the goal was scored, and that person interfered with play:p65 · cited by 6 pages

• the referee must disallow the goal if the extra person was:p65 · 4
• a player, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player or team official of the team that scored the goal; play is restarted with a direct free kick from the position of the extra personp65 · 2
• an outside agent who interfered with play unless a goal results as outlined above in ‘Extra persons on the field of play'; play is restarted with a dropped ballp65 · 1
• the referee must allow the goal if the extra person was:p65 · 3
• a player, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player or team official of the team that conceded the goalp65 · 1
• an outside agent who did not interfere with playp65 · 1

• In all cases, the referee must have the extra person removed from the field of play.p65 · cited by 4 pages
• If, after a goal is scored and play has restarted, the referee realises an extra person was on the field of play when the goal was scored, the goal cannot be disallowed. If the extra person is still on the field the referee must:p65 · cited by 2 pages

• stop playp65 · 1
• have the extra person removedp65 · 1
• restart with a dropped ball or free kick as appropriatep65 · 1

• The referee must report the incident to the appropriate authorities.p65 · cited by 1 page

10. Team captain

• Each team must have a captain on the field of play who wears an identifying armband. The team captain has no special status or privileges but has a degree of responsibility for the behaviour of the team.p65 · cited by 4 pages
• Competitions may implement the ‘Only the captain' guidelines listed under ‘Notes and modifications'.p65 · cited by 1 page