Law 3: The Players
The 93 provisions of this law that Ruleside argues from, in the order they are printed. Each one has its own address and lists every verdict, incident and rules page that turns on it.
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 4 pages
- · has a maximum of three substitution opportunities*p59 · cited by 3 pages
- · may additionally make substitutions at half-timep59 · cited by 3 pages
- * 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 · cited by 2 pages
- · Where competition rules permit teams to use one additional substitute in extra time, each team will have one additional substitution opportunityp60 · cited by 2 pages
- · 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 · cited by 2 pages
- The competition rules must state:p60 · cited by 4 pages
- · how many substitutes may be named, from three to a maximum of fifteenp60 · cited by 2 pages
- · 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 · cited by 1 page
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 · cited by 2 pages
- · the referee is informed before the matchp60 · cited by 2 pages
- 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
Additional permanent concussion substitutions
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 9 pages
- · the referee must be informed before any substitution is madep61 · cited by 1 page
- · the player being substituted:p61 · cited by 7 pages
- · 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 · cited by 2 pages
- · 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 · cited by 4 pages
- · must go immediately to the technical area or dressing room and takes no further part in the match, except where return substitutions are permittedp61 · cited by 2 pages
- 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 · cited by 1 page
- The substitute only enters:p61 · cited by 3 pages
- · during a stoppage in playp61 · cited by 2 pages
- · at the halfway linep61 · cited by 1 page
- · after the player being replaced has leftp61 · cited by 3 pages
- · after receiving a signal from the refereep61 · cited by 2 pages
- 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
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 · cited by 1 page
- · no disciplinary action may be taken against the named substitutep62 · cited by 1 page
- · the named player can become a named substitutep62 · cited by 1 page
- · the number of substitutions is not reducedp62 · cited by 1 page
- · the referee reports the incident to the appropriate authoritiesp62 · cited by 1 page
- 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 · cited by 1 page
- · 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 · cited by 3 pages
- 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 7 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 · cited by 7 pages
- · the substitute may not yet enter the field of playp63 · cited by 5 pages
- · play restartsp63 · cited by 4 pages
- · the substitution cannot be cancelled nor a different substitute usedp63 · cited by 5 pages
- · 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 · cited by 6 pages
- For any other offences:p63 · cited by 1 page
- · the players are cautionedp63 · cited by 1 page
- · play is restarted with an indirect free kick, from the position of the ball when play was stoppedp63 · cited by 1 page
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 · cited by 1 page
- · 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 · cited by 1 page
- · after the kick-off cannot be replacedp63 · cited by 1 page
- 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 · cited by 4 pages
- · have the person removed when play stopsp64 · cited by 3 pages
- · take appropriate disciplinary actionp64 · cited by 2 pages
- 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 · cited by 2 pages
- · an outside agent, play restarts with a dropped ballp64 · cited by 3 pages
- 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 · cited by 4 pages
- · caution the player for entering the field of play without permissionp64 · cited by 3 pages
- 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 · cited by 3 pages
- · with an indirect free kick from the position of the ball when play was stopped if there was no interferencep64 · cited by 3 pages
- 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 · cited by 4 pages
- · 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 · cited by 2 pages
- · 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 · cited by 1 page
- · the referee must allow the goal if the extra person was:p65 · cited by 3 pages
- · a player, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player or team official of the team that conceded the goalp65 · cited by 1 page
- · an outside agent who did not interfere with playp65 · cited by 1 page
- 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 · cited by 1 page
- · have the extra person removedp65 · cited by 1 page
- · restart with a dropped ball or free kick as appropriatep65 · cited by 1 page
- 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
Provisions this site does not cite are not listed, so this is not a copy of the Laws. The full text is published by The IFAB. All laws.