Number of soccer players explained: Substitutions, discipline and more | OneFootball

Football, or soccer as it's also known, is the most popular sport in the world. It has an estimated 3.5 billion fans around the world, and that number is only going to grow as the years tick away.

From added-time drama to last-day survival, it is one of the most entertaining - and dramatic - sports in the world. It brings intrigue to new fans and old, as they support their team to the final touch of the ball. That's why it's so popular, with very few sports offering the chaos that soccer does.

It has played a key role in human lives for over 150 years since being established as a fully regulated sport. Billions of people across the world watched the FIFA World Cup final of 2022, as Lionel Messi finally got his hands on the famous trophy. The viewing figures toppled the Super Bowl of 2022 which showcases the huge worldwide interest that the sport holds. However, it wouldn't have been possible without the work that was carried out in the 19th century, when the sport was first established with an official set of rules back in 1863. These were officially brought into play by the Football Association in England. The rules have been tweaked regularly ever since, but the main aims of the game remain and the basic rulings do so too.

However, if you're new to the sport and don't understand the rules, it can be complicated. From controversial offside decisions to handballs and Video Assistant Referee (VAR), it's hard to keep track of the sport's rules - even the basics. Yet this article has you covered for one of the most simple things; the number of soccer players on the pitch at one time, looking at positions and the substitution bench. This article aims to improve your knowledge and simplify an increasingly complicated sport.

How many players on a soccer team

Each football team consists of 11 players - one of whom has to be a goalkeeper. After that, clubs and managers have the freedom to play players in any opposition, although they often stick to a variation of a '4-3-3'. It takes two soccer teams to start - and finish - a match, so there are 22 players on the pitch in total.

In the FA's 'Laws of the Game', it states that seven players must be on the pitch for each team to start the match, but also finish it.

There are a plethora of reasons as to why a team might not have seven players - and it's worth noting that it is a very rare site at the top of professional football. Nonetheless, it is possible - especially in the lower depths of English football and Sunday League.

Football teams will continue to play even if they have eight, nine or ten players. However, their chances of securing victory are incredibly slim. Teams with a numerical advantage can play around the other team and tire them. If they have fewer players, teams will often drop deep and protect the goal like their life depends on it, unless they're Tottenham Hotspur in the 2023/2024 season against Chelsea, who decided to play an aggressive, high-line, despite having just nine players. It didn't work out for them on that occasion, losing 4-1, highlighting why teams are so defensive when they have fewer players.

The numbers differ for this stat depending on the country, but - for the most part - benches are allowed to have between seven or nine players on the bench. The Premier League - often considered the most entertaining league in the world - allows nine players on each bench. However, only five of those players can be subbed on.

Teams can make five substitutions within three windows (three stoppages of play) each match. They can bring whoever they want off for any player on the bench. Substitutions often occur in the second half of a match - in an attempt to bring fresh legs onto the pitch and increase the tempo of the match.

The FA's 'Laws of the Game' handbook states that teams can continue to make subs that were unused during the 90 minutes in extra time. Most competition rules - including the Euros and World Cup - only teams to make an extra substitute in extra time with an added window. This can come during the breaks of play between full-time and extra time or after the first 15 minutes.

Teams never used to have benches that big - or be allowed to make five substitutions. This changed during the COVID-19 pandemic when teams argued that they needed to be able to make more substitutions to ease fixture congestion, thus resting players. The teams with smaller budgets argued it provided the financial powerhouses within football an unfair advantage as they could bring on world-class players off the bench, whilst they were unable to.

However, their efforts to stop it were in vain, as FIFA brought in the 'five-sub' rule during the pandemic and kept it afterwards. Substitutions only became permitted in 1965, and it was only until the Premier League was created in 1992 that teams could make three changes. There's been a drastic change in over 50 years.

Positions

During 11 vs 11 football matches, there are several positions players can play in. There must be a goalkeeper in the team - only one is permitted - and, even if the goalkeeper is sent off, the team must still put another goalkeeper in. Yet, apart from that one position, managers have the tactical and flexible freedom to play anyone in any position, with the key ones outlined below. Managers can play a variety of formations, varying from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3, creating tactical and creative battles during football matches. It plays a part in the beauty of the sport.