Law 3: The players
For some helpful tips and observations on applying this Law, and what you should be looking out for as a referee, you can check out the companion articles, one on the players, the other on substitutions.
The number of players
A game of soccer is played by two teams, each with a maximum of 11 players. One of them must be the goalkeeper. A match cannot start or continue if either team has fewer than seven players.
The emphasis here is on ‘maximum of 11 players,’ as at the children’s/youth level, it’s quite possible to have teams of seven, or nine.
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.
If the competition rules state that all players and substitutes must be named before kick-off and a team starts a match with fewer than 11 players, only the players and substitutes named in the starting line-up may take part in the match upon their arrival.
Number of substitutions
In official competitions, the number of substitutes named may vary, as could the number of maximum allowable substitutions. In most official FIFA games, a maximum of five may be used in any match. For men's and women's competitions involving the first 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 has a maximum of three substitution opportunities. If both teams make a substitution at the same time, this counts as one per team. Substitutions can also be made at half time.
Extra time
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 time.
Where competition rules permit teams to use one additional substitute in extra time, each team will have one additional substitution opportunity.
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 opportunities.
The competition rules must state how many substitutes may be named, from three to a maximum of 15; and 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).
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.
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.
To replace a player with a substitute, the referee must be informed before any substitution is made.
Then, the player being substituted 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). The player must then go immediately to the technical area or dressing room and takes no further part in the match, except where return substitutions are permitted.
Offences and sanctions
If a named substitute starts a match instead of a named starter, and the referee is not told about this change, the referee allows the named substitute to continue playing and no disciplinary sanction is taken against the named substitute. The named player can become a named substitute and the number of substitutions is not reduced. However, the referee reports the incident to the appropriate authorities.
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.
If a player changes places with the goalkeeper without the referee’s permission, the referee allows play to continue, 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.
For any other offences, the players are cautioned, and play is restarted with an indirect free kick, from the position of the ball when play was stopped.
Changing the goalkeeper
Any player can change places with the goalkeeper if the referee is informed before the change is made, and the change is made during a stoppage in play.
Players and substitutes sent off
A player who is sent off before submission of the team list cannot be named on the team list as a player or substitute.
If a player is sent off after being named on the team list, but before kick-off, they may be replaced by a named substitute, who cannot be replaced, however, the number of substitutions the team can make is not reduced.
Someone receiving a red card after the kick-off cannot be replaced.
A named substitute who is sent off before or after the kick-off may not be replaced.
If a player who is to be substituted refuses to leave, play continues.
A substitute can only enter the field of play during a stoppage in play, at the halfway line, after the player being replaced has left, and after receiving a signal from the referee.
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.
All substituted players and substitutes are subject to the referee’s authority whether they play or not.
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 called an outside agent. An example of an outside agent would be a fan.
If a team official, substitute, substituted or sent-off player or outside agent enters the field of play the referee only stops play if there is interference with play. The official should then have the person removed when play stops (if there is someone who can do this, often it’s left to the referee to deal with), and take appropriate disciplinary action.
If play is stopped and the interference was by a team official, substitute, substituted or sent-off player, play restarts with a direct free kick or penalty kick awarded against the team committing the infraction.
If the interference was caused by an outside agent, play restarts with a dropped ball.
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.
Player outside the field of play
If a player who requires the referee's permission to re-enter the field of play – for example someone who was receiving treatment for an injury – re-enters without the referee's permission, the referee stops play (not immediately if the player does not interfere with play or a match official or if the advantage can be applied) and cautions the player for entering the field of play without permission.
If the referee stops play, it must be restarted with a direct free kick from the position of the interference, or with an indirect free kick from the position of the ball when play was stopped if there was no interference.
A player who crosses a boundary line as part of a playing movement, does not commit an offence.
Scoring a goal with an extra person on the field
If, after a goal is scored, the referee realises, before play restarts, an extra person was on the field of play when the goal was scored, and that person interfered with play, the referee must disallow the goal if the extra person was a player, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player or team official of the team that scored the goal. If this happens, play is restarted with a direct free kick from the position of the extra person. Also, the goal is disallowed if an outside agent interferes with play, and in this case, play is restarted with a dropped ball.
The goal is allowed if the extra player, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player or team official is from the team that conceded the goal. The goal also counts if there was an outside agent who did not interfere with play.
In all cases, the extra person needs to be removed from the field of play.
In the case that the referee only realises an extra person was on the field after the game has been restarted following a goal, the goal cannot be disallowed because the game has restarted.
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 this happens, the referee needs to stop the game, and the person needs to be removed. The game then restarts with either a dropped ball or a free kick, depending on the circumstances outlined earlier.
The referee must report the incident to the appropriate authorities.
Team captain
The team captain has no special status or privileges but has some responsibility for the team’s behaviour.
Photo by Michael Miller/ISI Photos/Getty Images
