How many substitutions are allowed in football?
I · Intermediate · Who plays, and who can come on? · 11 of 14Up to five, in official competitions, with the exact number set by the competition. In top-level football the five must be made in at most three stoppages, plus half-time. A player who is taken off cannot return. Since 2026/27 the player going off has 10 seconds to leave the field.
How it works
- The competition sets the number, up to five. Youth football may allow more.
- Where five are allowed in top-division and senior international competitions, each team has three substitution opportunities during play, plus half-time. Several changes in one stoppage count as one opportunity.
- In extra time, unused substitutes and opportunities carry over, and the competition may allow one more.
- In senior international friendlies, up to eight may be used (up to eleven if both teams agree).
- Procedure: the referee is told; the player going off leaves at the nearest point of the boundary line within 10 seconds of the board or signal; the substitute comes on at the halfway line, during a stoppage, after the other player is off and with the referee's signal.
- If the player takes longer than 10 seconds, the substitute must wait until the first stoppage after one minute of play.
- The substituted player takes no further part, except where return substitutes are allowed in youth, veterans, disability and grassroots football.
Tricky cases
Can a substituted player come back on?
No, except in youth, veterans, disability and grassroots football where the competition allows return substitutes.
Do substitutions at half-time use up one of the three windows?
No. Half-time changes are extra to the three opportunities.
Can any player swap with the goalkeeper?
Yes, during a stoppage and after telling the referee. It is not a substitution.
A substitute came on without the referee's permission. What happens?
The player is cautioned. If play was stopped for it, the other team gets a free kick: direct if there was interference, indirect if not.
Why the rule exists
Substitutes let teams replace tired or injured players. The limits on number and timing stop changes being used to break up the game.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Official competitions | Up to five, set by the competition | L3.2 |
| Top-division and senior international competitions with five | Three opportunities plus half-time | L3.2 |
| Senior international friendlies | Eight, or up to eleven by agreement (new in 2026/27) | L3.2; Law changes 2026/27 |
| Other matches | By agreement; six if none is reached | L3.2 |
| Youth, veterans, disability and grassroots football | Return substitutes may be allowed | L Notes |
From the rule book
IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Laws 3.2 to 3.5 and 4.6 and the time-limited substitution protocol, in force from 1 July 2026. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: IFAB Laws of the Game (PDF).