HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

In
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
, a substitute is a player who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player. Substitutions are generally made to replace a player who has become tired or injured, or who is performing poorly, or for tactical reasons (such as bringing a striker on in place of a defender). A player who has been substituted during a match takes no further part in the game, in games played under the standard International Football Association Board Laws of the Game. Substitutions were officially added to the Laws of the Game in 1958. Prior to this most games were played with no changes permitted at all, with occasional exceptions in cases of extreme injury or players not arriving to matches on time. The number of substitutes has risen over time as well as the number of reserve players allowed to be nominated. It is now common for games to allow a maximum of 5 substitutions; some competitions allow for an additional substitution when playing extra time. A maximum of 3 "substitution opportunities" are provided to a side during normal time, and an extra opportunity during extra time. Substitutions can be made during half-time breaks during normal and extra time, and full time breaks(before the start of extra time), but do not count as substitution opportunities. There is also a provision of an additional substitution beyond whatever limits the match is being played under to be used specifically for a players who has sustained a concussion. Teams choose a substitute player from a pre-selected set of reserve players, these players typically sit in the technical area with the
coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...
es, and are said to be "on the bench". When the substitute enters the field of play it is said they have ''come on'' or have been ''brought on'', while the player they are substituting for is ''coming off'', or being ''brought off'' or ''substituted''. This pool of reserve players has also steadily increased in most competitions where they now allow 5, 7 or 9 reserves while in international competitive tournaments it is common that every player selected in the tournament squad (usually 23 players total) is an eligible substitute if they aren't suspended from the game. A player who is noted for frequently making appearances, or scoring important goals, as a substitute is often informally known as a "super sub".


History

The origin of football substitutes goes back to at least the early 1860s as part of
English public school football games During the early modern era pupils, former pupils and teachers at English public schools developed and wrote down the first codes of football, most notably the Eton College (1815) and Aldenham school (1825) football rules. The best-known of th ...
. The original use of the term ''substitute'' in football was to describe the replacement of players who failed to turn up for matches. For example, in 1863, a match reports states: "The Charterhouse eleven played a match in cloisters against some old Carthusians but in consequence of the non-appearance of some of those who were expected it was necessary to provide three substitutes." The substitution of absent players happened as early as the 1850s, for example from
Eton College Eton College () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...
where the term ''emergencies'' is used. Numerous references to players acting as a "substitute" occur in matches in the mid-1860s where it is not indicated whether these were replacements of absent players or of players injured during the match. While substitution during games was first added to the Laws of the Game in 1958, there are recorded instances of substitution being permitted on earlier occasions. On 7 November 1885, Lockwood Brothers used a substitute in an FA Cup first round replay against Notts Rangers, after midfielder F. Brears suffered a broken leg. The first use of a substitute in international football was on 15 April 1889, in the match between
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
and
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
at
Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
. Wales's original goalkeeper,
Jim Trainer James Trainer (7 January 1863 in Wrexham – 5 August 1915 in Paddington, Central London, England) was a Welsh association football player of the Victorian era. He was named the best goalkeeper of the English Football League several years in ...
, failed to arrive; local amateur player Alf Pugh started the match and played for some 20 minutes until the arrival of
Sam Gillam Sam, SAM or variants may refer to: Places * Sam, Benin * Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso * Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso * Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso * Sam, Iran * Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place People and fictional ...
, who took over from him. In 1940, in a match between Mandatory Palestine and Lebanon, Mandatory Palestine centre-half
Zvi Fuchs Zvi Fuchs ( he, צבי פוקס; 12 April 1917 – 10 March 1999) was an Israeli footballer who played as a midfielder. Early life Fuchs was born in Poland on 12 April 1917, and immigrated with his family to Mandatory Palestine in 1920. Cl ...
was replaced at half-time by
Lonia Dvorin Ari "Lonia" Dvorin ( he, לוניה דבורין; ; russian: Лёня Дворин; 23 October 1917 – 17 March 2000) was an Israeli football player and coach. As a player, he played as a full-back for Beitar Tel Aviv and the Mandatory Palest ...
following an injury. Also during the qualifying phase for the 1954 World Cup, Horst Eckel of
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
is recorded as having been replaced by
Richard Gottinger Richard Gottinger (4 June 1926 – 5 March 2008) was a German international footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, ...
in their match with the
Saarland The Saarland (, ; french: Sarre ) is a state of Germany in the south west of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, a ...
on 11 October 1953. The use of substitutes in World Cup Finals matches was not allowed until the 1970 tournament. The number of substitutes usable in a competitive match has increased from zero, meaning that teams were reduced if players' injuries could not allow them to play on, to one in 1958; to two out of a possible five in 1988. With the later increases in substitutions allowed, the number of potential substitute players increased to seven. The number of substitutes increased to two plus one (injured goalkeeper) in 1994, to three in 1995; and to a fourth substitute in certain competitions (starting from UEFA Euro 2016) in extra time. In 2020, following a proposal from FIFA, the International Football Association Board allowed for competition organisers to temporarily allow for a maximum of five substitutions (with an additional allowed in extra time, where applicable) to be made in official matches for the remainder of the year in order to lessen the
impact Impact may refer to: * Impact (mechanics), a high force or shock (mechanics) over a short time period * Impact, Texas, a town in Taylor County, Texas, US Science and technology * Impact crater, a meteor crater caused by an impact event * Imp ...
of fixture congestion caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. However, there will only be three opportunities to make substitutions (with an additional allowed in extra time, where applicable), excluding those made at half-time, before the start of extra time and at half-time in extra time.


Procedure

Substitutions are governed under Law 3 of the Laws of the Game in the ''(3) Substitution Procedure'' section. A player can only be substituted during a stoppage in play and with the permission of the referee. The player to be substituted (outgoing player) must have left the field of play before the substitute (incoming player) may enter the field of play; at that point the substitute becomes a player and the person substituted ceases to be a player. The incoming player may only enter the field at the halfway line. Failure to comply with these provisions may be punished by a caution ( yellow card). A player who has been substituted takes no further part in a match. Unused substitutes still on the bench, as well as players who have been already substituted, remain under the authority of the referee. These are liable for
misconduct Misconduct is wrongful, improper, or unlawful conduct motivated by premeditated or intentional purpose or by obstinate indifference to the consequences of one's acts. It is an act which is forbidden or a failure to do that which is required. Misc ...
, though cannot be said to have committed a foul. For example, in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Claudio Caniggia was shown the red card for cursing at the referee from the bench. Under the Laws of the Game, the referee has no specific power to force a player to be substituted, even if the team manager or captain has ordered their player to be substituted. As ''Law 3 (3) Substitution Procedure'' simply states that: ''"if a player who is to be replaced refuses to leave, play continues."'' However, in some situations players may still be liable to punishment with a caution (yellow card) if they are perceived to be wasting time or behaving in an unsporting manner by refusing to leave the field of play. A player who has been sent off (red card) cannot be replaced; the team will have to continue with one fewer player. In the case of a goalkeeper who is sent off, the coach will usually (but is not required to) substitute an outfield player so that the backup goalkeeper can enter the game. For example, in the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final, Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires was replaced by second-choice goalkeeper Manuel Almunia to replace Jens Lehmann, who was sent off less than 20 minutes into the match. If all substitutions have been used, or if no goalkeeper is available, an outfield player must take up the role of the goalkeeper. A famous example of this is when Chelsea goalkeepers Petr Čech and Carlo Cudicini were both injured in the same game, which led to defender
John Terry John George Terry (born 7 December 1980) is an English professional football coach and former player who played as a centre-back. He was previously captain of Chelsea, the England national team and Aston Villa. He was most recently the assi ...
spending the remainder of the match in goal wearing third-choice goalkeeper Hilário's shirt. According to the Laws of the Game, "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." Also: * In national A team matches, up to a maximum of six substitutes may be used. * In all other matches, a greater number of substitutes may be used provided that: ** the teams concerned reach agreement on a maximum number; ** the referee is informed before the match. * If the referee is not informed, or if no agreement is reached before the match, no more than six substitutes are allowed.


Concussion substitute

In October 2019, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) began discussing the use of additional substitutions for players who are suspected to have sustained a concussion during a match. Earlier in the year, the chairman of FIFA's medical committee,
Michel D'Hooghe Michel, Baron D'Hooghe (born 8 December 1945 in Bruges) is a Belgian former member of the FIFA Council"Russian World Cup lobbyist gave painting to FIFA chief", ''Sunday Times'', 14 August 2011, page 7 and the former Chairman of the FIFA medical ...
, said the body was open to discussing concussion substitutions. UEFA had also called for FIFA and IFAB to allow for temporary substitutes for suspected head injuries. The idea had been previously discussed by the FIFA Executive Committee five years earlier. However, the prevailing view was that the rule would hurt football's "universality", as it would be difficult to replicate on a grassroots level, and could be exploited to waste time and/or gain an additional substitution. In 2014, UEFA introduced a rule to allow referees to stop matches for up to three minutes to assess head injuries, with players only allowed to return after the team doctor could confirm the player's fitness to carry on. The three-minute rule was similarly adopted at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The change came following high-profile head injuries at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and calls by FIFPro for FIFA to review its concussion protocol. Initially, IFAB had considered a ten-minute assessment period for players suspected of a concussion, with a substitute replacing them in the interim. In December 2019, IFAB agreed to appoint an expert group, composed of sports medical specialists and football experts, to identify options for the assessment and management of suspected concussions during matches. Following feedback from the Concussion Expert Group, IFAB announced in February 2020 that it would draw up concussion substitute protocols to be used in trials. In October 2020, the expert group announced that an "additional permanent substitution" protocol would be used to protect the health of players using an "if in doubt, take them out" philosophy, and that trials would start in 2021. The protocol and trial was formally approved by IFAB on 16 December 2020. Under the protocol, players suspected of a concussion will be permanently removed from the match and replaced by a substitute. This prevents a player from sustaining multiple head injuries in a match, prevents teams from suffering a numerical or tactical disadvantage, reduces the pressure on medical personnel to make a quick assessment and can be applied on all levels of the game. Competition organisers must be approved by FIFA and IFAB to participate in the trial period, which will last from January 2021 to March 2022. In January 2021, FIFA announced that it would trial concussion substitutes in the following month at the
2020 FIFA Club World Cup The 2020 FIFA Club World Cup (officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020 presented by Alibaba Cloud for sponsorship reasons) was the 17th edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, a FIFA-organised international club football tournament betwe ...
. Later that month, it was announced that the Premier League, FA Women's Super League, FA Women's Championship and FA Cup would begin the trial in February 2021. On 9 February 2021, West Ham United made the first concussion substitution in English football during an FA Cup match against Manchester United, when Issa Diop was replaced by
Ryan Fredericks Ryan Marlowe Fredericks (born 10 October 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Premier League club AFC Bournemouth. He has previously played for Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford, Millwall, Middlesbrough, Bristol C ...
at half-time following a head injury. The trial is also taking place in the
Eredivisie The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is ...
, Eerste Divisie and KNVB Cup.


Trial protocol

IFAB announced two protocols for concussion substitutes, with competition organisers able to choose which to use. The use of concussion substitutes will operate in conjunction with other protocols used, including the three-minute break for an on-field concussion assessment. Both protocols use the following general principles and procedures: * A concussion substitution does not count towards the number of substitutions allowed in a match * In competitions where the number of named substitutes is the same as the maximum number of substitutes allowed, the concussion substitute can be a player who has previously been substituted out of the match. * A concussion substitution may be made: ** Immediately after a concussion occurs or is suspected ** After an initial three-minute on-field assessment, and/or after an off-field assessment ** At any other time when a concussion occurs or is suspected (including when a player has previously been assessed and has returned to the field of play) * If a team decides to make a concussion substitution, the match officials must be informed (ideally by using a substitution card/form of a different colour). * The injured player is not permitted to take any further part in the match, including a penalty shoot-out. The following principles are specific to each protocol: * Protocol A ** Each team is permitted to use a maximum of one concussion substitute during a match. ** When a concussion substitute is used, no change will be made to the maximum number of substitutions permitted by the opposing team. * Protocol B ** Each team is permitted to use a maximum of two concussion substitutes during a match. ** When a concussion substitute is used, the opposing team has the option of using an additional substitute for any reason. *** The opposing team is informed of their additional substitution opportunity by the match officials. *** The additional substitution may be used concurrently with the concussion substitution or at any time thereafter.


Super-sub

The term "super-sub" refers to a player who is not a regular in the starting line-up but who is noted for often coming on a substitute and making a significant impact on the game. Players regarded as "super-subs" include David Fairclough and
Divock Origi Divock Okoth Origi (born 18 April 1995) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a forward for club AC Milan and the Belgium national team. Origi began his career at Lille, and scored on his professional debut for them in 2013. A y ...
for Liverpool, John Hewitt for Aberdeen,5 of football's finest super-subs
BT Sport, 23 September 2015
Tosaint Ricketts for Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Adam Le Fondre for Reading, Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Javier Hernández for Manchester United,
Mikael Forssell Mikael Kaj Forssell (born 15 March 1981) is a Finnish former football striker. Forssell began his professional career in 1997 for HJK, having progressed through the team's youth teams, but he only remained at the club for a single season, maki ...
for Chelsea, Edin Džeko for Manchester City,
Brendon Santalab Brendon James Santalab ( hr, Šantalab; born 9 September 1982) is an Australian professional football player who plays as a striker for Victorian State League Division 1 side FC Strathmore. Club career Santalab originally started out as an a ...
for Western Sydney Wanderers, Henrique for Brisbane Roar,
Stevie Kirk Stephen David Kirk (born 3 January 1963) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played for East Fife, Stoke City, Partick Thistle, Motherwell, Falkirk, Raith Rovers and Arbroath. Playing career Born in Kirkcaldy, Kirk began his ...
for Motherwell, Archie Thompson,
Joshua Kennedy Joshua Blake Kennedy (born 20 August 1982) is an Australian former professional footballer who played as a striker for the Australia national soccer team. Kennedy is known by Australian fans as "Jesus" due to his apparent resemblance to tradi ...
and
Tim Cahill Timothy Filiga Cahill (; born 6 December 1979) is an Australian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder but also played as a striker on many occasions. A box-to-box midfielder, Cahill became recognised for "his a ...
for
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
, Fernando Llorente for Tottenham Hotspur, Roger Milla for
Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the ...
, Oliver Bierhoff for
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
, Ilsinho for Philadelphia Union, and Abby Wambach and
Carli Lloyd Carli Anne Hollins (; born July 16, 1982) is an American former professional soccer player. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2008 and 2012), two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion (2015 and 2019), two-time FIFA Player of the Year ...
for the United States women's team.


References

{{Association football laws Association football terminology