Throughout the years, soccer has experienced changes such as the way teams play the game, the way technology has impacted referees to make more accurate decisions with VARs, and even rules like the total of substitutions permitted. I remember there were a maximum of 3 substitutions allowed when I started playing soccer. However, things have changed since then and the rules of soccer have evolved too.
The total number of substitutions allowed in soccer can be up to five players. Teams have up to three opportunities to make substitutions. Teams can make a substitution during the first half, second half, half-time, and even during extra time as long as the team hasn’t used their three substitution opportunities nor reached the maximum number of substitutes.
Depending on the competition rules, a sixth substitute can be brought into the game in extra time regardless if the team has already used 5 substitutions. FIFA World Cup 2022 is an example of introducing this new rule.
Making substitutions can have a big impact on the game. Substituting tired or injured players is typically the main reason for bringing a new player to the field. However, this rule didn’t always exist in soccer. In fact, did you know substitutions were not allowed in soccer in the late 1800s and early 1900s?
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Why is there a limit on substitutions in soccer?
Depending on the kind of game and soccer level, the limit on substitutions changes. For instance, friendly international matches allow more substitutions in comparison to an official competition like the World Cup.
Also, the limit of 5 allowed substitutions applies to professional soccer players and typically to high-level youth soccer leagues (under 23, under 20, under 17). However, you might see in high school and even NCAA collegiate leagues, which I experienced, where there is no limit to the number of substitutions.
If you are coming from other sports like basketball where there is no limit on the number of substitutions allowed, you might wonder why there is a limit imposed on substitutions in soccer.
Here are five reasons why there is a limit on the number of substitutions allowed in soccer:
- Reduces the disruption of the game
- Forces coach to carefully make strategic decisions
- Forces soccer players to be fit
- Avoids substituting “situational” players
- Keeps the essence of soccer
Reduces the disruption of the game
Soccer is an entertaining sport, especially when there is continuous action and movement of the ball. As soon as a soccer game starts getting a lot of stoppage play, the game becomes boring and loses its excitement.
The best way I can explain this is with the following example:
Imagine there is an unlimited number of substitutions allowed to come in the game at any point. On top of that, let’s also consider the possibility of allowing substituted players to come again on the field (substituted players are not allowed to play again in professional soccer).
In other words, imagine using the basketball substitution rules in soccer.
Just think of the last minutes of a soccer game, especially during stoppage time, the number of substitutions entering the field. It will make those last 2 or 3 minutes more like 15 minutes.
Soccer has already plenty of stoppage play if you think about it. Every time the ball is off the field, every time a player gets injured, and every time there is a penalty kick or free kick, these are all situations where the game is disrupted.
Even after the game is disrupted, referees encourage continuing the game from stoppage plays quickly. In fact, there are soccer rules that encourage movement such as the 6-second goalkeeper rule, which states that goalkeepers commit a foul if they hold onto the ball for more than 6 seconds.
In other words, the more disruption the game has, the less exciting it becomes.
Forces coach to carefully make strategic decisions
What would the role of coaches be if there were no limits on the number of substitutions in soccer?
It would mean giving coaches more flexibility at the moment of changing their strategy at every opportunity they see. This means every time a player is injured, is receiving a yellow or red card, or there is a corner kick, just to name a few moments of the game.
With that being said, coaches would still have to make strategic decisions. However, there is more freedom for them to try multiple game styles.
For instance, that means substituting multiple players that are fast for 15 minutes for counterattacks, then completely changing the strategy and substituting players who can keep better possession of the ball for another 15 minutes, and finally substituting strong players capable of defending for the last 15 minutes of the game.
As soon as you get a limit on the number of substitutions, coaches lose that flexibility in changing strategies all the time during the game. Instead, this forces careful consideration of the different strategies a team can follow during the different stages of the game with primarily most of the same starter players plus the five substitute players.
On paper, it doesn’t seem to make a big impact.
The reality is it challenges coaches to constantly learn about tactics and strategies from their rival teams and other coaches, as well as do a deep analysis of all of their players to understand the skills that would fit better to practice any given kind of soccer.
Forces soccer players to be fit
Soccer has evolved and continues to evolve every day with new rules, new technologies, and new ways to play the game. Soccer players have to be more fit to not only keep up with the number of games scheduled across the different competitions a team is part of but also to be able to perform at a high level for 90 minutes plus stoppage time on a game.
Without limits on the number of substitutions, soccer players wouldn’t need to stay fit for a 90-minute game as a substitute could come into the game once a player is tired.
Don’t get me wrong, there are substitutions whose main consideration is to rest some players. However, this creates the scenario of players not needing to work as hard to be fit.
Avoid substituting “situational” players
A typical game of soccer has different situations, such as corner kicks, free kicks, penalty kicks, throw-ins, etc. Some of them occur more often than others, depending on the games and the teams playing. However, it is safe to say these situations occur at least once in a game with the exception of penalty kicks.
Setting a limit on the number of substitutions prevents the scenario of bringing on the field “situational” players. Meaning, players who have a primary skill such as:
- Being excellent at shooting short-distance or long-distance free kicks
- Being tall and great at heading the ball offensively or defensively, depending on the scenario
- Being a master of shooting penalty kicks
- Being capable of doing long-distance throw-ins that become more like cross balls
Once again, you can still substitute in players for those situations of the game with the current substitution limit, but they should be part of an overall team strategy. Once substitutes are on the field, you can no longer take back substituted players who were giving other strategic possibilities throughout the game.
Keeps the essence of soccer
Soccer has changed its rules throughout history by not allowing substitutions at the beginning to start allowing one substitution, then two substitutions, and increasing the number of substitutions ever since to five, which I consider a bit too many.
However, the reason there is a limit is to try to preserve the essence of soccer. If no substitutions were allowed at the beginning, that means the core idea of the sport is to have an 11 vs 11 match rather than a 15 vs 15. Yes, there can still be only 11 players per team. However, when you change too many players in the same game, it feels like a completely new game.
While I consider incorporating the rule of substitutions in a contact sport is excellent to substitute injured players and keep the game fair, increasing more and more the number of allowed substitutions doesn’t do good to the game. Instead, it changes everything. From the way soccer players train and play matches to the way coaches analyze and strategize the game.
