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Substitute (football)



 
 
A substitute is a player in association football who is brought on to the pitch
Football pitch

A football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play"....
 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 not performing well; there may also be tactical reasons such as bringing an attacker on in place of a defender when goals are needed.

arly as the qualifying phase
1954 FIFA World Cup qualification

A total of 45 teams entered the 1954 FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament....
 for the 1954 World Cup
1954 FIFA World Cup

The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. As the year saw the 50th anniversary of FIFA, it was appropriate for football's premier competition to be played in the home of its governing body, and Switzerland was chosen as FIFA World Cup hosts#1954 FIFA World Cup in July 1946....
, substitutions were permitted during games, the first ever replacement being Horst Eckel
Horst Eckel

Horst Eckel is a former Germany football player.He was part of the Germany national football team team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup. He also participated in the 1958 FIFA World Cup....
 of Germany
Germany national football team

The German national football team is the association football team representing the country of Germany in international competition since 1908....
 during their match with the Saarland
Saarland national football team

The Saarland national football team was the association football team representing the Germans state of the Saarland from 1950 to 1956 during the France occupation following World War II....
 on October 11 1953.

Substitutions during English league
The Football League

The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for English football sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional Football clubs from England and Wales....
 matches were first permitted in the 1965-66
1965-66 in English football

The 1965-66 season was the 86th season of competitive football in England....
 season.






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A substitute is a player in association football who is brought on to the pitch
Football pitch

A football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play"....
 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 not performing well; there may also be tactical reasons such as bringing an attacker on in place of a defender when goals are needed.

History

As early as the qualifying phase
1954 FIFA World Cup qualification

A total of 45 teams entered the 1954 FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament....
 for the 1954 World Cup
1954 FIFA World Cup

The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. As the year saw the 50th anniversary of FIFA, it was appropriate for football's premier competition to be played in the home of its governing body, and Switzerland was chosen as FIFA World Cup hosts#1954 FIFA World Cup in July 1946....
, substitutions were permitted during games, the first ever replacement being Horst Eckel
Horst Eckel

Horst Eckel is a former Germany football player.He was part of the Germany national football team team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup. He also participated in the 1958 FIFA World Cup....
 of Germany
Germany national football team

The German national football team is the association football team representing the country of Germany in international competition since 1908....
 during their match with the Saarland
Saarland national football team

The Saarland national football team was the association football team representing the Germans state of the Saarland from 1950 to 1956 during the France occupation following World War II....
 on October 11 1953.

Substitutions during English league
The Football League

The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for English football sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional Football clubs from England and Wales....
 matches were first permitted in the 1965-66
1965-66 in English football

The 1965-66 season was the 86th season of competitive football in England....
 season. During the first two seasons after the law was introduced, each side was permitted only one substitution during a game. Moreover the substitute could only replace an injured player. From the 1967-68
1967-68 in English football

The 1967-68 season the 88th season of competitive Football in England....
 season, this rule was relaxed to allow substitutions for tactical reasons. The term "super-sub" refers to a substitution made by the Coach (or Manager) that subsequently saves the game, e.g. by scoring a winning goal, or a player frequently used in this role, e.g. former Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.

Liverpool Football Club is a professional association football club based in Liverpool, England. The club plays in the Premier League, and it is the Football records in England#Most successful clubs overall in the history of Football in England; the club has won List of football clubs in England by major honours won than any other English cl...
 forward
Striker

Forwards, also known as attackers and strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals....
 David Fairclough
David Fairclough

David Fairclough was a footballer whose special role in the great Liverpool F.C. side of the 1970s was that of Supersub....
.

On August 21 1965, Keith Peacock
Keith Peacock

Keith Peacock is an England former Football and coach ....
 of Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.

Charlton Athletic Football Club is a professional association football football team based in Charlton, London, in the London Borough of Greenwich....
 became the first substitute used in the Football League
The Football League

The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for English football sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional Football clubs from England and Wales....
 when he replaced injured goalkeeper
Goalkeeper (football)

In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a association football positions that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's Football pitch#Goals....
 Mike Rose eleven minutes into their away match against Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.

Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English Football League teams professional football club based in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England....
.

Archie Gemmill
Archie Gemmill

Archibald "Archie" Gemmill is a Scottish former football , most famous for a goal he scored against the Netherlands national football team in the 1978 FIFA World Cup....
 of St. Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.

Saint Mirren Football Club is a Scotland professional football football team based in Paisley, Renfrewshire. St. Mirren play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the Scottish Football League First Division in 2005–06 in Scottish football....
 was the first substitute to come on in a Scottish first-class match, on August 13 1966 in a League Cup
Scottish League Cup

The Scottish Football League Cup is a association football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Co-operative Insurance Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with Co-operative Insurance Society....
 tie against Clyde
Clyde F.C.

Clyde Football Club are a Scottish professional football team currently playing in the Scottish Football League First Division of the Scottish Football League....
 when he replaced Jim Clunie
Jim Clunie

Jim Clunie was a Scotland association football player and manager. Clunie played for Aberdeen F.C. in the Scottish Cup 1958-59#Final, which they lost 3–1 to St....
 after 23 minutes.

The first official substitute in a Scottish League
Scottish Football League

The Scottish Football League is a league of Football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish Football League First Division, Scottish Football League Second Division and Scottish Football League Third Division....
 match was Paul Conn for Queen's Park
Queen's Park F.C.

Queen's Park Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. The club are currently the only amateur club in the Scottish Football League; their amateur status is reflected by their motto, Ludere Causa Ludendi - to play for the sake of playing....
 v. Albion Rovers in a Division 2 match on August 24 1966. Previously, on January 20 1917, a player called Morgan came on for the injured Morrison of Partick Thistle
Partick Thistle F.C.

Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow, Scotland. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908....
 after 5 minutes against Rangers
Rangers F.C.

Rangers Football Club are an association football team based in Glasgow, Scotland who currently play in the Scottish Premier League. They have won 51 domestic league titles, more than any other team....
 at Firhill
Firhill Stadium

Firhill Stadium is the home ground of the Scotland association football club, Partick Thistle F.C.In December 2005 Firhill temporarily also became the home of Glasgow's professional Rugby Union team, Glasgow Warriors, when they moved from their previous base at Hughenden....
, but this was an isolated case and the Scottish League did not authorise substitutes until 1966.

In latter years, the number of substitutes permitted in Football League matches has gradually increased, at present each team is permitted to name five or seven substitutes depending on the country and competition, of which a maximum of three may be used. In the UK
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, the Premier League increased the number to 5 in 1996, and it was announced that the number available on the bench would be 7 for the 2008-09 season.

Relevant laws

According to the Laws of the Game
Laws of the Game

The Laws of the Game are the rules governing a game of association football. They are written and maintained by the International Football Association Board ....
 (2007-08):

Procedure and restrictions

A player may only be substituted during a stoppage in play
Ball in and out of play

The ball in and out of play is the ninth law of the Laws of the Game of association football, and describes to the two basic states of play in the game....
 and with the permission of the referee
Referee (football)

A referee presides over a game of association football. The referee has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" , and the referee's decisions regarding facts connected with play are final, so far as the result of the game is concerned....
. 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 half-way line. Failure to comply with these provisions may be punished by a caution (yellow card
Yellow card

Yellow card may refer to:* "Yellow card", colloquial name for the IBM System/370 Reference Summary booklet in the 1970s * A Penalty card that is shown in many sports after a rules infraction...
).

A player who has been substituted may take no further part in a match.

Both people nominated as substitutes though not yet used and players who have been substituted remain under the authority of the referee, and are liable for misconduct
Misconduct (football)

Misconduct in Association football is any conduct by a player which is deemed by the referee to warrant a disciplinary sanction in accordance with Law 12 of the Laws of the Game....
, though can not be said to have committed a foul
Foul (football)

A foul in football is an unfair act by a player which is deemed by the referee to contravene Law 12 of the Laws of the Game.For an act to be a foul it must:...
.

Under the Laws, 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. If a player refuses to be substituted play may simply resume with that player on the field. However, in some situations players may still be liable to punishment with a caution (yellow card) for time wasting or unsporting behaviour.

Also, a player who has been sent off (red card) may not be substituted; the team will have to make-do with the remaining players.

Number of substitutes


Official competitions
  • Up to a maximum of three substitutes may be used in any match played in an official competition organised under the auspices of FIFA
    FIFA

    The F?d?ration Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by its acronym, FIFA , is the international sport governing body of association football....
    , the confederations
    Football (soccer)

    Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players, and is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the world....
     or the member associations.
  • The rules of the competition must state how many substitutes may be nominated, from two up to a maximum of seven.


Other matches
  • 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.