How Many Players Are In A Football Team?

Football, which is also known as soccer in some parts of the world is one of the most loved sports throughout the world. It is played by two teams taking on each other head-to-head. 

How many players in a football team? A standard football team consists of 11 players on the field, including a goalkeeper. In addition to the 11 players participating in the match actively, teams also have substitutions ready to step in whenever needed. 

In this post, we will take a look at a detailed breakdown of how many players in football team, substitutes, composition, and other key factors.

The team composition

Let us have a look at the composition of the team:

Goalkeeper (1 player)

The goalkeeper is a specialist whose primary responsibility is to protect the goal. In the game of football, he is the only player who is allowed to use the arms and hands within the box. The key skills in this position are reflexes, positioning, and communication.

Defenders (3-5 players)

The defense line is positioned the closest to the goalkeeper. Their primary role is to prevent the opposing team from scoring. Whether there are 3 defenders or 5 defenders depends on the formation that the coach is using. 

The common positions in defence line are:

• Centre Backs

They defend the middle of the defence line along with advanced responsibilities.

• Full Backs

They cover the flanks and occasionally support the attacks.

• Wing Backs

They are full-backs who are more attack oriented.

Also Read: What is xG in Football? A Detailed Analysis of Expected Goals Metric

Midfielders (3-5 players)

The Midfield line is right between the defenders and forwards. The midfielders state the tempo of the game. This is why you see a lot of playing positions in the midfield. They dictate the tempo of the game and transition the ball from defence to attack.

The common positions in the midfield are:

• Defensive midfielder

They are the Frontline midfielder above the defense line. From adding an extra man to the defence to transition from defence to attack, they have multiple roles.

• Centre midfielder

They are response for balancing the offensive and defensive duties.

• Attacking midfielder 

The last line of midfield towards the frontline. From quick passing to open up space to allowing the wingers to stretch the defence line by filling in the centre, they are the wizards of the game.

Forwards (1-3 players)

The strikers or forwards are positioned at the closest to the goal line of the opposition. Their primary task is scoring along with other duties such as pressing and making off the ball runs.

Among different roles, the common forward roles are the strikers who are basically the central goal scorer, then there are wingers who attacks from the flanks.

The substitutions

More than the 11 players in the pitch from each team, every team has a list of substitution options in the bench. The substitutions allow the managers to replace the player in the field because of injury or to make Tactical adjustments.

The number of substitutions

As per the 2024 rules update, FIFA enables 5 substitutions every match. It is spread across three substitution windows.

The majority of the teams in modern football name a bench Up to 7 to 12 substitutions. However, it depends on the competition.

The role of the substitutions

Fresh legs can the team to implement the Tactical adjustments that they were trying to play. Moreover, the Tactical subs help in adapting to the changing game dynamics.

The substitutions often time include versatile players who are capable of filling multiple positions.

The rules on player count

There are rules for the minimum number of players. As per the laws of the game, a team at least have 7 players in the field to continue a match. 

If injuries, red cards, and other seasons reduce a player of the team below the threshold, the game will be forfeited. 

In professional clubs across all competitions, teams can register 25 players over the age of 21, with unlimited players under 21.

On the other hand, there are tournaments like FIFA World Cup which allows a squad of 26 players, with 23 there for the matchday teams.

The youth and amature levels

At the ameture and youth levels, the rules on team size and substitutions can massively vary:

• Smaller sided matches like a 5 side or 7 side are very common for younger groups.
• Subs are almost all the time restricted to make sure of inclusivity and fair play.

The simplicity of the structure of football needs 11 players per team with a single ball, has been one of many reasons why this sport is so popular. 

From the amature levels to the grandest of stage in World Cup, this sport unites billions of people. And the rules and regulations make sure people enjoy the sport to its fullest.

Also Read: Top 10 Worst Rules in Football