My Soccer Team Size Confusion
Okay so last weekend I tried coaching my nephew’s soccer game and totally messed up the player count. Thought it was like basketball or something – kept telling kids to rotate in when there weren’t enough spots. Parents were giving me looks. Felt like an idiot.
Went home determined to figure this out properly. Grabbed my laptop while dinner burned (sorry honey), spilled coffee on FIFA’s official rulebook PDF – classic. Here’s what I actually learned through trial and error:
The Messy Research Phase
Started just googling basic stuff like “soccer players per team” but every website said something different. Even YouTube highlights confused me – sometimes I’d count 11 players, sometimes subs were warming up on the sidelines looking like extra players.
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My stupid process went like this:
- Counted players in 3 different Premier League matches on TV – kept getting distracted by goals
- Dug out my old FIFA video game case (the booklet had rules!) but it was chewed up by my dog
- Asked my wife’s cousin who played college soccer – he started ranting about formations instead
- Finally found the real answer buried in a kids’ soccer league website of all places
Turns out I was missing the damn substitution rules! That’s why numbers kept changing.
What Actually Stuck in My Thick Skull
After all that chaos here’s the simple breakdown I wish someone told me:
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The golden rules:
- Starting players: 11 per team (including goalie obviously)
- On the bench: Usually 3-7 backup players depending on league
- Game time swaps: Most leagues allow only 3-5 substitutions total during match
- Wildcard: Youth games? Sometimes more subs allowed cause kids get tired
Tested this at Wednesday’s practice. Counted proper 11 vs 11 setup this time – high-fived the ref like an overeager loser. My nephew’s team still lost 4-1 but hey, at least I didn’t cause a penalty with extra players!
Why This Matters For Us Normal People
Seriously though – this matters way more than those fancy rulebooks show. Last month our neighborhood game nearly ended in fistfight when Mark brought 4 extra cousins. Now I print out the simple 11+subs rule and tape it to the cooler. Problem solved.
Next week tackling offsides. Maybe. If my knees survive Sunday’s game.
