Let me tell you this whole soccer team number thing confused the crap outta me at first. Watched my nephew’s game last weekend and saw kids constantly swapping on and off, coaches yelling about positions… total mess, no one seemed clear.
So I figured I’d actually look it up properly instead of just guessing. Here’s how it went down:
Started simple: grabbed my laptop, searched “official soccer players rules”. Found the FIFA stuff first, kinda dry, but gotta start somewhere. Head spinning with all the “participants” and “match officials” talk.
Decided better to ask people who actually know. Texted my buddy Dave, he refs amateur games on weekends. Called him actually. Went something like this:
- Me: “Yo Dave, how many guys are actually playing on the field?”
- Dave: “For legit games? Almost always 11 per team, mate. But…”
- Me: “But what?”
- Dave: “That goalkeeper? Counts as one of the eleven! See folks forget that.”
Felt stupid I didn’t know the keeper is included! Thought he was separate.
Okay, so 11 starters each team. But then saw teams like mine has subs sitting on the bench? Got curious about the bench squads. Went digging again online. FIFA says pro games usually allow up to like 7 substitutes named, but only three get swapped in during the actual game. Youth leagues can be different, Dave said. More subs sometimes.
Different numbers kept popping up: 7-on-7? 5v5 indoor? Small field games! That’s why my nephew’s game looked different. Less space, less players. Usually no offsides either, thank god.
Tried drawing this out. Made stupid doodles:
- Big Field (full size): 11 starters per team (including keeper).
- Bench People: Varies, but only 3 swaps max for serious games.
- Tiny Pitch (rec leagues, indoors): Often 5, 6, or 7 per side.
Printed it out, took it down to the park when watching practice tonight. Showed it to another coach. He nodded: “Yeah, that’s basically it. People gotta stop trying to put 12 kids on field.”
Biggest lightbulb moment? Realizing most confusion comes from mixups between big pro-style games and little league kick-arounds. Same sport, different worlds.
Boom. Finally made sense. Coffee helps. So does bothering Dave. Probably owe him a beer.