Question Number: 24245

Law 3 - Number of Players 10/27/2010

RE: Competitive Under 19

Aubrey Waddell of Maryville, TN USA asks...

If a substitute or substituted player enters the field of play while the ball is in play and without the referee's permission, is the substitute/substituted player considered a player or is he considered a substitute/substituted player for purposes of fouls and misconduct that he may commit while he is on the field?

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The substitute/substituted player who enters the field in this situation is not considered a player. He cannot commit a foul (which by definition must be an act by a player), but should be cautioned for unsporting behavior (entering without permission). He could be sent off if he commits other acts of misconduct while on the field of play (either a second cautionable offense or a sendoff offense), but his team would not play short.

Answer provided by Referee Debbie Hoelscher

A substitute becomes a player only when:
1) the referee has recognized the substitution
2) the player being replaced has left the field of play
AND
3) the substitute, AFTER being beckoned onto the FOP by the referee, enters the FOP. It is that point that the substitution is complete and the substitute becomes a player.

There are no other times for which a substitute is, or is even considered, a player.

A substitute can and should be sanctioned for misconduct if they participate in such an act. A substitute can never be penalized for a foul, as by definition fouls are committed only by players against their opponent, on the field of play, while the ball is in play.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Aubrey
The substitute or substituted player would not become a player in the situation of entering the field of play without permission. As a result he can only commit misconduct and he cannot commit a foul. A substitute or substituted player is cautioned if he commits any of the following three offences:
# unsporting behaviour
# dissent by word or action
# delaying the restart of play.
Note the exclusive of the other 4 cautionable offences which relate to participation in play.
The substitute or substituted player can be sent off but his team does not play short. Any goal scored while there is an extra person on the field of play by the scoring team would be disallowed.