Question Number: 16542

Law 3 - Number of Players 9/4/2007

RE: Competive Adult

Jose Sandoval of New Britain, CT USA asks...

when game is stopped due to a player injury and that player leaves the field unattended, can players from either teams substitute?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

An injury is a stoppage and under the Laws of the Game, either team may substitute at any stoppage. Local rule modifications may change when substitutions can be made.

Many youth and adult amateur leagues restrict substitution opportunities, and there are a variety of ways they handle injuries. Some may allow the injured player only to be substituted; others may have a "1-for-1" policy where the opponents may make an equal number of substitutions. Other leagues may treat the injury stoppage as a free substitution opportunity.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Jose this is up to the league in which you compete. Usually the injured player may be replaced from the bench without going through Law 3's substitution procedure. Other substitutes must have been waiting to enter before the stoppage in play.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Both Refs Voshol and Fleischer make excellent points. A stoppage for an injury is a stoppage and thus a substitution opportunity under the Laws, and as Voshol notes, unless the leagues have in place a variation, then the other team can also substitute. However - a caveat - as Fleischer notes, please don't allow the game to be delayed because a coach didn't already have people up and ready to sub for a next opportunity when the injury occurred. We're not talking about the replacement for an injured player, but we are talking about anyone else who wants to substitute in at that time - they MUST already be at the halfway line prepared to go in. There might be a tiny bit of leeway in between the moment the whistle sounds and the time the referee signals for a replacement for the injured player to enter, but if the other subs are not there and ready at that moment, it's just too bad. There will almost always be a next time.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

This is a league issue. Usually the player that was injured can be subbed for and since it is a stoppage, other players waiting to enter game can do so. In youth matches in most of WI...teams can sub on an injury unlimited provided they are at the half way line before the injury. High School soccer is different.