Substitute (association football)

Common card · No. 337012

In association football, a substitute is a player who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player who may be tired, injured, or performing poorly. There are also tactical reasons (such as bringing a striker on in place of a defender). A player who has been substituted during a match takes no further part in the game. Substitutions were officially added to the Laws of the Game in 1958. Prior to this most games were played with no changes permitted at all, with occasional exceptions in cases of extreme injury or players not arriving to matches on time. The number of substitutes has risen over time as well as the number of reserve players allowed to be nominated. It is now common for games to allow a maximum of five substitutions; some competitions allow for an additional substitution when playing extra time. A maximum of three "substitution opportunities" are provided to a side during normal time, and an extra opportunity during extra time. Substitutions can...

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