How do substitutions work at U14?

For youth soccer, the Laws of the Game let the national association or competition decide how many substitutes a team may use and whether return substitutions (players re-entering) are allowed. So the number and timing of subs depend on your league or tournament.

The procedure is the same everywhere (Law 3, 2026-27):

• Substitutes must be named to the referee before kick-off. A substitute who isn't named can't play.
• Tell the referee before any substitution. The substitute enters only during a stoppage, at the halfway line, after the departing player is off, and on the referee's signal.
• New for 2026-27: the departing player must be off the field within 10 seconds of the substitution being signaled, unless injury or safety makes that impossible. If they take longer:
  • they still have to leave
  • the substitute can't enter until the first stoppage after one minute of play has passed
  • the substitution can't be canceled or swapped for a different player
• The departing player normally leaves at the nearest point on the boundary line, unless the referee says otherwise.