What happens if a named substitute starts the match in place of a listed starter?

Changes to the team sheet are allowed before kick-off only if the opposing captain, the referee and the match commissioner are told, and no one may be added who was not on the submitted sheet (NSL Handbook Rule 16.3).

If a named substitute takes the field at kick-off instead of a named starter without that procedure being followed (Rule 16.4):

• the referee lets the substitute continue
• the team's number of substitutions is not reduced
• the club is charged with misconduct

This matches Law 3 of the IFAB Laws, under which the named player can then become a named substitute and the referee reports the incident to the authorities.