How do substitutions work in youth matches?
Rule- England
- England Football
- Youth football
- Mini-soccer
- Under 7-Under 18
- Laws of the Game
- 2026/27
- Referees
Under The FA's Standard Code of Rules (2026/27):
| Age group | Substitutions |
|---|---|
| Under 7 (3v3) | None: everyone plays |
| Under 8-Under 11 (mini-soccer) | Any number, at any time, with your permission, entering only at a stoppage. Substituted players can return. Matchday squad no more than double the team size (10 for 5v5, 14 for 7v7). |
| Under 11-Under 18 (where the league allows return substitutes) | Up to 3 to 7 substitutes, as set by the league. A substituted player becomes a substitute and can replace any player, following Law 3. |
| Under 17-Under 18 (where the league doesn't allow return substitutes) | The league sets how many can be named (3-7) and used (3-7). |
- In youth football (Under 12 and up), substitutes must be named to you before kick-off by the deadline in the league's rules. A player not named can't take part.
- Substitutions in 9v9 and 11v11 follow Law 3: the substitute enters only after the player being replaced has left, at the halfway line, during a stoppage and with your permission.
Added 21 Oct 2026