How substitutions work in football: the five-sub rule

Substitutions shape modern matches — fresh legs, tactical switches and game-changing impact from the bench. Here's how the rules work today.

Five substitutes

Football now permanently allows teams to make up to five substitutions per match, up from the long-standing three. The change, trialled during the congested 2020 calendar, was made permanent because it helps protect players' workload across packed seasons.

The three-window limit

There's a catch designed to stop teams chopping up the game with constant stoppages: those five subs must be made in a maximum of three separate stoppages during normal play (changes made at half-time don't count toward the three windows). So a manager who wants to make five changes has to group them — for example two at once, then one, then two — rather than stopping play five separate times.

Naming the bench

Teams name a set number of substitutes on the bench before kick-off — typically up to nine or twelve depending on the competition — and can use up to five of them. A substituted player cannot return to the pitch.

Extra time and concussions

Two special cases extend the basics:

• In knockout matches that go to extra time, teams are usually granted an additional substitution (and an extra window) for the extra 30 minutes.
• Many competitions also permit concussion substitutions on top of the normal five, so a player with a suspected head injury can be safely removed without costing the team a regular change.

Why it changed the game

Five subs gives managers far more tactical control — a chance to change shape, chase a game or shut one down — and it makes squad depth more valuable than ever. A strong bench can now win matches outright, which is why "impact substitutes" have become some of the most important players in any squad.

See how managers use their bench by following matches live in our match centre.