Each team can substitute up to 5 players during a match, used across 3 windows in regulation plus halftime. A substituted player cannot return. At the 2026 World Cup, teams get an additional sub if the match goes to extra time.

The 30-second version

• 5 subs total during 90 minutes (plus stoppage). Used to be 3, became 5 during the 2020 pandemic and stayed.
• 3 windows for those 5 subs — meaning teams can do multiple subs at once or spread them out, but only 3 separate stoppages count toward the limit.
• Halftime doesn't count as a window — sub freely.
• Substituted players cannot return.
• Extra time unlocks one bonus substitution and one bonus window.

What "windows" means

A window is one stoppage in play during which a team brings on fresh players. If a team subs three players in a single stoppage, that's one window, not three.

So the math:

• 5 subs / 3 windows
• Could be: 1 + 2 + 2, 1 + 1 + 3, 2 + 2 + 1, etc.
• Not: 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 (that's 5 windows)

Halftime is "free" — anything substituted at halftime doesn't burn a window. Teams often do their first sub at halftime for that reason.

How a substitution actually happens

1. Coach decides to make a sub.
2. Substitute warms up on the touchline.
3. Fourth official is told who's coming on (number) and who's coming off (number).
4. Fourth official displays an electronic board: red number for off, green number for on.
5. Play stops at the next natural break (out of play, foul, etc.).
6. The player coming off jogs to the nearest touchline (not necessarily the dugout) to leave the field.
7. The substitute enters from the halfway line.
8. Match clock continues — but the time used is added back as stoppage time.

A simple example

70 minutes into a 1–1 match.

• Coach signals two changes — striker off, midfielder off, fresh forward on, fresh midfielder on. (One window, 2 of 5 subs used. 2 windows + 3 subs left.)
• 85'. Team is chasing the game. Coach brings on a third forward. (Second window, 3 of 5 subs used. 1 window + 2 subs left.)
• 92'. 2–1 lead now. Coach wants to waste time. Brings on a defender for the striker. (Third window. Subs done — even with 1 sub left, no windows remain.)

If the match had gone to extra time, the coach would have had one more window and one more sub.

Why coaches sometimes "waste" subs

Late in a match, fresh legs aren't always the goal. A planned sub at the 88th minute uses 30 seconds of stoppage time. The walk off the field, the handshake, the substitute walking on — every second is added to stoppage time, but the defending team is the one in possession of the clock.

For a team protecting a lead, late subs are a clean way to kill time without breaking the rules.

Concussion subs (where allowed)

Some competitions allow additional permanent concussion substitutions. The player coming off has been diagnosed with a head injury; the team gets to bring on a sub without it counting against their normal 5. The injured player still cannot return.

The IFAB allows competitions to opt in to this. FIFA uses it at the World Cup.

Common confusion

• "They've got more subs left, why aren't they making them?" No windows left. A sub can only happen in a window.
• **"He came off with an injury, he should be allowed back on." No. Substitution is permanent. Injury subs were briefly tested as returnable but rejected because of fairness concerns.
• **"It said sub at minute 60 but he didn't come on until minute 62." The board goes up before the next stoppage; the player only walks on when the ball is dead.

What fans usually get wrong

• The 5-sub rule is per match, not per half.
• Extra time gives 1 additional sub and 1 additional window — total 6 subs across 4 windows + halftime.
• Goalkeeper subs are part of the same 5. There's no special "goalkeeper sub" rule.

Official rule basis

Substitutions are governed by Law 3 of the IFAB Laws of the Game. The 5-sub / 3-window structure was made permanent in 2022. FIFA's 2026 World Cup regulations confirm 5 subs in regulation + 1 in extra time.