Feature

Soccer Has 11 Players per Team—Except When the Format or Match Changes

Cora Maddox · August 4, 2026

The short answer: 11 per team and 22 in total

Quick answer: Standard 11-a-side soccer allows a maximum of 11 players from each team on the field. With both teams at full strength, that means 22 players total, including both goalkeepers. U.S. Soccer’s guidance on Law 3 states that a match is played by two teams, each with a maximum of 11 players.

The apparent disagreement between “11 players” and “22 players” is simply a matter of perspective:

11 players is the maximum for one team.
22 players is the full-strength total for both teams.

The equation is:

11 home-team players + 11 visiting-team players = 22 players on the field

That count describes the players participating at that moment. It does not include substitutes waiting on the bench, other registered team members, coaches, or match officials.

It is therefore more precise to say up to 11 players per team and 22 players at full strength. Twenty-two is not an unchanging total: a team can become shorthanded during a match, while youth and modified competitions may use fewer players from the outset.

The goalkeeper is one of the 11 players

Each standard team must have a designated goalkeeper, and that player is included in the team’s maximum of 11. A full 11-a-side lineup consists of:

1 goalkeeper
10 outfield players
11 players total

The correct calculation is not 11 outfield players plus one goalkeeper. That would produce 12 players for one team.

The 10 outfield players are generally organized into three broad groups:

Defenders
Midfielders
Forwards

A formation describes how those 10 outfield players are arranged; it does not create an additional position or allow another player onto the field.

For example, a 4-4-2 formation uses four defenders, four midfielders, and two forwards in front of the goalkeeper. The formation numbers total 10 because they refer only to the outfield players. Adding the goalkeeper produces the complete lineup of 11, as shown in this explanation of the 4-4-2 formation.

A coach can reorganize the outfield players into another formation, but the full-strength team remains one goalkeeper and 10 outfield players.

Who is not included in the 22-player count

The 22-player figure counts only the players currently participating on the field. It does not describe every person associated with the match or every player available to a team.

These terms answer different questions:

On-field lineup: The players participating at that moment
Substitutes or bench players: Players available to enter
Match-day squad: The starters and substitutes available for that match
Team roster: The broader group registered with the team or competition

A player can be on the roster and in the match-day squad without being one of the 11 currently playing.

Substitutes do not count until they enter

Substitutes waiting off the field are not included in the full-strength total of 22. A legal substitution exchanges one participating player for another:

The outgoing player leaves.
The substitute enters under the applicable procedure.
The team still has no more than 11 players participating.

A substitution does not add a 12th active player. The number of substitutes that may be named or used varies by competition, so there is no universal substitution or bench limit for every professional, youth, recreational, and tournament match.

Referees are not players

The referee and other match officials are not included in the 22-player count. A referee may be physically on the field, but that does not make the referee a member of either team.

Counting everyone visible may therefore produce a number greater than 22. The relevant distinction is between players and officials, not simply between people who are on or near the field.

Roster size is not on-field team size

A registration page may say that a team can have 14, 15, or 18 players while still using a smaller on-field format. Those larger numbers may describe the roster rather than the number permitted to play simultaneously.

A guide distinguishing the starting lineup, bench, match-day squad, and full registered group is available in this overview of soccer rosters and formats.

When reading a registration page, look for labels such as “players on the field,” “playing numbers,” or “game format.” Those are more useful than a general reference to “team size.”

Why a match may have fewer than 22 players

Twenty-two is the full-strength total for standard 11v11 soccer. It is not a guarantee that all 22 players will remain on the field throughout the match.

A red card leaves a team shorthanded

A player sent off with a red card cannot be replaced. A match that began 11v11 can therefore become:

10 players versus 11 players = 21 players total

If one player from each team is sent off, it can become:

10 players versus 10 players = 20 players total

This differs from an ordinary substitution because a substitute cannot fill the place vacated by the sent-off player. The team continues shorthanded, subject to the minimum-player rule. This effect of a red card is also explained in Soccer.com’s guide to on-field player counts.

A standard match has a lower limit

Under the standard rule, a match cannot start or continue if either team has fewer than seven players. The threshold applies to each team separately, not to the combined total of both teams. U.S. Soccer’s Law 3 guidance states both the 11-player maximum and the seven-player minimum.

For example:

7v11 satisfies the minimum because each team has at least seven players.
6v11 does not satisfy it because one team has fewer than seven.
A combined total of 14 is not sufficient if the teams are arranged 6v8.

Additional send-offs can reduce the player count, but the match cannot continue indefinitely as one team loses players.

Temporary departures do not always create permanent shortages

The visible count may temporarily fall when an injured player leaves the field. That does not necessarily mean the team will remain shorthanded for the rest of the match.

Depending on the circumstances and competition rules, the player may return or an available substitute may enter. It would therefore be inaccurate to assume that every injury permanently reduces a team to 10 players.

The important distinction is:

A legal replacement can restore the team to its permitted on-field count.
A sent-off player cannot be replaced, so the team remains shorthanded.

Competition rules may also address how a match begins or continues when fewer than 11 players are available. Those provisions apply to the competition that issued them and should not automatically be generalized to another league.

Youth soccer often uses fewer players

There is no single player count for every youth soccer match. Younger divisions frequently use smaller-sided formats before moving to 11v11.

Common labels include:

4v4
7v7
9v9
11v11

The number on each side of the “v” represents the players fielded by one team. At full strength:

Format	Players per team	Players across both teams
4v4	4	8
7v7	7	14
9v9	9	18
11v11	11	22

Thus, 7v7 means seven players on one team and seven on the other—not seven players total.

Check how the format treats goalkeepers

A stated format ordinarily represents the entire on-field team. Parents should not automatically interpret 7v7 as seven outfield players plus a goalkeeper.

Some young divisions play without goalkeepers, and local programs may introduce the position at different ages. Families should verify whether the stated number includes a goalkeeper and whether the division uses one at all.

Age progressions are local, not universal

One municipal recreation program illustrates how formats can change by age:

U6–U8: 4v4
U9–U10: 7v7
U11–U12: 9v9
U13 and the listed older divisions: 11v11

Its chart also shows that U6–U9 do not use goalkeepers, while U10 and the listed older divisions do. These are rules for that particular program, not a universal youth soccer schedule. See the program’s age-group format chart.

Another league may introduce goalkeepers or change formats at different ages.

Age group alone is therefore not enough to determine how many players will be on the field. Knowing that a child plays U10 or U12 narrows the question, but the league or tournament rules provide the answer.

Do not confuse the roster with the format

A 7v7 team may register more than seven children, and a 9v9 team may register more than nine. The additional players form the bench or broader roster; they do not all play simultaneously.

Before registration, families should identify both numbers:

How many children may be registered to the team?
How many players may participate on the field at one time?

Player counts in small-sided, recreational, indoor, and futsal games

“Soccer” can refer to several related formats. Standard outdoor soccer is 11v11, but small-sided, indoor, recreational, and futsal competitions may use fewer players.

Format	Players per team	Total at full strength	Qualification
11v11	11	22	Standard full-sided soccer; the goalkeeper is included
9v9	9	18	Used in some youth or modified competitions
7v7	7	14	Check the competition’s goalkeeper provisions
6v6	6	12	Used by some recreational or indoor competitions
5v5	5	10	May describe five-a-side soccer or futsal
4v4	4	8	Used in some young-youth or small-sided games

The 11v11, seven-a-side, five-a-side, and futsal counts are summarized in this guide to standard and modified soccer formats. Local rules still control a particular competition.

Futsal

Futsal uses five players per team, including the goalkeeper, for a full-strength total of 10 players.

For each team:

1 goalkeeper + 4 other players = 5 players

Indoor soccer

The term “indoor soccer” does not establish a universal player count. Different facilities and competitions can use different formats, including 5v5 or 6v6.

Families should find the actual format notation or player limit rather than inferring the answer from the word “indoor.”

Recreational and coed soccer

The labels “recreational” and “coed” also do not establish a single player count. An organization may offer several divisions with different formats.

For example, Chicago’s Players Sport & Social Group publishes outdoor rules for 11v11, 7v7, and 6v6 competitions. In those rules, the number identifies how many players one team fields, and the smaller-sided formats include the goalkeeper. This is an example of local variation in the organization’s published soccer rules, not a rule for every recreational or coed league.

The basic distinction is:

For standard 11-a-side soccer, the answer is up to 11 per team and 22 total.
For modified soccer, the format label or competition rulebook supplies the answer.

How parents can confirm the count before a youth game

Parents should verify the format rather than assuming every youth program follows the same age progression. Useful places to check include:

The league’s current rules
The registration page
An age-group format chart
Tournament rules
Indoor-facility rules
The schedule or division description
Communication from the coach or program director

Look specifically for terms such as:

Players on the field
Game format
4v4, 7v7, 9v9, or 11v11
Maximum roster
Goalkeeper or goalie
Small-sided
Playing numbers

Read the column labels carefully

A program chart may have separate columns for maximum roster size and players on the field. Those columns answer different questions.

For example, one municipal chart lists a U11 maximum roster of 15 while identifying the game format as 9v9. The team may therefore register more players than it fields simultaneously; the match does not become 15v15. The distinction appears directly in the program’s roster and field-format table.

If a registration page merely says “team size: 14,” look for separate format notation or ask whether 14 refers to the roster, the match-day group, the on-field lineup, or both teams combined.

Ask whether the goalkeeper is included

In standard 11v11 soccer, the goalkeeper is included in the 11. The same approach is used in many smaller formats, but young divisions may play without goalkeepers.

Useful questions include:

Does 7v7 mean six outfield players and one goalkeeper?
Does this age division use goalkeepers?
If there is no goalkeeper, are all seven participants outfield players?
Does the tournament use the same format as the regular season?

Recheck for tournaments and indoor seasons

Do not assume that an outdoor league’s format automatically carries over to:

An indoor winter season
A summer tournament
A recreational jamboree
A shortened-field event
A futsal competition

Neither number is inherently incorrect; the events use different rules.

A five-step parent checklist

Before the first game:

Identify the division. Confirm the child’s age group and competition.
Find the format. Look for 7v7, 9v9, 11v11, or similar notation.
Calculate the total. Double the per-team number when both teams are at full strength.
Check the goalkeeper provision. Determine whether the goalkeeper is included or whether the division plays without one.
Separate roster size from playing count. Confirm how many children may register and how many may play simultaneously.

Local verification is necessary because modified formats are normal—not because the standard 11v11 answer is uncertain.

Frequently asked questions

Are there 11 players total or 11 players on each soccer team?

Standard 11-a-side soccer allows up to 11 players on each team. With both teams at full strength, there are 22 players total, including one goalkeeper on each side. These standard counts are confirmed in the 11-a-side overview from Cheltenham Sports.

Substitutes and match officials are not included in the 22-player on-field total.

Can a soccer team have more than 11 players on the field?

Not in a standard 11-a-side match. Eleven is the maximum for one team, including its goalkeeper. A team may have additional players on its bench or roster, but a substitute replaces an on-field player rather than joining the existing 11, as explained in this soccer lineup and roster guide.

Modified formats establish their own limits, which are usually lower than 11 per side.

What is the minimum number of players needed for a standard soccer match?

A standard match cannot start or continue if either team has fewer than seven players. Seven is the minimum for each team, not the normal lineup size.

A match may have fewer than 22 players while both teams remain at or above that threshold. Competition-specific modifications should be checked separately.

How many players are on the field in 7v7 and 9v9 soccer?

At full strength:

7v7 has seven players per team and 14 total.
9v9 has nine players per team and 18 total.

The number ordinarily represents the entire on-field team. Parents should verify the goalkeeper provisions, especially in younger divisions.

At what age does youth soccer begin playing 11v11?

There is no universal transition age. One municipal recreation program begins 11v11 at U13, but that is a local example rather than a rule followed by every league.

Check the current age-group chart or competition rules instead of assuming that all U13 teams—or only U13 and older teams—play 11v11.

The bottom line

Standard soccer has up to 11 players on each team and 22 total at full strength, with each goalkeeper included. If the game is youth, indoor, recreational, futsal, or otherwise modified, check its format and local competition rules rather than assuming it is 11v11.