Substitute (association Football)

Substitute (association Football)

In association football, a substitute is a player who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player. Substitutions are generally made to replace a player who has become tired or injured, or who is not performing well; there may also be tactical reasons such as bringing a striker on in place of a defender when goals are needed. Players who are noted for scoring important goals when coming off the bench or frequently making appearances as a substitute are often known as "super subs".

Most competitions only allow each team to make a maximum of three substitutions during a game, although more substitutions are often permitted in non-competitive fixtures such as friendlies.