How Many Players Are On a Soccer Team & Soccer Positions?

Soccer Players & Positions

In a game of professional soccer, each team has 11 players on the field at once. This normally consists of a formation of 4 defenders, 3 midfielders, 3 forwards, and a goalie. Formations vary from team to team, meaning they may have a different number of players in a certain position aside from the goalkeeper.  Substitutes and reserves are also present on each team, as each team must carry a minimum of 14 players and a maximum of 23. 

In the younger leagues, the field sizes are smaller to accommodate for smaller bodies and less advanced players. As a result, it is difficult to fit 22 small bodies on the reduced sized field. In the youngest leagues, each team has 6-7 players on the field at the same time. As children get older and field size gets larger, that number increases to 8-10 players per team on the field.

Once players get to the high school and college level, fields are identical in size to professional fields, meaning it is best to have 11 players per team. When playing on high school teams, the number of players a coach takes for his roster may vary depending on the team. Also, the substitution rule may be different for each league, meaning teams could make as many substitutions as they like, or a limit of 3 just like the pros. Because of these factors, the number of players on a high school soccer team fluctuates depending on the school. 

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