What is the minimum number of players required in each team to start a football match?

According to Law 3 of the Laws of the Game, a football match may not start or continue if either team has fewer than seven players. A full team has 11 players, one of whom must be the goalkeeper.

What happens if a team falls below seven players?

If a team has fewer than seven players because players have been sent off or injured (with no substitutes left), the referee must abandon the match.

Usually, the competition rules then decide the result, often awarding the match to the other team.

Substitution rules:

• In most competitive matches, a team can use up to five substitutes (a rule made permanent by IFAB in 2022), usually in three substitution windows plus half-time.
• Some competitions also allow extra "concussion substitutes".
• A player who has been replaced cannot return to the match, except in some lower-level or youth matches where "return substitutions" are allowed.

Team composition rules:

• Each team must have a goalkeeper, who wears colours different from the other players and the match officials.
• Any player may change places with the goalkeeper, provided the referee is informed and the change is made during a stoppage.

Comparison with other sports:

• Hockey: 11 players per side, unlimited rolling substitutions.
• Basketball: 5 players per side.
• Volleyball: 6 players per side.
• Kabaddi: 7 players on court.
• Kho Kho: 9 on the field (12 in the squad).
• Rugby union: 15 players; rugby sevens: 7 players.

Other key football laws:

Law 1: the field of play. Law 2: the ball. Law 3: the players. Law 4: players' equipment. Law 5: the referee. Law 11: offside. Law 12: fouls and misconduct. Law 14: the penalty kick.

There are 17 Laws of the Game in total, maintained by IFAB (founded in 1886).

Why not the other options?

• ✗8 and 9 players are more than the minimum needed.
• ✗11 is the full team size, not the minimum.