How many players are on a football team?

The Laws of the Game, set by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), state that a match is played by two teams of no more than 11 players each, one of whom must be the goalkeeper. A match cannot start or continue if either team has fewer than seven players, which can happen if several players are sent off. In top competitions teams may name several substitutes, and since 2022 the Laws have permanently allowed up to five substitutions per team in many competitions, used in no more than three stoppages. A standard match lasts 90 minutes, split into two halves of 45 minutes, plus time added for stoppages. Other forms of the game, such as futsal, use five players per side.