SECTION 5. Substitutions

Article 1 - Substitution Procedures

Article 2 - Legal Substitutions

A legal substitute may replace a player or fill a player vacancy provided none of the following restrictions are violated:
a. No incoming substitute shall enter the field of play or an end zone while the ball is in play.
b. No player, in excess of 11, shall leave the field of play or an end zone while the ball is in play. (A.R. 3-5-2:I)
PENALTY − [a-b] Live-ball foul. Five yards from the previous spot [S22: SUB].
c. 1. An incoming legal substitute must enter the field of play directly from his team area, and a substitute, player or departing player must depart at the sideline nearest his team area and proceed to his team area.
2. A departing player must immediately leave the field of play, including the end zones. A departing player who leaves the huddle or his position within three seconds, after a substitute becomes a player, is considered to have left immediately.
d. Substitutes who become players (Rule 2-27-9) must remain in the game for at least one play and replaced players must remain out of the game for at least one play, except during the interval between periods, after a score, or when a timeout is charged to a team or to the referee with the exception of a live ball out of bounds or an incomplete forward pass (A.R. 3-5-2:III and VII)
PENALTY − [c-d] Dead-ball foul. Five yards from the succeeding spot [S22: SUB].
e. When Team A sends in its substitutes, the officials will not allow the ball to be snapped until Team B has been given an opportunity to substitute. While in the process of substitution or simulated substitution, Team A is prohibited from rushing quickly to the line of scrimmage with the obvious attempt of creating a defensive disadvantage. If the ball is ready for play, the game officials will not permit the ball to be snapped until Team B has placed substitutes in position and replaced players have left the field of play. Team B must react promptly with its substitutes.
PENALTY − [e] (First offence) Dead-ball foul. Delay of game on Team B for not completing its substitutions promptly, or delay of game on Team A for causing the play clock to expire. Five yards from the succeeding spot [S21: SUB]. The referee will then notify the head coach that any further use of this tactic will result in an unsportsmanlike conduct foul.
(Second or more offence) Dead-ball foul, team unsportsmanlike conduct. An official will sound his whistle immediately. 15 yards from the succeeding spot. [S27: UC- UNS].

Article 3 - More than eleven players on the field

a. Team A may not break the huddle with more than 11 players nor keep more than 11 players in the huddle or in a formation for more than three seconds.
Officials shall stop the action whether or not the ball has been snapped.                                                                                                                PENALTY − Dead-ball foul. Five yards at the succeeding spot. [S22: SUB]
b. Team B is allowed to briefly retain more than 11 players on the field to anticipate the offensive formation, but it may not have more than 11 players on the field when the ball is snapped. The infraction is treated as a live-ball foul. (A.R. 3-5-3:IV)
PENALTY − Live-ball foul. Five yards at the previous spot. [S22: SUB]
c. When Team A is in formation, Team B must not have more than 11 players in its formation. If the play clock is at :00 and Team B has more than 11 players on the field, it is a foul against Team B.
PENALTY − Dead-ball foul. Five yards at the succeeding spot. [S22: SUB]