High School Soccer Rules

High school soccer substitution rules at a glance

US high school soccer is played under the NFHS rules book, and each state association can adjust parts of it. These are the substitution basics for 2026-27:

• Unlimited substitutions. There's no cap on how many players a team can use.
• Unlimited re-entry. A player who comes off can go back in any number of times.
• Set stoppages only. Who can sub depends on the type of stoppage (see the table below).
• Waved on. Every substitute must be beckoned onto the field, except between periods.
• Late-game clock rule. In the last 5 minutes of regulation or overtime, the clock stops when the leading team substitutes.
• No change for 2026-27. None of this season's 13 rule changes affect substitutions or game length.

When can you sub in high school soccer?

The NFHS soccer substitution rules (Rule 3) tie each stoppage to who may substitute. At some stoppages, the substitute must already have checked in before play stopped.

In practice: have your substitutes check in early so they're ready for the next goal kick, caution or equipment stoppage. On the other team's throw-in or corner kick, you can sub only if they're subbing too, so don't count on those.

Re-entry: can a player go back in?

Yes. NFHS rules say substituted players may re-enter an unlimited number of times, so a coach can rotate players all game, the same way youth teams do. That makes roster size the real limit on minutes; our guide to how many players are on a soccer team shows how squad size changes each player's share. Unlimited re-entry is also the biggest difference from the higher levels:

• College (NCAA): re-entry is limited by half. A player taken off in the first half can't return until the second half, and Division I men can't re-enter in the same period. See the NCAA soccer substitution rules.
• Pro (IFAB Laws): no re-entry at all, and a limit of 5 substitutes in official competitions. Our soccer substitution rules guide compares every level.

How long is a high school soccer game?

A high school soccer game is 80 minutes of play: two 40-minute halves with a 10-minute halftime. States that adopt quarters play four 20-minute quarters instead, which is still 80 minutes (see quarters vs halves for which levels use each). With halftime, plan on about 90 minutes from kickoff to the final whistle, plus clock stoppages and any overtime.

A game that goes to 20 minutes of overtime, played as two 10-minute periods, adds another 27 minutes with the breaks. Plan pickups for about two hours in that case.

Overtime formats vary by state. New Mexico plays two 10-minute sudden-victory periods in the varsity regular season, and Iowa plays two 10-minute periods followed by penalty kicks. Since 2025-26, only the captain may speak with the officials during intervals. For game lengths at other levels, see how long a soccer game is, and for how added time and shootouts work, see stoppage time, extra time and penalties.

Goalkeeper rules in high school soccer

• Subbing the keeper: keepers fall under the same unlimited substitution and re-entry rules as everyone else, at the same stoppages.
• Swapping a field player into goal: allowed whenever the clock is stopped or a substitution takes place, as long as the referee is notified. If players swap without telling the referee, both get a verbal warning at the next stoppage.
• Injured players (since 2025-26): an injured player must leave the field if a coach or health-care provider is waved on, and that includes goalkeepers. Have a second keeper ready to go in.
• 8-second limit (new for 2026-27): a goalkeeper can now hold the ball for up to 8 seconds, up from 6. Going over the limit now gives the other team a corner kick.

For how keeper changes work at every level, including penalty shootouts, see the goalkeeper substitution rules.

Cards in high school soccer

• Caution: the cautioned player must leave the field. Either team may substitute at that stoppage if its substitute has checked in. If the player isn't replaced, they may re-enter at their team's next legal substitution opportunity.
• Disqualification: also a substitution stoppage for either team with a checked-in substitute.
• New for 2026-27: NFHS announced a new process for distributing cards and updated its card terminology. Your referee or state association can explain how cards are shown in your games.
• Fouls that changed for 2026-27: biting is now a direct-free-kick foul, and verbal offenses are now indirect-free-kick fouls.

Other 2026-27 high school soccer rule changes

NFHS made 13 changes for 2026-27. Besides the goalkeeper and card changes above:

• The home team must wear dark socks.
• Audio and video devices are banned.
• The criteria for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO) were simplified.
• Rule 13 (free kicks) was reorganized.
• Encroachment on a penalty kick is penalized only if it clearly affects the kick.

The 2025-26 season brought the substitution change for suspended play, the injured-player rule, the captain-only rule for intervals, and the removal of Rule 18.

For field and goal sizes, check with your state association; our soccer field dimensions guide shows the 11v11 Laws of the Game ranges.

High school vs college vs pro soccer rules