Why was my substitution rejected, and who can come on?

A substitution in the match room is rejected only when the player coming on is already on the pitch at that minute, for your team or for the opponent: one player can’t be in two teams at the same time. The rejection message names the player and the minute.

Who can come on

• Anyone in the event who is not on the pitch in this match at that minute: your bench, a free player from a team that isn’t playing this match, or a player from the opponent’s bench.

• This works for “This match only” and “Until the event ends”, before kickoff, live and after the final whistle.

• The player is hidden from their previous team, so you can swap two players between teams (late arrivals, no-shows).

The “Player in” list shows everyone who is not on the pitch.

A short team, for example 14 players for three teams of 5: play 5 v 4 or change the format, it is up to you. Or turn on “Roster editing” and for each match tap “Add player” in the short team and pick a free player from the resting team with “This match only”. Dragging works only within one team (pitch and bench); dragging a player to another team shows “Substitutions are only possible within the same team”.

Other reasons for a rejection

• The player going off is not on the pitch at that minute, or is the same player who comes on.

• Moving the substitution to another minute would leave a goal or assist by one of the two players at a minute when that player was on the bench.

• When you edit a “player in only” substitution, the pitch must not be full at that minute: choose who goes off.

• After the final whistle a new substitution can only be “This match only”, and the term of an existing one can’t be changed.

Edits and reports are stricter. Editing an existing substitution and “Report Result Issue” requests still can’t bring in a player from the opponent’s roster: add a new substitution in the match room instead, before results are confirmed. Live, a rejection shows a message and the match clock keeps running.