In recent discussions I am getting two different answers on a simple question. Thought I would come to the knowledge base and see what you say. This is for U14-U15 club play. Two or three subs from each team are waiting at the center flag to enter at the next substitution opportunity. There is an injury on the field that the coach comes on the field to address and the player leaves the field. What if any substitution procedure takes place before play restarts?
It depends on the rules of the competition, but in my area club, unlimited subs by either team are allowed in the event of an injury which is treated on the pitch. The injured player must be substituted as well. Players should be off the pitch before the substitutes are allowed on.
You haven't asked any question for which we could provide a nontrivial answer, which would be to follow the procedures as outlined in Law 3 and as modified by the rules of competition (which you haven't told us anything about.)
Most leagues have that phrase I've come to love in their ROC around subs: "at the discretion of the referee". Like Mozart to my ears.
Depends on how play was stopped. Did the Injury cause The stoppage or did something else? Then the local rules governing the subs at a particular stoppage take over. For instance, if there was to be Goal kick restart in most youth leagues, both teams could sub any number of players. If throw in, most youth leagues only allow throwing team to sub. But, if injury most allow one for one subs. Refs should know Local rules ans so should coaches.
Yes. In one local league for me, if play was stopped for something that would not otherwise trigger substitutions (say, for example, you just stopped for the injury or you stopped for the foul that caused the injury), the only subs that are allowed are: 1) one for the injured player 2) the other team gets one (to "match") It can get weird. Find that in the ROC! It can solve all lawyerly problems. Most reasonable coaches just want "fairness" (no gamesmanship), not legally perfect. It is just a damn sub, after all. Last year, the rules for subs in our state cup tournament changed in various rounds. And age-groups advanced from round to round at different paces, depending on how many teams were in their brackets. Bottom line, I ended up using the sub rules for round x during round y in the first half of a game (allowing kids from both teams on a throw, iirc ). At half-time, it was pointed out to me. So, I apologized and I told the coaches I was just going to keep it the same the rest of the game. They were perfectly fine with it. And I used the "at the discretion of the referee" to cover my butt.
This only happens when leagues modify the Laws of the Game. Our state has always played without any modification of sub opportunities, at any level. Unlimited substitutions at any stoppage "with the referee's permission."
I guess that depends on how you define "unlimited." For me, unlimited substitution means that either team can sub an unlimited number of players. (well, okay. Not more than 11.) Re-entry is a different bullet point in TLOTG.