what happens if you have no subs and your goalie is injured in soccer

If your team has no substitutes left and the goalkeeper is injured, the match usually keeps going only if another on-field player takes over as goalkeeper. Soccer’s laws require one player to be the goalkeeper, and if the injured keeper can’t continue, the team must appoint a new one from the players still on the field.

What usually happens

• The referee stops play so the goalkeeper can be assessed if the injury isn’t already covered by another stoppage.

• If the goalkeeper cannot continue, they leave the field and another player becomes the new goalkeeper.

• That replacement must wear a different-colored shirt from the other players and officials.

• If there are no subs left, the replacement has to be one of the players already on the pitch.

Restart of play

• If the injury itself did not involve a foul or other offense, play is usually restarted with a dropped ball after the new goalkeeper is ready.

• If the injury happened because of a foul, the restart depends on the foul and the referee’s decision, not just the injury.

Simple example

A team has used all its substitutions, and the keeper twists an ankle. The coach sends the center back into goal, the keeper leaves, and the match continues once the referee is ready.

One important wrinkle

At major competitions, substitution and injury-management rules can be more detailed, but the basic idea stays the same: a team cannot continue without a goalkeeper, so someone on the field must step in.