12th man (football) 12th man (football) The 12th man or 12th player is a term for fans of teams in eleven-a-side sports games, particularly association football (soccer) or American football. As most football leagues allow a maximum of eleven players per team on the playing field at a time, referring to a team's fans as the 12th man implies that they have a potentially helpful role in the game. Infrequently, the term has referred to individuals having a notable connection to their football team. In Canadian football, 12 players are usually on the field at one time and the term 13th man is
Comparison of American football and rugby union front-row forwards). Rugby teams may make up to seven substitutions. Each team must field 15 players at the start of each match. Players who are bleeding may receive medical treatment off pitch and are replaced until they have stopped bleeding. If the bleeding has not stopped after 15 minutes of "real time", the player will be permanently substituted. This can be down to officials' discretion, depending at which level the sport is played, where only minor medical assistance is needed to make the player fit to return to the field of play. Ejected players in American football can be replaced