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
Foreign players in the National Football League in the NFL. Ansah was invited to the Pro Bowl in 2015 after recording 14.5 sacks and forcing four fumbles. Recent seasons have seen a surge of Australians in the NFL primarily at the punter position. As punting is a vital aspect of Australian rules football, many players who are not fit for the physical play of that league have been able to find success in American football. The first Australian in the NFL was Melbourne native Colin Ridgeway, a punter who played a single season with the Dallas Cowboys in 1965. The first to spend significant time in the