Football Player Substitutions Stats
It’s all about the stats nowadays, and substitution stats are another in an ever-growing list of useful data. But what exactly do these statistics entail, and what kind of metrics are at your disposal? Let's take a look!
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Starts (Subs) — The first column shows you how many times a player started a match, and the brackets indicate the times a player was subbed on.
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Substituted — The second column indicates how many times a player was subbed off.
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On the bench — The third column shows every instance a player started a match on the bench. This count includes situations where a player remains unused as a substitute.
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Substituted in — The fourth column. Every time a player came off the bench to see out a match.
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Minimum 40% appearances — Located on the top right of the table, this removes anyone who has only played a handful of matches and could skew your findings.
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Per 90’ — This metric lets you view all the stats as a per 90 minutes decimal number.
How To Use the Stats Table
Use the drop-down menus to switch between leagues and competitions. Alternatively, if you’re looking for cup statistics, slide the toggle button.
You can also filter by position, club, league, and much more. For something even more specific, try looking for it in the search bar.
Player Starts vs Players Subbed
Player starts count every time a player is called up to the starting 11, while the player subbed stats show every time a player was brought on later in the match.
The players subbed are displayed in brackets and could give you clues on whether a player is worth betting on or if he’s likely to be taken off early.
Match Stats
Which Player Substitution Betting Markets Exist?
Although it’s not the most common betting market in the world, betting on player substitutions can still be found for the big events and tournaments. These markets are perfect for bet builders, and I’ll explain more on why below.
First Substitution Time
This one is self-explanatory. You will need to predict whether the first substitution will happen during the first or second half of a match, or during half time. Of course, subs tend to happen later and the odds reflect this.
Half Time Substitutions
For this market, you will need to predict whether or not a team will make a sub during half time. This is normally displayed on the bookie as a yes or no bet.
Over/Under Substitution Betting
Placing a wager on over/under a substitution requires you to bet on the total amount of substitutions made during a match. Bookies may set a number of 5.5 substitutions, for instance, giving you the chance to bet on whether it will be over or under 5.5 subs. This will be set for both teams combined.
Substitute to Score
This is a pretty simple market to explain, but not to predict. For a substitute to score bet, you will bet that a player who started on the bench will come on and score a goal, irrespective of the outcome. Odds are high, but it’s a very risky market as there’s no guarantee that a player will be subbed in at all.
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Tips for Betting on Player Substitutions
So, how are you going to bet on player subs? Here are a few tips to making quality bets:
Look for consistency in playing time
Search for players who are consistently subbed on or off, and bet based on that. Michail Antonio was brought off in all eight matches he played at the start of the 2023/24 season, and Brahim Díaz was subbed in for six matches out of seven to start. These may be valuable for betting on a specific player to be subbed or for a match total.
Consider the team’s context
Coaches may want to preserve a team’s energy if they have a big match coming up, meaning they substitute out big players or not involve them at all. Keeping an eye out on the context of a match is a rule to live by on any bet.
Compare stats
Look through some brilliant stats pages in the football stats centre, where you can compare player subs stats with other stats such as goal scorers, assists, and many more. You might find some interesting patterns which could add even more value to your bets.
Most Subbed Players
Substitutes are a huge part of the tactical side of football. A super sub could change the course of a game or steady the ship under pressure. Just take Scott McTominay against Brentford at the start of the 2023/23 season as an example.
Below is a list of the players who’ve been subbed on and off the most.
2023/24 Season
Subbed On*
| Player | Club | League | Starts | Subbed In |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ibrahima Kone | Almeria | LaLiga | 2 | 6 |
| Desire Doue | Rennes | Ligue 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Eldor Shomurodov | Cagliari | Serie A | 2 | 6 |
Subbed Off*
| Player | Club | League | Starts | Subbed Off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Christie | Bournemouth | Premier League | 8 | 8 |
| Andrea Pinamonti | Sassuolo | Serie A | 8 | 8 |
| Michail Antonio | West Ham | Premier League | 8 | 8 |
*Stats are correct at the time of writing. This reflects how players performed at the start of the season. Why not check out how they’re doing now by using the stats table to compare?
2022/23 Season
Subbed On
| Player | Club | League | Starts | Subbed In |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ezequiel Ponce | Elche | LaLiga | 8 | 26 |
| Ado Onaiwu | Toulouse | Ligue 1 | 9 | 25 |
| Tolgay Arslan | Udinese | Serie A | 12 | 24 |
Subbed Off
| Player | Club | League | Starts | Subbed Off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janik Haberer | Union Berlin | Bundesliga | 30 | 30 |
| Sheraldo Becker | Union Berlin | Bundesliga | 33 | 29 |
| Vincenzo Grifo | SC Freiburg | Bundesliga | 30 | 27 |
Similar Betting Markets Related to Player Subs
You may be thinking that substitution bets are only useful for subs, but that’s not the case. Here are a few ways player substituted stats could come in handy:
Player markets
Betting on a player who is starting on the bench could give you amazing odds in many markets. For example, if there’s a striker who is subbed on often, he may be worth a goalscorer bet from the bench. Here are some other markets:
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Player assists
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Player shots / shots on target
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Card betting
Time-related markets
Any bet that involves a time could be ideal. For example, last assist provider or goalscorer could be good value, as well as to score in the last 10 minutes, stoppage time corners, and others, most found as in-play betting markets.
ThePuntersPage Final Say
Player substitution stats could be just what you need to get even more value from your bets. Keep checking back before placing your wagers to make more informed decisions.
Player Substitution FAQs
In football, subs are players who were either put into a match after it started or removed during to make way for another player.
Teams can make five substitutions in the Premier League, but they only have three opportunities to make those subs. This means they need to make double substitutions to use them all. There is also an extra concussion sub, which allows you to sub off a player who had a concussion.
Each league and competition can have its own set of rules which can change. Until recently, three subs were the norm, but it’s quickly shifting to five as more leagues adopt the law.
No, it’s up to the manager to substitute players. At the time of writing, Kepa Arrizabalaga is the only high-profile player to have refused a sub.
When a substitution is taking place, the play stops, and the fourth official displays the numbers of the players being subbed in and out of the match.