Every year, we witness new and exciting football players make a name for themselves in the National Football League (NFL). To most fans, it might seem like there are an unlimited amount of football players in the league, but this number is much smaller than most people think. Football teams are only allowed to play a specific number of players each game.
So, how many players are on a football team?
Football teams in the NFL are allowed a maximum of 53 players on their roster at any given point in time, but can only dress 47 of the players on game day. They’re also allowed 12 players on their practice squad, but there are specific rules in play when promoting these players to the active roster.
Of course, these rules only apply in the NFL and are subject to change each year as the league executes new deals with players in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). For a more detailed explanation of NFL rosters, as well as college and high school rosters, continue reading.
How Many Players Are on the Field in Football?
Although most NFL teams have 53 players on their active roster each week, that doesn’t mean all 53 players see playing time. Most of these players are only on the field for a few plays each game — if any. With that said, it’s 100% up to the coach to determine who plays and when.
Before the ball is snapped, each team must have a maximum of 11 players on the field at any given time. This means there are never more than 22 players total on the field at once.
While you aren’t penalized for having less than 11 players on the field, a team is penalized for having more than 11 players on the field. When called on the offense, the play is called dead and a five-yard penalty is enforced. When called on the defense, the play continues and the penalty is enforced after the play ends.
On offense, the 11 players generally consist of one quarterback, five offensive linemen, a running back, a fullback, two wide receivers, and one tight end. This can change throughout the game. For example, some teams may elect to have more running backs, tight ends, wide receivers, or linemen to confuse the defense.
NFL Active Roster Rules
The active roster in the NFL is the 53-man roster a coach uses when designating their game-day roster. Any player on this active roster is available to suit up, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that player will suit up. Of those 53 players, only 47 are allowed to suit up.
A typical 53-man active roster generally consists of two quarterbacks, four running backs, six wide receivers, three tight ends, nine offensive linemen, nine defensive linemen, seven linebackers, 10 defensive backs, one punter, one kicker, and one long-snapper.
As we mentioned above, teams are allowed to dress 48 of those players, so long as eight of those players are offensive linemen. That is why most teams are starting to dress 48 players instead of 47 players, that way they can take advantage of having an extra offensive lineman on the sideline.
Any player that suits up is a player you’ll likely see on the field at some point during the game. Coaches aren’t forced to use every player that suits up, but those that don’t see regular action come in handy when injuries occur or during special teams plays.
With the 2020 NFL CBA in place, NFL teams could potentially have 55 players on their active roster by elevating two players from their practice squad. These players are available to suit up on game day, but must be sent back down to the practice squad within one business day of the game ending. They’re also not subject to clearing waivers before being sent back down.
While the maximum number of players allowed on an active roster is 53 (or 55 if taking advantage of the new practice squad rules), the NFL has also placed a minimum of 44 active roster players at any given time. Most teams won’t willingly have that few players, but some circumstances do call for it.
What Is the Practice Squad in the NFL?
The practice squad in the NFL is a group of players that are under contract and practice with a specific NFL team. Every team has one and each group consists of 12 players. These players are generally not good enough to make the active roster but are worth keeping to develop for future use.
It should be noted that this practice squad used to consist of eight players, but eventually was raised to 10 players and most recently 12 players under the current CBA. There was even another recent change to 16 players, but this was only for the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There are specific rules that apply when designating players to the practice squad. Let’s first take a look at some of the requirements that make a player eligible to be named to the practice squad (they must meet at least one):