This season, a significant NCAA rule change is transforming Division I men’s soccer by limiting teams to just six substitutions per game, with no re-entry allowed once a player is substituted.
This new regulation reshapes how teams approach their game strategy, fitness and depth. For the CBU men’s soccer team, these changes are seen as an opportunity to elevate their play, focusing on stamina and tactical understanding and maximizing every player’s contribution.
With a limit to how many substitutions can be done within a game it causes the coach and the team to think more methodically. Assistant coach Josh Grover sees the new rule aligning well with the team’s strengths.
“Because of the change in substitution rules, where before you were able to just take players off and on with lots and lots of rotations, it’s definitely a rule change that suits teams that are more tactical and tactically gifted,” Grover said. “And so, for a team like us, we want to play good football and move the ball well. I think it’s pretty beneficial for us.”
This shift demands higher fitness levels, particularly from younger players who now need to sustain their performance over more extended periods. Luke Fischer, freshman business administration (management) major and center defensive line, discussed how the new rule impacts the game.
“It’s definitely changed it a little bit in terms of being more fit,” Fischer explained. “Last year, you could take guys out for five minutes, give them a break, and put them right back in.”
Fischer added that the rule brings college soccer closer to the professional game. College soccer tends to move at a faster pace, and the new rule that limits substitutions brings the game to a slower pace.
“It costs the game of college soccer to be super high-paced, fast tempo, 100 miles an hour the whole time,” Fischer said. “Compared to the professional game, they’re much more slowed down because no one can run 100 miles per hour for the entire 90 minutes. So I think that it’s a good thing, honestly. It’s more like the professional game.”
The new rule also impacts substitution strategies, especially in high-pressure situations. Business administration graduate student and defensive line anchor, Alex Henderson views this as a game-changer.
“I think now you have to be a bit more tactical with substitutions, a little more of a thought process as to when you make them,” Henderson noted. “Especially when it’s the end of the game, and you know, let’s say, a high-pressure situation, and you take your best player off, he’s not coming back on.”
Henderson, who has experienced both the old and new substitution rules, values the consistency of the new system.
“In terms of players I’m playing against, I’m a big fan of it. No fresh legs are coming on every 10 minutes or so. I couldn’t be happier—it’ll make it a lot easier,” Henderson said.
The change aligns college soccer more closely with the global standard seen in professional leagues. Grover sees this rule change as a positive evolution to the game for college athletics.
“I think it’s fantastic. It’s closer to professional football, and so it means that guys who do get an opportunity to come on are going to have to perform well to make sure they continue to get minutes. It also means that the guys in front of them have to continue to play well because they’re pushing for their minutes,” Grover said.
For the team known for its high-tempo style, this rule change presents an opportunity to enhance its competitive edge.
“We’re a team that does play a high-tempo style,” Grover explained. “If we can keep the high tempo for a long period of time and have squad depth we can bring on and maintain, that will be a difficult opposition for other teams to deal with, so I think that’s really good.”
As for Fischer, he remains optimistic about the change. “I’m the youngest on the team,” Fischer shared. “[The coaches] are being patient with me. It’s nice that the coaches are talking to me and being open about it, not leaving me in the dark and not playing me. It’s still been a good and positive experience.”
With the new substitution rule in place, the team is balanced to adapt and thrive, using it as a catalyst for their continued success on the field.
