NFHS - Same numbers

[Ed Hickland]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

Are they participating during the same down if one leaves the field and another enters the field before the down begins?

There is a little math to help understand this situation.

There are 22 players on the field at any one time, 11 on each side. Anyone else is a non-player. When a non-player is summoned into the game he becomes a substitute. When he enters and tells the player he is being replaced the former substitute becomes a player and the former player becomes a replaced player.

Until the ball is snapped -- and the down begins, a player is not participating.