Starting lineup A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins . The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as " starters " , whereas the others are " substitutes " or " bench players " . The starters are commonly the best players on the team at their respective positions . Consequently , there is often a bit of prestige that is associated with being a starter . In both baseball and basketball , it is common for players ' positions to be denoted by a number as well as by a name . In that instance , the associated number is used as well . If a common abbreviation is known , the abbreviation is listed after the associated number . Starting lineup in specific sports . American football . In American football , a team starts with 11 players on offense , 11 players on defense , and a special teams squad of 11 players for punts , kickoffs , and extra point attempts . Very often most of the special teams players are starters or bench players for offense or defense . An example of this is Devin Hester of the Chicago Bears . He is their prime kick returner but also is a wide receiver . Offense : Defense : Traditional football defense is the 4 - 3 ( 4 defensive linemen plus 3 linebackers ) formation . However , the 3 - 4 ( 3 defensive linemen plus 4 linebackers ) formation is becoming more popular among professional and NCAA Division I teams . Special Teams : The National Football League counts how many times each player takes the first snap of the game . This statistic reflects offense and defense only , not special teams . ( Every game starts with a kickoff , which would be a special teams play . ) A player gets credited with only one start if he should happen to be on both the offensive and defensive starting lineups ( as has happened several times in recent years with Troy Brown of the New England Patriots , who played both wide receiver and defensive back . ) Yet , this is not the official starting lineup . The list of players to start the game is usually determined by the head coach of the franchise and not the league . In American college football , the official record of the game includes a " Game Participation " chart which shows the starting lineups and the other participants . The starting lineups reflect the two teams ' offenses and defenses , not the kickoff teams . Association football ( soccer ) . The most common starting lineup in soccer is called 4 - 4 - 2 and consists of : Australian rules football . In Australian rules football , a team starts with eighteen players on the field : Baseball . The starting lineup in baseball comprises either nine or ten players . In the National League of Major League Baseball and the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball , there are nine players in the starting lineup and all players bat . American League ( MLB ) and Pacific League ( NPB ) teams have the option of using a designated hitter ( DH ) in place of the pitcher in the batting order . The DH does not play when the team is on defense . Basketball . In the NBA , two starting players are traditionally announced as Guards , two as Forwards and one as a Center . However , technically the rules merely stipulate that a starting lineup , along with a list of substitutes , must be indicated at least ten minutes before the game . A captain and optionally a co - captain must also be designated . When pre - game technical foul s are committed , only designated starters can be chosen to shoot any resulting free throw s . The various positions are not mentioned anywhere in the official NBA rule book , and most players play more than one position . The starting lineup on a basketball team usually comprises five positions and is called the 2 - 1 - 2 lineup : In American college basketball , a starting lineup is announced for each team before the game . Starting players are designated as either Centers , Forwards , or Guards . A team can name at most one center , but otherwise any combination of positions is allowable , as long as five players are named . Lineups of three guards , one forward , and one center , or of three guards and two forwards , are the most common alternate lineups . Canadian football . In Canadian football , a team starts with 12 players on offence , 12 players on defence , and a special teams squad of 12 players for punts , kickoffs , and extra point attempts . As in American football , most of the special teams players are starters or bench players for offence or defence . Because of substantial differences between the two codes — most notably the larger field and only having three downs to advance the ball 10 yards instead of four — offensive formations are somewhat different in the Canadian game . Most notably , tight end s are almost completely absent in Canada . Defences are broadly similar to those in the U . S . , with the extra player used as a defensive back . Since most of the positions are essentially identical to those in American football , only the main differences will be listed here . Positions generally similar to those in the U . S . Gaelic football & hurling . Gaelic football and hurling , as well as ladies ' Gaelic football and camogie , use the same starting lineup . Teams consist of one goalkeeper and fourteen outfield players ( underage teams may play 13 - a - side , omitting the full back and full forward positions ) . Teams lineup in six lines , with the goalkeeper furthest back and the full - forward line closest to the opposing team ' s goal . Players play on the left or right of the field looking in the direction they are attacking . Position numbering is fixed and positions are set up so that every attacker has a corresponding defender : for example , a right corner forward ( jersey number 13 ) will be marked by a left corner back ( 4 ) . Players sometimes swap positions during a match and there are sometimes tactical variations in formation , such as dropping one of the six forwards back to provide a third midfielder . Up to five substitutions are allowed during normal time ( and another three if there is extra time ) , from a bench of 9 or sometimes 11 substitutions ; substitutions are not numbered in any particular order . Hurling & camogie . The starting lineup in hurling or camogie is the same as that for Gaelic football . Ice hockey . In ice hockey , a team starts out with six players on the ice : Lacrosse . The starting lineup in field lacrosse comprises ten players : 3 Attackmen , 3 Defensemen , 3 Midfielders , and 1 Goalkeeper . A team may start a Long - Stick Midfielder for a defensive advantage . A team may have a player reserved exclusively to take face - offs , known as a FOGO . Netball . In netball , a team starts with seven players on the court : Rugby League . A Rugby league football starting lineups is Rugby Union . Rugby union starting lineups consist of :