5v5

5v5 denotes a competition format in which two teams, each fielding five players, contest a match on a playing surface appropriate to the sport or game. The fixed team size influences pacing, spacing, and strategic roles, while rules for field dimensions, game duration, and substitutions differ across disciplines.

In football-related variants, five-a-side or futsal is typically played on a smaller indoor or enclosed pitch with five players per side, including a goalkeeper in most formats. Basketball is traditionally played as 5v5 on a full-size court, with five players from each team on the court at any time. Ice hockey also commonly operates as 5v5 at even strength, with goaltenders aside from the five skaters. The 5v5 format is widely used in amateur leagues as well as at the professional level, and many communities also organize smaller-sided 3v3 or 4v4 games as alternatives.

In esports and video games, 5v5 describes matches where two teams of five players face off on a digital map or arena. Popular titles include League of Legends, Dota 2, Valorant, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive; success depends on team coordination, role specialization, map control, and coordinated execution.

Substitution rules vary by sport and competition, ranging from rolling substitutions to fixed roster limits. Match length and structure are also variable, with games divided into halves or quarters and time managed according to sport-specific rules.