12th man (football)
Fans as the influential 12th player on the field.
In eleven-a-side sports, especially association football, the term "12th man" (or "12th player") is used to describe a team's fans. Since each side is limited to eleven players on the field, calling the supporters the 12th man suggests they can play a meaningful and helpful role in the contest. This idea is tied to home advantage: the home crowd’s vocal support can boost their own team while also trying to distract, confuse, or demoralize the opposition when they have the ball. Fans also sometimes aim to influence referees. They make noise through shouting, singing, whistling, stomping, clapping, and other methods.
In Canadian football, where twelve players per side are on the field, fans are often called the "13th man." In Australian rules football, with eighteen players per side, the term "19th man" is common. Basketball, which has five players on the court, uses "sixth man" for an energetic substitute, not fans. In rugby sevens (seven per side), "eighth man" is not used for fans because that term already refers to a forward in rugby union. Cricket uses "twelfth man" differently—it means the first substitute fielder who replaces an injured player.
The earliest known use of "twelfth man" was in a magazine from the University of Minnesota in September 1900, which mentioned "the mysterious influence of the twelfth man on the team, the rooter." In November 1912, *The Iowa Alumnus* published an article by E. A. McGowan about a 1903 game between Iowa and Illinois. McGowan wrote that the eleven players had done their best, but "the twelfth man on the team (the loyal spirited Iowa rooter) had won the game for old S.U.I."
The 1922 Dixie Classic featured top-ranked Centre College against Texas A&M. During that game, A&M coach Dana X. Bible, worried that another injury would leave him without a backfield substitute, called sophomore basketball player E. King Gill down from the stands to stand ready in uniform on the sideline. In 1930, a reporter called W. H. Adamson, principal of Oak Cliff High School in Dallas, the "Twelfth Man" of the school’s football team because of his rousing pre-game speeches. Sometimes, fans of both teams in an annual contest have been described as the 12th man.
- Field
- Association football (and other eleven-a-side sports)
- Known for
- Collective term for fans who act as a supportive or influential presence during matches
Lore & Background
The first recorded use of the term 'twelfth man' was a magazine published by the University of Minnesota in September 1900, referring to 'the mysterious influence of the twelfth man on the team, the rooter.' In November 1912, E. A. McGowan described the 1903 game between Iowa and Illinois, writing that 'the twelfth man on the team (the loyal spirited Iowa rooter) had won the game.' The 1922 Dixie Classic featured an event later called 'The story of the 12th Man,' when Texas A&M coach Dana X. Bible called E. King Gill down from the stands to stand ready as a substitute. Individuals have occasionally been labeled as the 'Twelfth Man' by local media, such as W. H. Adamson in 1930.
Reader's Guide
The concept of the 12th man has been widely adopted in American football, with teams including the University of Minnesota, Texas A&M, and the NFL's Seattle Seahawks using the term in marketing. The Seahawks retired the number 12 jersey in 1984 and raise a giant 12 flag before games. Their fans twice set the Guinness World Record for loudest crowd noise at a sporting event, reaching 137.6 dB in 2013. Texas A&M's student body stands throughout games to symbolize readiness to take the field, and a statue of E. King Gill stands on campus. The term has also been used by the Buffalo Bills, who inducted their fans into their Wall of Fame in 1992, and the Indianapolis Colts, who inducted their 12th Man into their Ring of Honor in 2007. Legal disputes over trademark usage led the Colts to cease using the phrase in 2016, and the Seahawks shifted to using '12s' or '12 Fan.' In Canadian football, with 12 players on the field, the term '13th man' is often used for fans; in Australian rules football, fans are called the '19th man.' The term has a different meaning in cricket, referring to the nominated first substitute fielder.
Did You Know?
- The first recorded use of 'twelfth man' was in a University of Minnesota magazine in September 1900.
- In 1922, Texas A&M coach Dana X. Bible called E. King Gill from the stands to serve as a substitute, leading to the 'story of the 12th Man.'
- The Seattle Seahawks' 12th Man set a Guinness World Record for loudest crowd noise at 137.6 dB in 2013.
- In cricket, 'Twelfth Man' refers to the nominated first substitute fielder, not fans.
More in Club History
Elsewhere in Seattle Seahawks
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced