The 12th man or 12th player is a term for fans of teams in many eleven-a-side sports games, in particular association football or American football. As most football leagues allow a maximum of eleven players per team on the playing field at a time, referring to a team's fans as the 12th man implies that they have a potentially helpful and significant role in the game. Infrequently, the term has referred to individuals having a notable connection to their football team. In Canadian football, 12 players are usually on the field at one time and the term 13th man is often used to refer to fans. Similarly, in Australian rules football and 18 players are on the field and the fans are often referred to as the 19th man. However, in basketball, where 5 players are on the court, the term 6th man gen