LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND: Football teams will be allowed to use five substitutes when play resumes after the coronavirus pandemic, the sport’s lawmaking body announced on Friday.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) said in as statement that it had agreed to a proposal by world governing body FIFA for a temporary change to the rules “to protect player welfare.”
Teams face likely fixture congestion in a packed calendar as they attempt to make up for lost time when play can resume.
The layoff is expected to have an impact on player fitness levels too.
It also said that competitions which were using video assistant referee (VAR) would be allowed to drop it for the time being.
The change will apply to competitions scheduled to be completed by Dec. 31 of this year, although FIFA and IFAB left open the possibility that the period could be extended.
While teams will be able to make five substitutions, “to avoid disruption to the game, each team will only have three opportunities to make substitutions” as well as at halftime or before extra time.
In competitions that allow an additional substitution in extra time, teams will have an additional substitution opportunity.
The previous limit on outfield substitutes for top-level competitions has been three in regulation time.
Elsewhere in Europe, Britain’s Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden warned that the Premier League does not yet have the “green light” to resume but restated the government’s hope that the season can be completed.
Premier League clubs are due to meet on Monday to discuss the latest plans for “Project Restart” — a day after an expected minor easing of coronavirus lockdown measures.
Clubs are understood to have been told that the use of a limited number of neutral venues is the only way to complete the campaign, to limit the strain on essential services and discourage gatherings of supporters near stadiums.
But those at risk of relegation argue that the integrity of the competition would be compromised by the neutral-venue plan.
Brighton CEO Paul Barber is opposed to the idea, with the Seagulls hovering two points above the drop zone. Brighton were scheduled to play five of their remaining nine games at home.
Despite extensive contingency planning, Dowden warned the Premier League was yet to get the go-ahead, with testing and player welfare major hurdles.
“They’ve not been given the green light,” Dowden told BBC Radio on Friday.
“If we can get a plan that works then I’d like us to be able to go ahead with it because I think it would be good for the nation, it would be good for football as a whole.
“I’m really hopeful we can get this up and running but public safety must come first so it’s only if we’re confident of that, we’ll be able to proceed.”
In Germany, the Bundesliga announced this week that it would resume matches on May 16, behind closed doors and subject to extensive coronavirus testing.
Dowden’s comments came as The Times newspaper reported that Football Association chiefs would block any attempt to declare the Premier League season null and void and abandon relegation.
At least one club reportedly wants relegation to be scrapped if neutral grounds are used.
But The Times said it was understood that the FA board supported the Premier League board’s position that the league table should be decided on sporting merit even if it were cut short.
Former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand said there was no viable resolution that would satisfy all 20 clubs.
