April 28 – Teams will be able to use up to five substitutes instead of the usual three under a new “temporary dispensation” proposal from FIFA to help with congested schedules and player overload.
The proposal is subject to the approval of the game’s law-making body the International Football Association Board and it is then “at the discretion” of individual competitions and leagues.
The idea is to limit the overuse of players following the long layoff caused by the Covid-19 outbreak and the anticipated high volume of matches whenever they resume in various countries.
“When competitions resume, such competitions are likely to face a congested match calendar with a higher-than-normal frequency of matches played in consecutive weeks,” said a FIFA spokesperson.
“One concern in this regard is that the higher-than-normal frequency of matches may increase the risk of potential injuries due to a resulting player overload.”
In an effort to avoid time wasting and unnecessary stoppages, the substitutions would have to be made in a maximum of three slots plus the halftime interval. The measure would apply to the rest of the current campaign and the whole of next season plus all international matches, including World Cup qualifiers, up until December 31 next year.
“Each team would now be given the possibility to use up to five substitutions during the match, with the possibility of an additional substitution remaining during extra time, where relevant,” FIFA explained.
“FIFA’s main principle is that health comes first and that no match or competition is worth risking a single human life.”
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