October 28 – The temporary move to give teams the option of making five substitutions per game instead of the standard three has been given the green light by football’s lawmakers to become permanent.
The measure was first introduced in May 2020 so that teams could cope better with the congested schedule and alleviate the strain on players when the sport resumed following a widespread suspension due to the coronavirus. The following May, it was extended for a further 18 months, until the end of 2022, when the World Cup in Qatar will be completed.
Most European leagues and UEFA’s major competitions adopted the rule after the 2019-20 season was extended into July and August.
The International Football Association Board’s advisory panel said following a virtual meeting that there had been “a number of requests from confederations, associations, leagues and other key stakeholders for this option to be introduced permanently.”
The decision now rests with individual competitions whether they want to increase the number of substitutes from three to five “according to the needs of their football environment,” an IFAB statement read,
The English Premier League was the only top league in Europe to revert to a maximum of three substitutes in a condensed 2020-21 season, even though several managers voiced concerns about player fatigue.
Opponents of five subs argued that making the change permanent would disproportionately benefit wealthier clubs with larger squads. It now remains to be seen whether England will sensibly fall into line with the rest of Europe.
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