June 1 – World Cup participants in 2022 will be allowed to use five substitutes per match after football’s rule-making body IFAB extended the right until the end of next year.
An IFAB statement said: “The decision follows a global analysis of the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on football, as well as representations from several key stakeholders from across the football community.”
“Introduced in May 2020, the temporary amendment is aimed at supporting player welfare, in particular where schedules have been disrupted, often leading to competitions being played in a condensed period. The IFAB will continue to review the impact of the pandemic on football and consult with its stakeholders on this important welfare matter.”
The current rules will remain in place until 31 December, 2022 “for all top-level competitions”.
In pre-pandemic times, teams were allowed just three substitutions per match, but in light of the global health crisis that rule was modified to respond to a congested calendar and a plethora of complaints by elite coaches.
On June 11, the European Championship kicks off with the curtain raiser between Italy and Turkey in Rome and the tournament has adopted the five-substitutes rule as well.
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