Five Subs

IFAB confirm five substitutions will be allowed next season

Following the pandemic, the regulation was introduced to ease the fitness burden on players and it will remain

3:53pm on Wednesday 15th July 2020
By Martin Macdonald

Football leagues around the world will be allowed to use five substitutes going into next season, the International Football Association Board has confirmed.

Following the coronavirus outbreak and players subsequently going a long period without competitive action or even team training, a temporary ruling was put in place in order to ease the fitness burden when the leagues recommenced.

That ruling saw clubs allowed to make five substitutions in 90 minutes plus stoppage time rather than the usual three, in three batches.

This was mainly due to the fact that players would be competing within a condensed schedule, with not as much time allowed for recuperation, as well as games taking place in hotter European months in European leagues.

A review by the IFAB outlined the reasoning for the decision to allow five subs into next season:

“The recent review has shown that the reasons for the temporary amendment remain valid and the impact on player welfare is likely to continue into 2021 due to various factors, including:

“Some competitions which resumed in 2020 may have a shorter-than-usual recovery/preparation period before the start of their next season.

“For many competitions, the 2020/21 season will involve matches being played in a condensed period due to a delayed start and the inability to end later than usual because of major international tournaments.”

It will be up to the discretion of the governing body of a particular league as to whether the rule will continue to be implemented.