FIFA To Recommend Temporary Five Substitutions When Football Resumes
The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) will temporarily allow up to five substitutions for a team per game when football resumes to minimize the impact of fixture congestion on the footballing calendar.
The Coronavirus pandemic has caused the suspension of numerous leagues around the world and there are still domestic cup competitions and continental assignments to be fulfilled before the 2019/2020 season draws to a close.
Plans are in place to get the suspended season up and running as soon as possible, with games behind closed doors thought to be feasible at the moment.
“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,” a FIFA spokesperson said.
“Safety of the players is one of FIFA’s main priorities. One concern in this regard is that the frequency of matches may increase the risk of potential injuries due to a player overload.
“In light of this and the unique challenge faced globally in delivering competitions according to the originally foreseen calendar, FIFA proposes a larger number of substitutions be temporarily allowed at the discretion of the relevant competition organiser.
“In competitions where less than five substitutions are currently allowed, each team would now be given the possibility to use up to five substitutions, with the possibility of an additional substitution remaining during extra time where relevant.”
Any changes to the laws of the game will have to be ratified by International Football Association Board(IFAB), the game’s law-making body.
