FIFA AND IFAB HAVE ALLOWED TEAMS TO MAKE UP TO FIVE SUBSTITUTIONS

FIFA and the International Football Association Board (IFAB) have allowed teams to able to make up to five substitutions when football resumes to protect players’ welfare in light of the coronavirus pandemic.




Each side will have only three opportunities, excluding half-time, to make changes in an amendment which comes into force immediately for competitions which start and finish before the end of 2020.

A FIFA statement said: “The decision on whether to apply this temporary amendment will remain at the discretion of each individual competition organiser, while The IFAB and FIFA will determine at a later stage whether this temporary amendment would need to be extended further (e.g. for competitions due to be completed in 2021).”

The rules in play are as follows:
Each team will have the opportunity to make a maximum of five substitutions per game.

The teams may however, only interrupt the game thrice to make said substitutions. This means that 2 or more players may have to be substituted at once if a team wishes to make use of 4 or all 5 substitutions.




A sixth change will be possible, but only in the case of individual cup competitions, such as the DFL Pokal. If the competition decides to permit an additional substitution during overtime, this will be allowed.