Five subs a game to continue next term

LONDON • Football teams will be allowed to continue using five substitutes until the end of next season after the sport's lawmakers extended a temporary solution to a congested schedule in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) said on Wednesday the measures were taken due to the short turnaround between the end of the 2019-20 season and start of the new campaign, and the fact matches will be played in a condensed period due to a delayed start to the season.

IFAB said: "Some competitions which resumed in 2020 may have a shorter-than-usual recovery and 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."

The current Premier League season ends next weekend and while there has been no official announcement on when the new term starts, British media reports have hinted at an early September kick-off. That would mean a break of just over a month, down from the usual three months.

It would be even shorter for teams still involved in Champions League and Europa League action like Manchester City, Manchester United, Wolves and Chelsea.

Each individual league and international competition will have the option to decide whether to apply the new rule or stick by the pre-pandemic regulations of a maximum of three substitutes per side for a 90-minute match.

To avoid disruption to the game, each team will only have three opportunities to make substitutions, although changes made at half-time are not counted as one of those stoppages.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, XINHUA