IFAB set to make five substitutions option permanent at next annual general meeting

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) are set to make the option for five substitutions per match permanent at their annual general meeting in March. As the body that determines the Laws of the Game, IFAB are football’s rulemakers.

According to The Athletic, having originally given competitions temporary dispensation to permit teams to make five substitutions a game as a response to the fixture congestion caused by Covid, they are expected to prolong the rule change indefinitely. Ad/> In October, IFAB’s advisory panels proposed that all competitions should allow five substitutions per match.

A statement released at the time read: “In May 2021, due to the ongoing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on global football, the IFAB board of directors approved a further extension to the temporary amendment (introduced in May 2020) giving all top domestic and international competitions scheduled to be completed by 31 December 2022 the option of allowing teams to use up to five substitutes. Premier LeagueDembele deal was never close — Tuchel5 HOURS AGO “Following a number of requests from confederations, associations, leagues and other key stakeholders for this option to be introduced permanently in the Laws of the Game (2022/23 edition), FAP-TAP [IFAB’s Football and Technical Advisory Panels] today recommended that competitions should be able to decide on increasing the number of substitutes according to the needs of their football environment, while the current number of substitution opportunities (three plus half time) should stay the same.” The Premier League decided against allowing five changes last season, a situation which has continued this term.