Fifa proposes up to five substitutions a game post-Covid-19
Fifa has proposed that teams should be allowed to make up to five substitutions per match, instead of the usual three, as a temporary measure to help cope with potential fixture congestion in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Football has been at a standstill since mid-March but many leagues and federations are still hoping to complete the season. But, to do so, they would have to cram fixtures into a shorter period than usual once play re-starts.
The proposal for more substitutes would have to be approved by football's rule-making organisation Ifab. The final decision would rest with competition organisers, the sport's global governing body said in an e-mailed statement to Reuters.
"One concern in this regard is that the higher-than-normal frequency of matches may increase the risk of potential injuries due to a resulting player overload," Fifa added.
"Each team would now be given the possibility to use up to five substitutions during the match, with the possibility of an additional substitution remaining during extra time, where relevant," it explained.
Fifa added that the substitutions would have to be made in a maximum of three slots plus the half-time interval.
The measure would apply to this season and next season, plus all international matches until Dec 31 next year.
Fifa said: "Football should resume only when the health authorities and governments say it is absolutely safe and non-disruptive of health services being delivered to the populations." - REUTERS
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