Football: 5 substitutes temporarily allowed due to virus

By Emre Asikci

ANKARA (AA) - The International Football Association Board (IFAB) confirmed Friday that teams can make extra substitutions during games to "protect player welfare" in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

"For competitions which have either started or are intended to start, but are scheduled to be completed by 31 December 2020, the IFAB has approved FIFA’s proposal to introduce a temporary amendment to Law 3 – The Players, which will allow for a maximum of five substitutes to be made per team," the IFAB said on its website.

Normally a football team can make a maximum three substitutions in regular time in a game, which is 90 minutes.

"However, to avoid disruption to the game, each team will only have three opportunities to make substitutions; substitutions may also be made at half-time," it stated.

In addition, it said, unused substitutions will advance to any extra time.

"Where competition rules allow an additional substitution in extra time, teams will each have one additional substitution opportunity," the IFAB remarked.

In addition, teams are able to do substitutions before the start of the extra time and in halftime of the extra time.

Separately, mandatory use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was temporarily lifted.

Now local associations are able to decide if they implement the new substitution rule and non-usage of the VAR review system.

"In relation to competitions in which the video assistant referee (VAR) system is implemented, these competitions are permitted to cease its use upon restart at the discretion of each individual competition organizer,” said the website statement.

“However, where VAR is used, all aspects of the Laws of the Game and, by extension, the VAR protocol will remain in place"

After originating in China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 187 countries and regions. Europe and the US are currently the worst-hit regions.

The pandemic has killed over 270,000 worldwide, with total infections surpassing 3.86 million, while recoveries exceeded 1.29 million, according to figures compiled by the US’ Johns Hopkins University.