Football clubs may continue to use the five changes per game during the 2020-2021 season, after those responsible for the rules of this sport have decided to extend the measure due to the overload of the calendar due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body that decides the rules of football and its changes, “has decided to extend this option to the competitions that will conclude before July 31, 2021 and the international competitions that will take place in July / August of that same year”, according to a FIFA statement. “The organizer of the competition will continue to have the last word when deciding whether to apply this transitional amendment,” said the governing body.
To reduce interruptions to the game, “teams will only have three different opportunities or moments during the meeting to make the substitutions, although those made during the break are not counted as one of the three opportunities mentioned ».
Despite the fact that this measure was adopted due to the concern of the football authorities about the health of the players, after several months without activity due to the suspension of competitions by Covid-19, the modification of Rule 3 was criticized. This measure is seen by some as benefiting large clubs, with larger rosters, which could widen the gap between the richer and more powerful teams and the rest.
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