According to the football rulers, up to five substitutions per team and game should be possible even after the corona pandemic.
An advisory panel to the International Football Association Board (Ifab) recommended after meeting on Wednesday that competition organizers can set this up as a permanent option.
According to the recommendation, the respective organizers of the leagues will in future be able to decide for themselves whether they will allow up to five substitutions.
The number of times at which changes are possible should be limited to three plus the half-time break. This recommendation has yet to be officially anchored in the rules, the next general assembly of the Ifab will take place on March 4th and 5th, 2022 in Zurich.
The Ifab decided in May 2020, which is currently still temporarily restricted, with five instead of three substitutions per team in regular time. This was intended to respond to the tightly packed calendar with a view to the wellbeing of players. The respective associations were decisive for the application of the rule; in the Bundesliga it was taken over immediately after the corona break. The exception should end after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Almost without exception, she was welcomed by players and coaches. Few leagues like the English Premier League stayed with three changes even in times of the pandemic.
An extension of the half-time break from 15 to 25 minutes, on the other hand, was viewed with great skepticism by the committee. Several members expressed "concerns", among other things because of the possible negative impact on the well-being of the players after a long break. This discussion point was initiated by the South American Continental Association. By extending the half-time breaks, larger shows should be possible; this should ensure higher ratings during the breaks.
The Ifab committee also discussed the current test phase for an additional option for teams whose players suffered a concussion during the game.
Since these cases have occurred very rarely, the consultants believe that the tests should be extended beyond the currently agreed end in August 2022 in order to collect further data.