Sheffield Wednesday & Co. set for major rule change if football resumes

Sheffield Wednesday manager, Garry Monk, and his technical staff will have taken note of a temporary rule change in football that FIFA have confirmed today.
SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 07:  Gary Monk manager of Sheffield Wednesday reacts with the Assistant refereee during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Brentford at Hillsborough Stadium on December 7, 2019 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images)SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 07:  Gary Monk manager of Sheffield Wednesday reacts with the Assistant refereee during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Brentford at Hillsborough Stadium on December 7, 2019 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images)
SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 07: Gary Monk manager of Sheffield Wednesday reacts with the Assistant refereee during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Brentford at Hillsborough Stadium on December 7, 2019 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images)

For the remainder of 2020, and also potentially into 2021, teams will be allowed a maximum of five substitutions per game in an attempt to combat the fact that match fitness may have been lost due to the lack of football being played due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

While there has been no confirmation yet as to whether – or when – football will return in England, leagues such as Germany are gearing up for a return as we speak, and the English Championship will be eager to try and do the same as soon as possible.

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A statement from world football’s governing body today read, in part, “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. 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.”

In summary, FIFA went on to say:

- Each team will be permitted to use a maximum of five substitutes.

- To reduce disruption to the match, each team will have a maximum of three opportunities to make substitutions during the game; substitutions may also be made at half-time.

- If both teams make a substitution at the same time, this will count as one of the three opportunities for each team.

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- Unused substitutions and opportunities are carried forward into extra time.

- Where competition rules allow an additional substitution in extra time, teams will each have one additional substitution opportunity; substitutions may also be made before the start of extra time and at half-time in extra time.

The use of return substitutes is not an option for senior competitions.

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