During an ordinary meeting of The IFAB Board of Directors held by videoconference today, the members agreed to extend the temporary amendment to Law 3 – The Players, which affords competition organisers the option of allowing teams to use up to five substitutes per match, for all top-level competitions scheduled to be completed by 31 December 2022.

The decision follows a global analysis of the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on football, as well as representations from several key stakeholders from across the football community. Introduced in May 2020, the temporary amendment is aimed at supporting player welfare, in particular where schedules have been disrupted, often leading to competitions being played in a condensed period (see The IFAB circular nos 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23). 

The IFAB will continue to review the impact of the pandemic on football and consult with its stakeholders on this important welfare matter.