IFAB EXTEND LAW 3 AMENDMENTS
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) board of directors have agreed to a further extension of the temporary amendment to Law 3 following representations from several key stakeholders from across the football community.
This is follow up to Circular nos 19 (8 May 2020), 20 (15 July 2020), 21 (18 December 2020) and 22 (17 March 2021), the main reason for the temporary amendment, giving top-level competitions the option of allowing teams to use up to five substitutes in matches.
This comes after an assessment on the impact of COVID-19 on football and, in particular, the often condensed and congested match calendars, which affect the welfare of players.
The IFAB's ongoing review, which included stakeholder feedback and an analysis of the impact of the global pandemic on competition calendars, has again shown that the reasons for the temporary amendment remain valid. Therefore, the BoD has extended the temporary amendment for all top-level competitions scheduled to be completed by 31 December 2022. According to IFAB, if a competition takes the option to apply the temporary amendment, it must be applied in full and may not be modified.