IFAB: permanent adoption of the 5-substitute rule (introduced on 08/05/2020 due to Covid-19)

The perpetuation of the five substitutions per match rule (instead of three) and an increase of the maximum number of substitutes on the bench from 12 to 15 players "at the discretion of the competition organiser" were the two main measures taken by the IFAB at its 136^th annual general assembly, the first to be held in Asia, in Doha (QAT) on 13/06/2022, 161 days before the beginning of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

"The temporary five-substitutes rule (Law 3 - Players) had been put in place on 08/05/2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its health consequences. It is now permanent. We have also taken into account the various reports on the health of the players we need to protect. We are continuing the experiments on this subject for another year," said Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, at the end of the meeting, which was originally scheduled for 03/03/2022.

The International Football Association Board also decided to extend the current tests on concussion substitutes. The tests are also continuing for the "semi-automated offside technology" (position of the players determined very…