Five substitution rule to stay in place for 2020/2021 season

The Athletic reports that the International Football Association Board (IFAB) will extend the change from three to five subs for the 2020-21 season following a majority vote amongst national leagues.

The change was made to help clubs protect their players following a break in training during coronavirus lockdowns, and due to the high volume of games being played to complete various competitions.

IFAB reportedly thinks that health concerns following a short break between the current season and the next will necessitate the continuation of the provision for substitutes, despite opposition from some figures who believe the change benefits sides with larger squads.

The article also suggests that there will be further changes to the offside rule after the introduction of VAR and other technological tools. Arsene Wenger, FIFA's technical director, believes the law could be changed so that offside decisions are applied only to parts of a player's body that could be used to score.

There is no suggestion that IFAB are willing to introduce time limits on VAR decisions following criticism that reviews can slow down the game.