EFL to allow five substitutions

Nov 19, 2020 06:00 am

Clubs in the English Football League (EFL) will be permitted to make five substitutions in matches from tomorrow, as teams look to combat the congested schedule brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The EFL - which represents the three tiers below the English Premier League - said Championship clubs will be allowed to name up to nine substitutes in their matchday squad, while League One and League Two clubs can name up to seven.

Clubs were allowed to increase the number of substitutes from three per match when the 2019-20 campaign resumed after a hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Football's rule-making body Ifab gave leagues the option of continuing to use up to five substitutes this season, but left it up to individual leagues to decide if they wanted to adopt the rule.

The EPL remains the only major European league not to use five substitutions and has faced criticism from managers such as Liverpool's Juergen Klopp and Manchester City's Pep Guardiola. - REUTERS