Five substitutes could be introduced permanently in football as part of a number of rule changes that could come into effect next year.
The Covid-19 pandemic has seen the sport change dramatically over the past couple of years, while VAR has also made a huge impact on the way the game is run nowadays.
And as the game continues to evolve, new rules continue to be added or developed, and 2022 could see a number of changes made
The International Football Association Board’s Football and Technical Advisory Panels (FAP-TAP) met back in October to discuss a number of potential rules that could be brought in.
Here’s a run through of the new rules the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City could experience next year.
Five substitutes
As part of that October meeting, it was recommended that competitions should continue to be able have up to five substitutes going forward, and the measure could be introduced permanently.
The temporary rule was brought in back in May 2021 as a result of the pandemic, and will remain in place until December 2022.
FAP-TAP though have recommended that the rule should be introduced permanently, and it is likely to be given the okay at IFAB’s annual general meeting in March.
Whether the change is implemented will be down to the individual leagues though – the Premier League reverted back to three substitutes after 10 clubs blocked the introduction, although most major European leagues and the Champions League all retained the measure.
Concussion substitutions
A trial period to test out concussion substitutions was set to continue until August 2022, but looks set to be extended.
The trial, which began back in January, has been hindered by a lack of incidents, and it has been recommended to extend it in order to gather more data on the impact made.
Longer half-times
During the meeting, CONMEBOL, the governing body for South America, requested that the half-time interval be increased from 15 minutes to 25 minutes.
Concerns were raised over the proposal though, in particular with regards to player welfare given the increased period of inactivity.
The idea is thought to be influenced by the NFL’s Super Bowl, which of course runs a half-time show with performances at the break.
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