From next season, Premier League clubs have voted to reintroduce five substitutes. Following a Premier League stakeholders meeting in London, a change of heart on the number of alterations allowed per game was revealed.
Substitutions can be made three times throughout a game, plus at halftime, with a total of nine substitutes listed on the teamsheet. After the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the game in May 2020, five substitutes were introduced throughout the board.
Premier League Clubs and Substitution
The clubs then voted against keeping the rule in place for the shortened 2020-21 season. Because some teams believed it gave those with larger squads an unfair edge, the Premier League was the only major competition to abandon the provision.
Several managers have spoken out against the decision, with Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool and Pep Guardiola of Manchester City both claiming that it was partly to blame for a spate of muscular injuries across the Premier League.
Although five substitutes are allowed in FA Cup matches, and the International Football Association Board suggested in October that five substitutions be established permanently in the sport, nothing changed for the 2021-22 season.
Maheta Molango, chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, said on Thursday: “The adoption of this rule is a welcome step forward in what needs to be an ongoing effort to address issues with player fatigue.”
Other Significant Changes
The summer transfer market will open on 10 June and finish at 23:00 BST on 1 September, in line with other European leagues, according to a shareholder meeting of all 20 Premier League teams. In addition, beginning April 4, the Premier League will discontinue twice-weekly testing of players and staff in favor of symptomatic testing only.
Other significant changes include the elimination of the need for clinical passports to get access to previously enclosed areas at training facilities and on matchdays, as the League resumes normal operations.
A Premier League statement said: “The wellbeing of players and staff remains a priority and the League will continue to monitor the national Covid-19 situation and adapt league-wide protocols as required, in line with the latest guidance from public health authorities and medical experts.”
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