São Paulo, SB (Fulhabres) – IFAB (The International Football Association Board), the body that regulates the rules of football, has decided to make the issuance of five substitutions in football matches definitive. The change was put into effect due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2020. Prior to that, only three changes were allowed.
The entity’s assessment is that this measure was well accepted by coaches, managers and players. The three windows will be preserved for replacements (out of scale).
Ifab also authorized an increase in the number of athletes available on the bench. It moved from 12 to 15, which is another change supported by the people heard by the body’s technical committee.
And this opens the door to an increase in the number of participations of teams in the World Cup: from 23 to 26. The decision on this will be made by FIFA, the tournament organizer.
The general meeting of the Ifab, which took place on Monday (13) in Doha, Qatar, was chaired by Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, but he did not comment on the matter. The coach of the Brazilian national team, Tite, supports the inclusion of 26 players.
The meeting discussed other possible changes in the future, but no final decisions were made.
One was about technological innovations in using VAR for stealth, so tags would be faster and more accurate. The panelists also spoke about potential tests for referees to explain decisions made on the field during matches, such as how to calculate playing time more fairly (taking into account pauses) and to side with the feet.
But, according to Ifab, these matters will only be discussed again in the future and any probationary period will have to be approved by the entity and ratified by FIFA.
Entity members also talked about ways to combat disrespect for rulers and increase their safety. For an entity, this is a global problem. One possibility for the change is for referees to use cameras attached to the uniform, initially in amateur games.
What is IFAP?
Ifab was created in 1886 as the entity responsible for standardizing the rules of football, practically in the UK since 1863, but with different customs depending on where the match is.
Since its founding, it has been made up of four British National Societies (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). FIFA only joined it in 1913. Everyone has one vote in decisions and FIFA represents the other 207 affiliated confederations.
This has already caused Ifab to be criticized for being a restrictive body and for sticking to football’s past. Another complaint was about the county for making changes to the rules, something that has changed recently. Especially when he endorsed the introduction of VAR in 2018, an old idea that met with great resistance.
To foster discussion and suggest changes, the entity has set up technical and football advisory committees, which include the “world’s experienced members” of football, the body says. In practice, it is the person who produces the reports and advises the Ifab in making the decision regarding changes, studies or tests to be performed.
A decision on any changes to the rules can only be taken at annual meetings, where the general assembly meets for deliberation and voting. It is usually held in February or March in one of the four founding countries. But in World Cup years, this can be different, as it happened in 2022. The event was held in Doha, Qatar, the host country of the World Cup.
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