FIFA has approved the use of a fourth substitution if a game goes into extra-time but will first trial the move at this summer’s Olympics in Rio, Brazil. The 2016 Olympics will see the first time a fourth substitute is allowed. The fourth substitution will also be trialled at the FIFA Club World Cup at the end of the year.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), who deal with making the laws of the game, approved the extra substitute for the two 15-minute periods when knockout games end in a draw after the 90 minutes. There are also plans to run this trial in other competitions such as the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
The official FIFA statement read:
Following the recent decision by The IFAB to allow experimentation with a fourth substitution in extra time, the FIFA Executive Committee agreed for such experiments to be conducted this year at the Olympic Football Tournaments, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Papua New Guinea and the FIFA Club World Cup Japan.
The fourth substitution will help managers in many ways. They can either bring on a specialist penalty taker if they know the game is headed to a penalty shootout or substitute a player who is suffering from fatigue after playing close to 120 minutes. It will also come as a blessing in disguise for managers who have already made three substitutions and if an injury reduces the side to just 10 men.
Infantino looking to clean up FIFA
This was the final meeting of the FIFA Executive Committee which lasted two days and new FIFA president Gianni Infantino chaired the meeting where a number of reforms were on the agenda. The next meeting will see a new FIFA Council convene and the meeting is set to take place on 9 and 10 May this year.
Following the mismanagement of funds during Sepp Blatter’s reign, Infantino is looking to clean up FIFA and took the first step of admitting that FIFA officials accepted bribes.
“The convicted defendants abused the positions of trust they held at FIFA and other international football organisations and caused serious and lasting damage to FIFA,” Infantino had said.
“The monies they pocketed belonged to global football and were meant for the development and promotion of the game. FIFA as the world governing body of football wants that money back and we are determined to get it no matter how long it takes.”
