Clubs allowed up to 5 substitutes, VAR can be scrapped

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Teams will have the luxury of substituting five players per match when or if the current season resumes, the International Football Association Board announced Friday.

However, managers will still have only three opportunities to make those changes during a match.

Leagues will also be permitted to suspend the use of the Video Assistant Referee system. Competition organizers will decide whether the technology will continue to be implemented.

IFAB said the new rules will remain in place at least Dec. 31, 2020.

The temporary amendment will ease players’ concerns about their fitness, which has been compromised by the sudden work stoppage. The majority of players in the top five European leagues have spent the last two months training on their own because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Most European leagues shut down in March in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus, while others canceled their seasons entirely. The Bundesliga confirmed this week it’s returning May 16, and Serie A, La Liga, and the Premier League also expressed their intention to complete the 2019-20 campaign.

Major League Soccer had barely begun when play was suspended. Teams still have 32 games remaining on their schedule.