IFAB confirms five substitutes rule will be extended into 2020/21 season

International Football Association Board said decision on whether to apply this temporary amendment remains at the discretion of each competition organiser

Soccer Football - Premier League - Norwich City v West Ham United - Carrow Road, Norwich, Britain - July 11, 2020 West Ham United's Jack Wilshere comes on as a substitute to replace Michail Antonio, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pool via REUTERS/Tim Keeton EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.

Football's rule-making body on Wednesday said teams will be allowed to continue to use up to five substitutes next season.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) agreed to a temporary change to allow teams to use five substitutes, rather than the usual three, in May to "protect player welfare" during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The IFAB board of directors has extended the option to competitions scheduled to be completed by 31 July, 2021 and to international competitions scheduled in July/August 2021," the body said.

IFAB said the decision on whether to apply this temporary amendment remains at the discretion of each competition organiser.

Each team will have three chances to make substitutions, although changes made at half time are not counted as one of the three opportunities.