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

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.

Updated: July 15, 2020, 6:47 PM