Governing Bodies
FIVE SUBSTITUTES RULE SET TO BE EXTENDED TO COVER 2020/21 SEASON
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) are set to announce the temporary extension of the rule allowing teams to make up to five substitutes in one game for the entirety of the 2020/21 season – a decision that will likely prove controversial.
With a number of leagues around Europe looking to complete the 2019/20 season despite the coronavirus pandemic, the IFAB introduced the five substitutes rule as they looked to provide clubs with a greater chance of protecting their players from injuries and fatigue during a very hectic schedule.
It was initially merely just a short-term measure, but the Athletic now report that the IFAB are set to announce the extension of the rule to cover the 2020/21 season in the ‘coming days’. The report further alludes to the fact that even after the measure was suggested, each league was in charge of deciding whether they wished to implement such a change.
While the Premier League did vote in favour of the extra substitutions, teams such as Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Sheffield United and West Ham all voted against it. With the 2019/20 season ending so deep into summer and with the 2020/21 campaign set to start not long later, the IFAB ‘believes’ that the same ‘player welfare’ concerns will persist.
However, this is expected to be a controversial decision as it has been argued that the rule change does favour the bigger clubs, who have deeper squads. In fact, only Brighton, Liverpool and Manchester United have taken up the option to use all five substitutes in a game so far. Burnley, meanwhile, have only made six changes in total since the resumption of play.
Elsewhere, the IFAB ‘are expected’ to discuss the current issues surrounding the offside rule in the coming months, with a large number of controversial decisions continuing to be made week after week.
The Athletic report that the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) has ensured the offside law now doesn’t give the benefit of the doubt to the attacker.
A potential change could see officials judging offsides on the players’ shoulders, shirt or torso. This would ensure the integrity of the rule, while also abandoning the current approach of judging based on whether a player’s toe is offside.
With regards to the time it has taken for decisions involving VAR to be made, the IFAB are not considering time limits as they look to ensure the correct decisions are made.
FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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