Football lawmaker permanently approves 5-substitute option in top contests

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Football's ruling body on Monday has permanently ratified the five-substitute option during a match in top-level competitions.

In a statement, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) said it accepted recommendations, with "strong support from the entire football community," and permanently introduced the five-substitute option into the Laws of the Game for the 2022-23 season.

The option of extra substitutions was temporarily introduced in May 2020 to protect players' welfare during the coronavirus pandemic.

In top local and international competitions, teams were then allowed to use up to five substitutes in a match, which was a maximum of three before the pandemic.

The current provision was extended many times.

"In addition, the members decided to increase the maximum number of named substitutes listed on the team sheet from 12 to 15 at the discretion of the competition organiser."

The Laws of the Game for the upcoming 2022-23 season will come into effect on July 1.

Separately, artificial intelligence-driven VAR (video assistant referee) offside detector, SAOT, is closer to being used in competitions that will help game officials make quicker and correct decisions in difficult and tight offside positions.

"The AGM (Annual General Meeting) was updated by FIFA on innovations that could allow more competitions to use video assistant referee (VAR) technology (VAR 'Light'), which has been trialled in over 100 matches, and on successful tests with systems to help video match officials determine offside situations more quickly and accurately (so-called 'semi-automated offside technology'). A video support solution is also being considered for potential trial," the IFAB said.

"The AGM was clear that these and any other trials require permission and will be supervised by The IFAB and FIFA," it added.

FIFA previously said it tested the SAOT during the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup held in Abu Dhabi in February 2022.

The same technology was also trialed in the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup.

The world football's governing body previously said it is also expected to be used at the 2022 FIFA World Cup that will begin on Nov. 21 in Qatar.

FIFA calls the SAOT "an extension of the VAR system," and it has been employed in 47 countries and at least 100 competitions, including all FIFA contests.

"Ten dedicated cameras, as well as several television broadcast cameras, are set up in the stadium to track 18 data points of each individual player, giving their position on the pitch. The number of data points is expected to increase to 29 points per player by the time of the FIFA World Cup," FIFA said.

FIFA’s head of Football Technology Sebastian Runge said they are also tracking players' arms and legs to judge whether a player is on or offside when the ball is kicked.

"We’re also tracking the limbs - we’re tracking the arms and the legs - and we know exactly where all those players are at every moment in the game," Runge remarked and added that FIFA tracks with "50 frames per second," and that they are doing the same for the ball.

After a player was said to be offside, 3D animations are also shown on big screens in stadiums for fans watching it on television and in football venues, while the offside animation does not help the decision-making process.