(Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)
SPFL Championship and League One clubs have voted to reinstate the five-subs rule for the rest of the season, bringing it into line with the Premiership and League Two.
After each of the 20 clubs were contacted by the SPFL and asked whether they’d prefer to stick with the existing three subs from seven or allow a maximum of five changes from nine, they backed the increased numbers.
While there will be an increase to the number of changes allowed, clubs will still be limited to stopping play three times to make substitutions,
An SPFL spokesman said: “Discussions have been ongoing in recent weeks with cinch Championship and cinch League 1 clubs about the potential rule change.
“As a members’ organisation, it is important that clubs in each division are able to make decisions on issues like this for themselves.”
FIFA has allowed each league to determine its own rules regarding substitutes since the Covid-19 pandemic began and the SPFL believe the change will ‘help with the congested fixture schedule, given the possibility of postponements due to weather conditions or Covid-19, and will also improve player welfare”.
Clubs will be allowed to name nine substitutes starting from this weekend’s fixtures – however, the Scottish Cup continues to operate with only three substitutions allowed.
Despite the SPFL’s insistence that it is a ‘members’ organisation’ clubs were left with no say when the five substitutes rule was scrapped over the summer by the league.
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