EPL Clubs Vote Against Using Five Substitutions
English Premier League (EPL) clubs have reportedly voted against using five substitutes in the 2020/21 season at a shareholders meeting, according to reports from Sky Sport it was initially agreed in August but now they are saying it was agreed to help the situation on the ground. The five subs rule was introduced after Premier League football resumed last season will now be scrapped and they would return to three changes during games.
A proposal was put forward to again increase the number of substitutions to five, with a total of nine players on the bench, but the English Premier League (EPL) did not agree to the motion, the motion did not get the required 14 votes, so next season which starts on the 12th of September will now go back the three replacements from seven named on a matchday.
Last season, as the clubs prepared for Project Restart amid coronavirus lockdown restrictions, it was agreed to allow five substitutions and to increase the matchday squad from 18 to 20 to help players deal with so many games in such a short period of time. Also, the meeting agreed the preferred option is to play the season out to a conclusion if there was to be a second wave, but despite what has been described as “positive conversations,” nothing has yet been officially added to the rule book.