Teams will be allowed up to five substitutions per match, instead of the usual three, as a temporary measure to help cope with potential fixture congestion in the aftermath of the novel coronavirus outbreak, Fifa said on Friday. The change will be allowed in all competitions which are due to finish by the end of this year and it will be up to individual competition organisers whether to implement it. Fifa also said competitions using the video replay system (VAR) would be free to discontinue it on restarting. Soccer’s rule-making body IFAB agreed to make the change to the rules “based on a proposal received from Fifa seeking to protect player welfare”, the statement added.

Fifa added that each team would have to make their substitutions in a maximum of three slots plus the halftime interval. It did not give details on the decision on VAR use. Italy’s referees’ association said last month that it represented a potential health hazard as video assistant officials often worked from cramped conditions.