Prior to the start of each season, FIFA send out a leaflet entitled -Information on
the amendments to the Laws of the Game and Instructions of the International
FA Board'. When referees in this country received their copy this year, they
may have wondered if someone was having a go at England Coach
Sven-Goran Eriksson. Nothing to do with any shenanigans that may have been going on at
FA Headquarters in Soho Square. This feeling was created simply by an alteration to Law 3 - Number of Players, which includes the rules on substitutes.
Most people are aware that in official competitions, clubs are allowed to use
three substitutes, who they can choose from a list nominated before the game.
Each competition is allowed to decide how many can be named up to a
maximum of seven. In professional football the number is usually five but no
matter how many are nominated, only three can actually take part.
There is, however, another clause about substitutes in the laws, and this covers
'other' matches, which normally refers to friendly matches. In these games, clubs have
always been allowed to use as many substitutes as they like, providing the clubs
agree and the referee is informed before the match starts. However in this year's
changes to the laws, this has been altered to read, -In other matches, up to six
substitutes may be used'. The reason for limiting the number was given as, -The
practice of making large number of substitutes in friendly matches devalues the
game and creates a farcical situation. The number of substitutes used in friendly
matches must be controlled'.
We all know that in England's friendly matches.
Sven- Goran Eriksson has been in the habit of making wholesale substitutions,
sometimes sending out a virtually new team for the second half. So were the FA
trying to stop his tactics? Well it must be remembered that the FA doesn't make
the Laws of the Game, nor does FIFA. This is the duty of a separate body, the
International FA Board, at which England or more properly the FA, has only one voice out of eight.
It would therefore seem that there are other people who
are unhappy about multiple substitutions. When the pre-season friendlies started,
I therefore read with great interest of the special game that Fulham played, to
celebrate their return to Craven Cottage. At half time both teams had used six
substitutes and the referee reminded them of the new ruling. The clubs were
incensed. They claimed it was a breach of health and safety rules to make
players play for ninety minutes, when they had only been in training for a week.
Referee Peter Walton refused to budge on the ruling and abandoned the game.
One of his assistants took the whistle for the second half or rather a forty five
minute exhibition match. At the end of the two 'forty five minute matches' the
teams between them, had used forty players. This created great consternation at
the FA who immediately contacted FIFA as a 'matter of urgency'. FIFA replied
that the International FA Board's decision restricting the number of substitutes
permitted in friendly matches, referred only to matches involving NATIONAL teams.
Now I received a copy of that notification by e-mail in my capacity as a
Referee Instructor. My only pre-season friendly was for Manchester United (OK
it was their under 16 Academy side) and I was able to allow unlimited
substitutes with a clear conscience. However most other local referees haven't been made aware of this change to the alteration. So if any teams had their
substitutions restricted in friendly games this year and wondered why when
Reading played Manchester City, they used as many substitutes as they liked,
you now have the answer.
It still means of course that restrictions have been
placed on Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Dick Sawdon Smith