EFL bring in five subs rule, Prem sticks with three

Football League clubs have voted to allow five substitutions a game, up from three, starting for the next round of fixtures, while Premier League managers have been left frustrated as the top flight will stick with three.

After a vote between its 72 members, the EFL board has agreed to increase the number of subs from three a game to five, starting with Friday’s meetings between Coventry and Birmingham in the Championship, and Mansfield vs Colchester in League Two.

Championship sides are allowed to have nine players, on the bench, while Leagues One and Two are allowed seven.

In the Premier League though, smaller clubs have continually voted against the rule change, seeing it as a benefit for the bigger sides, with the likes of Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, and even England coach Gareth Southgate strongly opposing the decision.

A change would need 14 or more of the 20 Premier League clubs to vote favourably, but most teams see it as a benefit to the top sides with larger squads, however, the Premier League is the only major European league not to have increased from three to five substitutions per game.

After Manchester City and Liverpool’s 1-1 draw last time out on November 8th, managers Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola were seen having an extended conversation after the final whistle, with both saying the discussion was about their anger regarding the rule, despite the fact the pair only used three subs between them during the match.

Klopp, whose Liverpool side are in the midst of an injury crisis, called the rule change a “necessity,” while Guardiola said the current situation was a “disaster.”

EFL statement: Five substitutes.#EFL https://t.co/kkUwBQ9G2E

— EFL Communications (@EFL_Comms) November 18, 2020