Additional substitutions in elite European football

Abstract

In 2020, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) introduced a temporary rule amendment of two additional substitutions in regular time. In this study, we assess the impact of this rule change with regard to player relief, tactical influence by the coaches and the development of young players. Data were collected from 3652 matches from the top 5 leagues in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) rankings and 659 UEFA club competition matches (Champions League and Europa League) in 2 different seasons (pre-rule amendment: 2018/2019 vs. post-rule amendment: 2020/2021), comparing leagues that introduced two additional substitutions with those that did not. The results show that with two additional substitutions, the reduction in player load was increased by 46%. Despite being used infrequently, the rule change resulted in 45% more substitutions and, therefore, greater tactical influence by the coaches. Furthermore, two additional substitutions benefit young players’ development with an 81% increase in playing time. While the aim of the temporary amendment to the laws of the game was achieved with the additional substitutions by compensating for the increased load on the players, coaches’ substitution behaviour shows potential for improvement.

Analysing substitutions in recent World Cups and European Championships in male and female elite football – influence of new substitution rules

“…This means that the 5-subsitution rule may lead to a higher overall running performance [ 19 , 32 ], but this change is related to the number as well as the type of substitutions being made [ 20 ]. In addition, coaches may use substitutions to reduce the load of team [ 18 , 21 ], which is extremely important to maintain the physical condition of the whole team in the World Cup with a congested schedule.…”

“…Despite the fact that the substitutes come on to the pitch with a greater running intensity, their overall game load is considerably lower than that of the starters due to the lower playing time [ 16 , 17 ]. More recently, studies have shown that teams under the new substitution rule have an overall increase in running performance while the team load and RPE decrease [ 18 – 21 ], which is especially important during congested fixtures [ 22 ], indicating the importance of using multiple substitutions. In fact, the data from the 2022 World Cup shows that there was no reduction in high-intensity running by teams in the second half [ 23 ], in contrast to the results from previous World Cups [ 24 ].…”