Report: How and Why the Five Substitute Rule is a Game Changer for Football
Catapult has teamed up with UEFA Fitness Advisory Group Member, Chris Barnes, to explain the impact of a recent substitution rule change made by English Premier League clubs.
This rule change will impact a range of stakeholders including, but not limited to, players, clubs, and other leagues and competitions … and so our Report: How and Why the Five Substitute Rule is a Game Changer for Football explores more.
→ Download this report, by clicking here.
More about the report
This report explores the impact of a recent substitution rule change made by English Premier League clubs. For the 2022/2023 season, teams will be able to make five substitutes instead of the traditional three during each match.
The principal driver behind this decision is to mitigate the effects of increased match intensity and fixture congestion, factors which are believed to directly impact player health and welfare.
By reading the report, you can expect to learn:
- How the rule change could impact players, clubs, and other leagues & competitions.
- Why EPL players are 4x more likely to sustain an in-game hamstring injury in December & January than at any other time of the season.
- How much injuries really cost a team, including average player wages lost in a season.
- How athlete monitoring technology can help to mitigate costly injuries.
- Why real-time pitch-side analysis is the future of football performance.
The rule change: Three to Five
For the 2022/2023 season, teams will be able to make five substitutes instead of the traditional three during each match. As a result of this rule change, nine substitutes can also be named on the matchday team sheet.
Why change the number of substitutes?
The principal driver behind the decision to amend the number of substitutes is to mitigate the effects of increased match intensity and fixture congestion, factors which are believed to directly impact player health and welfare.
Current research suggests EPL players are 4x more like to sustain an in-game hamstring injury in December and January than at any other time of the season.
Chief Executive of the Players Football Association (PFA), Maheta Molango, said:
“The adoption of the five-substitute rule is a welcome step forward in what needs to be an ongoing effort to address issues with player fatigue, making sure they have the opportunity to perform at their best and to maintain the competitive edge that makes English football the best in the world.”
How will this Premier League rule change impact global football?
This change by the Premier League will be closely observed by outsiders.
Interestingly, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar presents competing nations with high fixture density coupled with potentially challenging climatic conditions. As such, it will be interesting to see how the increased number of player substitutions is debated across the context of the biggest tournament in the World.
Download this report – PDF. Click here.
UEFA Fitness Advisory Group Member, Chris Barnes, said:
“I hope the content of this report acts as a starting point for positive conversations within football clubs using the expertise of performance staff to most effectively protect players but also to protect the unique physical attributes of the game.”
→ Download this report, by clicking here.
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