SuperSport

General view of the Lucas Moripe Stadium. Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

PSL will adopt five substitution rule upon restart of season

The Premier Soccer League has adopted the five substitution rule which will be in place for the remainder of the season.

SuperSport

General view of the Lucas Moripe Stadium. Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) has announced that the five substitution rule will be used upon the resumption of the 2019/20 Absa Premiership and National First Division Championship campaigns.

South African football adopts five substitution rule

Football returns to South Africa this weekend with the Nedbank Cup semi-finals taking place as a behind-closed-doors doubleheader at the Orlando Stadium.

The match first semi-final between Bloemfontein Celtic and Baroka FC will see the introduction of the new five substitution rule which has been used extensively by European leagues that restarted from June onwards.

FIFA proposed the five substitution rule as an aid to completing the respective football leagues around the world and a measure to ensure player workloads are manageable.

“The League can also confirm that there will be five substitutes allowed in a match for the remainder of the 2019/20 season,” read a statement from the PSL on Tuesday.

PSL’s five substitution rule

  • Nine (9) substitutes can be named (not 7) in the team list.
  • Five substitutions are allowed per club during the game.
  • Clubs will get three substitution opportunities during the game (plus half time, which isn’t counted as one of the three)
  • If both teams make substitutions at the same time, this counts as a used “opportunity” for both teams
  • In a cup game, unused substitutions and opportunities are carried into extra time
  • Teams will get an additional substitute and an additional substitution opportunity in extra time, taking the total of subs to 6 and opportunities to 4
  • Substitutions made before extra time and during half time of extra time don’t count as a lost opportunity

The title race and cup chase

Mamelodi Sundowns are in the hunt for the PSL title and a domestic treble, but to be successful, they will need to come through the most hectic schedule of all.

Downs coach Pitso Mosimane has bemoaned the timing of the restart saying that many of his players have picked up injuries since returning to training.

With perhaps the best squad in the league, the five substitution rule should play into Kabo Yellow’s hands, but Mosimane will have an incredible juggling act to pull off to keep everyone fit.

Achieving a treble will require Sundowns making a fast start with the club set to play four matches in nine days. They face Bidvest Wits in the cup on 8 August and then restart their PSL campaign against Orlando Pirates next Tuesday.

Read: Sundowns skipper Kekana targets milestone title win