The Football Association and the Premier League have successfully applied to the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to introduce additional permanent concussion substitution trials across the Premier League, Barclays FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship and Emirates FA Cup.
The dates for the introduction of the trials include:
- Premier League: from 6 February 2021
- Barclays FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship: from 6 February 2021
- Emirates FA Cup: from the Fifth Round, 9-11 February 2021
With player welfare the priority, the protocols will allow a maximum of two concussion substitutes to be used per team, with the opposition side able to use the equivalent number.
The additional concussion substitutions may be made regardless of the number of substitutions a team has made already.
The trial is a result of the IFAB’s consultation with stakeholders and recommendations from their concussion expert group to allow additional substitutions for players with actual or suspected concussion.