Just like it is the case with football across the world, the Uganda Premier League (UPL) is also on halt due to the on-going Coronavirus.
Having initially taken a two months break to enable the national team prepare for CHAN 2020-which was eventually postponed, the UPL could not return on May 5th due to the Social Distancing measures currently in place in Uganda.
However, the League governing body is intent on completing the season which has just five games remaining.
With everyone looking for ways on how to end their respective seasons, in different nations, FIFA has come up with measures to help curb the fixture congestion issue that may arise as Federations try to finish the current campaign.
In one of the changes, clubs will be allowed to make five substitutions per match as opposed to three, like it has been in the past.
This was confirmed on Friday after the International Football Association Board approved the changes.
“The temporary amendment comes into force with immediate effect and has been made as matches may be played in a condensed period in different weather conditions both of which could have impacts on player welfare,” IFAB said in a statement.
The new changes are temporary but FIFA will decide at a later stage whether to extend the ruling.
The rule change is not mandatory and it will all depend on FUFA on whether to enforce it or stick to the three substitutions.
How the new changes will work
Each team will be allowed to use a maximum of five substitutes.
To reduce disruption to the match, each team will have a maximum of three opportunities to make substitutions during the game; substitutions may also be made at half-time.
If both teams make a substitution at the same time, this will count as one of the three opportunities for each team.
Unused substitutions and opportunities are carried forward into extra time.
Where competition rules allow an additional substitution in extra time, teams will each have one additional substitution opportunity; substitutions may also be made before the start of extra time and at halftime in extra time.
