FIFA okays use of fourth substitute at Olympic Games

An additional fourth substitute will be allowed in extra-time in matches played at this summer’s Rio Olympics and at the Club World Cup later in the year.
The idea was first mooted by the International Football Association Board and the world governing body have now decided to experiment further in Rio de Janeiro this summer.
The game’s law-making body the International Football Association Board (IFAB) approved trials of an extra substitute when games go into an additional half-hour at their meeting in Cardiff in March, and the executive committee of football’s world governing body has now announced plans to introduce it into a number of its competitions.
A FIFA statement read: “Following the recent decision by The IFAB to allow experimentation with a fourth substitution in extra time, the FIFA Executive Committee agreed for such experiments to be conducted this year at the Olympic football tournaments, the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea (in November) and the FIFA Club World Cup Japan (in December).”
At their Cardiff meeting, IFAB also approved a two-year trial period allowing technology to be used in four cases; to determine if a goal has been scored, red cards, penalties and mistaken identity. However, further trials on that front are not expected until the 2017-18 season.
The FIFA ExCo was meeting for the final time before it is replaced by the new-look FIFA Council at the organisation’s next Congress in Mexico in May.
It also supported the governing body’s efforts to reclaim funds lost due to the corrupt conduct of former FIFA members, agreed kick-off times for matches at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and approved the 2015 financial and governance report.