FA chief executive Mark Bullingham has revealed plans for concussion substitutes would involve the opposing team receiving an additional substitute as well.
“Clearly there are lots of different variations of it”, he told talkSPORT at IFAB’s Belfast AGM. “But our preferred model is that both teams get an extra substitute.”
He confirmed this was to offset any advantage gained by the team of the concussed player, which would have the benefit of fresh legs without losing one of its three allocated substitutes.
Bullingham confirmed the FA Cup is to trial concussion substitutes in 2020-2021.
“The Premier League would have to through their shareholders”, he added. “But I think they could bring it in for next season too.”
The two organisations favour permanent substitutions in the event a player requires a concussion assessment.
IFAB said it is not “closed off” to a temporary substitute playing for 10 minutes while doctors perform pitchside checks on the potentially concussed player.
VAR & offside changes – all you need to know from IFAB’s Belfast summit
The FA and Premier League have worked together to produce a draft protocol for IFAB based on their model.
Once the preferred protocol is formalised IFAB will appeal for competitions to volunteer to conduct trials.
IFAB Chair Patrick Nelson said: “We know from the meeting today that FIFA are very keen on the Olympics this summer.”
Trial data will form the foundation of subsequent changes to the laws of the game, IFAB confirmed.
Got a story? Email: news@talksport.co.uk
