LONDON: England’s Foot­ball Association (FA) plans to let teams make an additional, fourth, substitution in extra-time from the quarter-finals onwards of next season’s FA Cup, the governing body said on Wednesday.

The rule change, which still requires approval from the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the game’s global law-makers, will see clubs that have used three substitutes from the seven players named on their bench now permitted one more substitute during the 30 minutes of extra-time during the quarter-final, semi-final or final ties.

FA chief executive Martin Glenn said: “With the Cup now adopting a straight knock-out format from the quarter-finals onwards (there will be no replays in any matches from the stage), the introduction of a fourth substitute in extra-time will bring extra intrigue and interest.”

The additional substitute scheme is the latest planned change to the FA Cup, the world’s oldest senior knockout football competition, after officials decided to banish replays from the last eight onwards in a bid to reduce fixture congestion.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2016