Tag: fifa

on by Ridge City FC

FIFA extends 5 substitutes a game to 2021

The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has settled on maintaining the decision of permitting 5 substitutes for a match till 2021 due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on football.

A press release from the world football governing body details the reasons for the extension adding that further decisions from stakeholders and Directors of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) will be kept under constant review to ensure appropriate action is taken.

‘’Following the decision taken on 8 May 2020 to give competitions scheduled to be completed in 2020 the option of allowing teams to use up to five substitutes, the IFAB Board of Directors had agreed to review whether to extend this option further. On the basis of this in-depth review, which included stakeholder feedback and an analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on competition calendars, the IFAB Board of Directors has extended the option to competitions scheduled to be completed by 31 July 2021 and to international competitions scheduled in July/August 2021″. The presser said.

“The main reason for the temporary amendment to Law 3 – The Players was the impact on player welfare of competitions being played in a condensed period and in different weather conditions. The recent review has shown that the reasons for the temporary amendment remain valid and the impact on player welfare is likely to continue into 2021 due to various factors, including:

  • Some competitions which resumed in 2020 may have a shorter-than-usual recovery/preparation period before the start of their next season.
  • For many competitions, the 2020/21 season will involve matches being played in a condensed period due to a delayed start and the inability to end later than usual because of major international tournaments.

There are no changes to the details of the temporary amendment to the Laws of the Game, which will allow for a maximum of five substitutes to be used per team. However, to avoid disruption to the game, each team will only have three opportunities to make substitutions, although substitutions made at half-time are not counted as one of the three opportunities.

The decision on whether to apply this temporary amendment remains at the discretion of each competition organizer.

The changing impact of the pandemic on football will be kept under constant review to ensure appropriate action is taken in the future in relation to this temporary amendment.’’

FIFA had earlier announced that it would temporarily allow leagues the option of granting teams five substitutions per game as opposed to three and will last until the end of the calendar year (2020), a temporary measure to help cope with potential fixture congestion in the aftermath of the novel COVID-19 outbreak.

on by Ridge City FC

Ghana loses out on women’s world cup Solidarity fund

Three African countries benefit from FIFA Women’s World Cup Club Solidarity Fund which was launched in 2019 to reward clubs for providing players for the success of the tournament held in France.

The money which stands at 8.46 million US Dollars will be distributed to some eight hundred and twenty-two professional and grassroots clubs to encourage football clubs in their quest to develop talent for the women’s game.

Among these clubs feature twenty-six from Cameroon, 35 clubs from South Africa and 21 from Nigeria received a total of $205,580.

A FIFA statement reads ”The payments reward clubs for providing players with a professional football pathway, while encouraging and incentivising football clubs to continue developing talent in the women’s game,”

”The money is paid out with the intention of enabling beneficiary clubs to create a high-performance environment for the best players in the world and to invest in developing women’s football at grassroots level.

France 2019 is the first FIFA Women’s World Cup where professional and grassroots clubs have benefitted from receiving solidarity funding, which was introduced by FIFA to directly support and reward clubs in the development of players who play at the tournament.

Based on the principle of rewarding clubs for providing players with a professional football pathway, 50 per cent of the funding has been distributed to clubs that released players for the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019.

Chief women’s football officer at FIFA Sarai Bareman added, “Building on the success of the FIFA Women’s World Cup last year, the solidarity funding distributed as a result of the tournament will provide much-needed additional financial support for many women’s football clubs around the world,”

“With USD 1 billion already committed to women’s football over the next four-year cycle in the lead-up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, the solidarity funds distributed will play an important role in providing more opportunities for women and girls to play football, as well as rewarding and giving back to 822 training and grassroots clubs for the vital role they played in developing the stars of last summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.

“At a time when many clubs around the world impacted by the current coronavirus pandemic, FIFA is looking to continue the long-term investment we are making in the women’s game, as well as the momentum and the interest generated last summer.

“Through the additional development funding that has now been distributed, we hope that this supports clubs and MAs in the important role they play in the growth of women’s football and will encourage them to continue to invest in the sport in the future.

“The growth of women’s football requires a joint effort at all levels if we are to build a strong and sustainable future for the women’s game. Only together can we realise the full potential of women’s football and truly bring the game to all.”

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WPL Clubs to receive $10,000 each from FIFA COVID relief Fund.

The Ghana football Association following its Executive Council meeting has announced that Ghana Women’s Premier League clubs will take home $160,000 from the Covid-19 fund this month and additional $26,000 for NHIS registration.

The 16 top flight clubs will get $10,000 each from the fund, as the 72 women’s Division One Regional Clubs will disburse $60,000 among themselves.

The COVID relief fund by FIFA is expected to release pressure from the clubs from financial difficulties caused by Covid 19 which forced the Ghana football association to being the 7th edition of the women’s league to a halt as measures from Government to manage the spread of the pandemic.

The WPL teams are already on a YEA relief fund which will see each player pocket 500gh at the end of the month.

The FA also stated, over 3500 players and technical staff from the elite clubs are expected to enroll on the NHIS scheme, with each team expected to register not more than 50 personnel which includes footballers, technical team and management members on the package .

Announcing the payment plan for the FIFA COVID-19 Relief Fund, the Ghana FA added that $26,000 has bee set aside to cater for the registration and other logistical activities of all the players and technical staff of the three sectors on the National Health Insurance Scheme.