Five substitutes allowed for Luton next season after EFL announce rule change

Luton Town will be able to make five substitutions during their Championship matches next season after a rule change was confirmed by the EFL today.

The alteration from three to five changes had originally been brought in for the final nine games of the 2019-20 campaign, once proceedings had restarted after Covid, to look after the fitness of players.

It then stayed for the whole of the 2020-21 season, before being scrubbed last term, with sides only allowed to make three substitutions, a decision that Luton boss Nathan Jones constantly berated, labelling it ‘bonkers’ and ‘naive.’

Town were hit with a lengthy injury list during the latter stages after having to overload their players, in particular Gabe Osho, as it cost them dearly in the play-offs, without a host of first teamers and with little chance to freshen their side up.

When discussing the issue, the Town chief stated: “This is the most brutal league in the world, it really, really is, with technique, with athleticism, with relentlessness of games, with travel, with absolutely everything.

"Some people just sit in offices who have got no idea what it takes to prepare a player, and that’s why sometimes it waters down, as it does.

"It’s robbed us of a number of individuals as we haven’t been able to make those changes.

"They send emails out to keep the fairness in the competition ‘you’ve got to play your strongest side and you can’t rest people as you’ve got to keep the integrity of the thing.’

"Well help us out and we will, I think it’s been naive, I really do.”

However, Jones has now got his wish, as a statement on the EFL website said: “For all league fixtures going forward, clubs will be allowed to name up to seven substitutes on their team sheet with no more than five being able to take part in the match.

“For League matches during the 2021/22 season, clubs were able to field three substitutes from seven nominated, which has now increased following today's Annual General Meeting (AGM) when EFL clubs approved a number of regulation changes that will come into effect immediately.

“Each club is only permitted a maximum of three opportunities to make substitutions during the fixture and a club may make more than the one substitution at each of its three opportunities.

“Clubs may make substitutions at half time and any substitutions made during this break will not count towards the maximum of three opportunities.”