FA Cup fourth substitute: New rule allows extra sub from quarter-final stage

In 2016, Football Association chiefs revealed the new law would come into play from the last-eight onward.

AN FA Cup rule change will allow for teams to use a fourth substitute in extra time from the quarter-finals onward.

In 2016, Football Association bosses revealed the competition would play a leading role in trialling the change.

Football’s lawmaking body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), proposed the idea.

Here, SunSport tells you all you need to know about the new rule.

Why was a fourth substitute rule change made?

A fourth sub has been made available in extra time from the quarter-final of the FA Cup onward to add excitement to the competition.

FA chief executive Martin Glenn said: “The FA Cup is renowned for its great history and tradition but, as the game’s governing body, it is important The FA continues to look at how it can further add to it.

“With The Cup now adopting a straight knockout format from the quarter-finals onward, the introduction of a fourth substitute in extra time will bring extra intrigue and interest.

“Also, from a technical point of view, it will be interesting to see how managers use the chance to make an additional substitution in such high-profile games and the impact it has on the final result.

“Player welfare and being mindful of the number of games people play at the elite level has also been a consideration.”

Has a fourth substitute ever been allowed in any other competition?

The idea was first trialled at the Copa America in the summer of 2016.

 

Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata became the first fourth sub in competitive men’s football after replacing Cristiano Ronaldo in extra time of the Club World Cup final in December 2016.

Ayr United were the first club in Scottish football to implement the rule change, bringing on Michael Rose in place of Nicky Devlin against Queen’s Park in the Scottish FA Cup in January 2017.

Have any other rule changes been trialled in the FA Cup?

The FA Cup have also scrapped replays from the quarter finals onward.

In previous years, if a sixth round clash (as it was formerly known) ended a draw, the two teams would meet again in a second leg to determine who progressed.