Coronavirus – Joint Response Group Update 8 May

Potential financial help for clubs

On 27 April 2020 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (“BBLS”) to help smaller businesses, including football clubs, to recover from the economic impact of COVID-19. Loans are available between £2,000 and 25% of turnover, up to a maximum loan of £50,000.

More than 69,000 of 130,000 applications were approved in the first 24 hours of the scheme opening this week according to the Chancellor – worth over £2bn.

Clubs should take note that the application process is fully automated, there are no credit checks and the scheme is 100% underwritten by the UK Government. Key terms include:

• Loans range from £2,000 up £50,000 and are limited to 25% of Turnover
• The UK Government will pay the interest on the loan for the first 12 months
• The rate of interest thereafter is 2.5%, described as an “affordable rate”
• Loans can be taken for up to 6 years and there is no penalty for early repayment
• No personal guarantees or security is required
• There are no fees for access to the BBLS

Any club interested in accessing a loan under the BBLS should contact their bank for more details. It has been reported to us by one club that the application process took a matter of minutes.

IFAB agrees temporary change to allow five substitutions

As football begins to consider resumption of competitions across the world following the COVID-19 pandemic, The International Football Association Board (The IFAB) has agreed to make a temporary amendment to the Laws of the Game based on a proposal received from FIFA seeking to protect player welfare.

For competitions which have either started or are intended to start, but are scheduled to be completed by 31 December 2020, The IFAB has approved FIFA’s proposal to introduce a temporary amendment to Law 3 – The Players, which will allow for a maximum of five substitutes to be made per team. However, to avoid disruption to the game, each team will only have three opportunities to make substitutions; substitutions may also be made at half-time.

The temporary amendment comes into force with immediate effect, and has been made as matches may be played in a condensed period in different weather conditions, both of which could have impacts on player welfare.

The decision on whether to apply this temporary amendment will remain at the discretion of each individual competition organiser, while The IFAB and FIFA will determine at a later stage whether this temporary amendment would need to be extended further (e.g. for competitions due to be completed in 2021).

The amendment to Law 3 affects both the 2019/20 and 2020/21 Laws of the Game, with the latter coming into effect as from 1 June 2020.

In relation to competitions in which the video assistant referee (VAR) system is implemented, these competitions are permitted to cease its use upon restart at the discretion of each individual competition organiser. However, where VAR is used, all aspects of the Laws of the Game and, by extension, the VAR protocol will remain in place.

Law 3 – The Players – Temporary amendment

In summary:

- Each team will be permitted to use a maximum of five substitutes.
- To reduce disruption to the match, each team will have a maximum of three opportunities to make substitutions during the game; substitutions may also be made at half-time.
- If both teams make a substitution at the same time, this will count as one of the three opportunities for each team.
- Unused substitutions and opportunities are carried forward into extra time.
- Where competition rules allow an additional substitution in extra time, teams will each have one additional substitution opportunity; substitutions may also be made before the start of extra time and at half-time in extra time.

The use of return substitutes is not an option for senior competitions.