Not April Fools! Premier League finally approve five substitutes

Technically this was announced on March 31, but by the time my busy lazy ass has gotten around to writing about it, it’s now April 1 around most of the world. April Fools is one of the most insufferable days of the year, so instead of idiotic pranks, let’s celebrate a small victory for common sense!

Starting next season, the Premier League will finally allow the use of 5 substitutes from the 9 named, just like most of the rest of the football world have been doing for the past couple years. This feature, which is a natural evolution of how substitutes have been used in the professional game since their introduction in 1958 (just 1 at the time; expanded to 3 in 1995), gained prominence during the pandemic, but most leagues wisely decided to keep it for good after FIFA approved it to be more than just a temporary fixture-congestion easement. The Premier League voted it down twice in 2020, and again in 2021, but finally the majority have seen the light.

The league also approved a standard summer transfer window (June 10 — September 1) and removed most of the remaining COVID restrictions including mandatory twice-weekly testing. Only “symptomatic testing” will be conducted as necessary with the league returning to “business-as-usual”. Life finds a way!