Germany to allow fourth sub in extra time of DFB Pokal

The German Football Association (DFB) announced on Friday that teams competing in the men’s and women’s DFB Pokal will be allowed a fourth substitute if a match goes to extra time. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has agreed to allow the DFB to take part in the pilot program.

The move begins with the next round of games. For the men, this will start in February with the Round of 16. For the women, it begins with this weekend’s Round of 16. It also will be in effect for the entirety of the 2017-18 tournaments.

”I’m pleased that women’s football clubs have also been confronted with this decision,” said Margit Stoppa, organizer of the women’s DFB Cup. “We are ready to test using a fourth substitute for the first time throughout the competition this year.”

The implementation of the rule is very simple. If a DFB Pokal match goes into extra time, each team will get a fourth substitute to use at their disposal.

”We are pleased that the clubs have seen the sporting advantage of this rule and accepted the change mid-way through the competition. We’re taking the welfare of the players into account, and managers now have another way they can help their players,” DFB Vice President Peter Frymuth said. “Taking part in the pilot scheme will allow us to see how the introduction of a fourth substitute could be advantageous in the long term, but it’s also possible that we could see how it could negatively affect the competition.”