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Some of the changes seem to be weird while some will genuinely resolve some issues, how do you rate these changes?
The 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament is fast approaching and there are some changes that have already been discussed and they will come into play when the competition begins.
Some of the changes seem to be weird while some look to genuinely help solve a puzzle that has been there for long.
1. Substitutes
The previous rule has allowed only 3 substitutes to come on for every team, but since the pandemic a maximum of five substitutes was introduced.
READ: New offside technology to be used at Qatar World Cup
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This rule usually helps coaches to have freedom on who to bring on to the pitch as compared to when substitutes used to be three which means you had to gamble as a coach.
This year’s World Cup will have a maximum of five substitutes and in case of extra time there will be an additional substitute. The 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup will be the first-ever tournament to have five subs on the bench.
2. Referees
During this year’s World Cup, there will be a total of 36 referees and we will be seeing women referees for the first time in a World Cup competition.
Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda, Yoshimi Yamashita from Japan and Stephanie Frappart from France are the lucky women to have been given the opportunity to officiate the matches on the big stage.
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READ: 15 things to know about women to referee at World Cup, Africa represented
Three female referees will also join them and this is just a rare occasion that will be happening in a men’s World Cup for the very first time.
3. Squad
World Cup squads normally comprise of 23. For this year’s tournament, coaches will be required to name a 26-man squad from which they will use for the whole tournament.
Having 26 players in each squad will be similar to the Euro 2020 when the pandemic first struck. 23 players out of the 26 will appear in matchday squads, leaving out the extra three players.
This policy will allow coaches room to choose a variety of quality players bearing in mind that they could be the ones bringing to their home countries the precious golden trophy.
READ: Details of the 8 stadiums to be used during FIFA World Cup 2022
Some coaches, however, have raised concerns that it will be difficult to manage the bigger squads.
The 2022 World Cup timing could have caused some of the changes and also the Covid-19 pandemic but then how do you rate these changes?
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