FOOTBALL teams will be allowed to make no fewer than five substitutions in a game when play restarts following the coronavirus pandemic after the International Football Association Board (IFAB) approved a temporary rule change.

When a microbiology lab in Sweden was about to run out of swabs for coronavirus test kits, some folks there realized they had many chlamydia swabs in stock. The lab tried using those swabs instead. The substitute swabs worked. Does anyone have other examples of successful substitutions for important equipment and supplies (including clothing and personal protective equipment, PPE) needed for anything related to responding to the pandemic OR that could be applied to responding to the pandemic? The lab bought thousands more chlamydia test swabs and is trying to spread the word about this effective substitute (link to Swedish article). I am looking for other examples of ingenuity and resourcefulness in these challenging times. It would be awesome if you have a source for your example but is totally fine if you do not.

Teams will be allowed up to five substitutions per match, instead of the usual three, as a temporary measure to help cope with potential fixture congestion in the aftermath of the novel coronavirus outbreak, FIFA said Friday.

Teams could be allowed to make as many as five substitutions during matches when football returns, as part of a new proposal put forward by Fifa.

Teams could be allowed to make up to five substitutions when football resumes after the game's law-making body approved the Fifa proposal.

IFAB, who govern the laws of the game, have said that teams will still only have three opportunities to make substitutions to avoid time wasting. Unused subs are carried forward into extra-time.

Rizzoli, the Italian official who took charge of the 2014 World Cup final and is now a referee designator for Serie A, said one change could be five subs instead of the usual three.

International Football Association Board, working with FIFA, are looking to increase the number of substitutions for the teams to deal with the likely fixture congestion after football restarts.

FIFA also said that competitions currently using the video replay system (VAR) would be free to discontinue its use on restarting.

The change in the rules will be allowed in all competitions which are due to finish by the end of this year and it will be up to individual competition organisers whether to implement it.

The change in the rules will be allowed in all competitions which are due to finish by the end of this year and it will be up to individual competition organisers whether to implement it.