Players vote for fourth substitution in FIFPro survey

BERNE (Reuters) - Players have voted in favour of allowing a fourth substitution in matches in a survey conducted by the World Players' Union FIFPro. Football's law-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), rejected a proposal in February to allow a fourth substitution in extra time, instead referring it back for further analysis to an advisory panel. However, FIFPro, which is represented on the IFAB advisory panel which met in London on Monday, said that 84 percent of the players who took part in its survey wanted the fourth substitution to be allowed at some point in a game. "The response to our survey is overwhelming; whether only applied to extra time or during the regulation 90 minutes, professional footballers worldwide surveyed by FIFPro see a need to add a fourth substitute," said secretary general Theo van Seggelen. "It's a position that will challenge traditional views, but the players have one of the most important roles in this debate. "Our research is representative of players on all continents and they have clearly shown a preference for the game to evolve and show greater flexibility, especially during matches that go to extra time." FIFPro said 244 players from 27 countries took part in the survey and 39 (16 percent) said they were totally against a fourth substitution while 205 (84 percent) were in favour. Of those 205 players in favour, 119 said they would like a fourth substitute to be allowed in extra time and 86 players wanted the fourth substitute to be permitted during the 90 minutes. (Writing by Brian Homewood in Berne; editing by Toby Davis)