Season may finish in July

A regulation to determine the final standings is to be developed within the next two weeks for the eventuality that future developments mean it is no longer possible to continue match operations and the season has to be abandoned prematurely. After this topic was discussed extensively yesterday, Wednesday, at the respective sub-meetings of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, the topic was not discussed in depth at the DFL Extraordinary Assembly.

Furthermore, the DFL Extraordinary Assembly decided to integrate the medical-organisational concept developed under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Tim Meyer from the "Sports Medicine / Special Match Operations Task Force" as well as the "Information Manual on Diagnosis and Monitoring for Training and Match Operations in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2" as appendices in the DFL's match regulation. The concept and the information manual are now legally binding for all clubs.

With regard to match operations in the current 2019/20 season, the clubs have additionally decided to increase the number of substitutions that can be made in each match to five players per team. The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which is responsible for the rules of the game, had recently opened up this possibility. From now on, each club will have a total of three opportunities to substitute players during a game, including the half-time break. If there is extra-time in the second leg of the relegation play-offs, both teams are given a fourth opportunity to change players, which they can use in the interval between normal time and extra-time or in the half-time period of extra time. The DFL's 'Football Commission' recommends that a maximum of two players be substituted at the same time.

In addition, further amendments to the league statutes were adopted. Among other things, the DFL Executive Committee may determine the end of the season for the 2019/20 campaign – possibly by way of derogation from the usual end of the season on 30 June – and the beginning of the season for the 2020/21 campaign, in accordance with the specifications of FIFA and the DFB. Furthermore, the DFL Executive Committee may, within the framework of FIFA's specifications, change the periods of transfer windows I and II for national and international transfers during the 2020/21 season.

Furthermore, during the remainder of the 2019/20 season, there is the possibility that a match may be played in another stadium at short-notice for overriding or compelling legal, organisational and/or security reasons. The background to this is that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic could also lead to the development of a regional or local infection, which might make it impossible to hold a match at the intended venue at short-notice, whereas it is possible to play at another venue.