Changes implemented for PKO Ekstraklasa 2020/21

The 2020/21 season is often described as ‘transitional’ and its delayed start means that each Polish team will play only 30 games. Although Ekstraklasa fans have gotten used to midweek clashes, the upcoming campaign will significantly limit the number of matches played between Tuesday and Thursday as these days have been reserved for Fortuna Polish Cup and European competition.

IFAB – the organisation responsible for the creation and novelisation of football rules – has decided to extend the recently implemented rule of 5 substitutions per game. In addition, the regulation saying that there can be a maximum of 3 breaks per match for substitutions (apart from halftime) has also been implemented permanently for the foreseeable future. Although Ekstraklasa hasn’t adopted these rules at the finish of the previous season, they will be implementing the changes for the upcoming campaign on the top three football tiers.

In addition, it’s been confirmed that the 2020/21 season is the last campaign which will be composed of 16 teams. Starting from the following season, 2 additional teams will be a part of the top tier competition. As a result, at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, only one club will be relegated, and the best three teams from the lower tier will be promoted to Ekstraklasa.

Summary of changes for season 2020/21:

• 30 rounds, only two of them scheduled for midweek;
• 5 substitutions per game (up to three additional breaks allowed for substitutions);
• only one team is going to be relegated;
• three lower-tier teams are going to get promoted to Ekstraklasa;

The start of the season is scheduled for Friday, August 21^st, whereas the last match is going to be played on May 16^th, 2021.