Last month, the IFAB Concussion Expert Group recommended extra substitutions for concussed players be trialed, having discussed "additional permanent substitution" protocols, timelines for trials and potential test environments.

In a videoconference meeting chaired by IFAB director and Football Association of Wales chief executive Jonathan Ford, the Football and Technical Advisory Panels agreed that trials should start as soon as possible.

The Panels suggested that IFAB approve the proposals at its upcoming Annual Business Meeting on December 16, when it will also set the agenda for its Annual General Meeting on March 6. 

A five-substitute option is currently in use around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with this set to remain in place as the global health crisis continues. 

Football is coming under increasing pressure to do more to protect players from head injuries, with UEFA earlier this year approving guidelines to limit heading in youth football to mirror US Soccer regulations.

A Glasgow University study into dementia and football found former players were more than three times more likely to die of the disease than the general public, and high-profile players including Alan Shearer - the English Premier League's all-time leading scorer - have discussed their concerns over the sport's relationship with head injuries.

Concussion substitutions already exist in sports ranging from rugby union to cricket.

While clearly a positive in terms of player welfare, there is some concern that a system allowing concussion replacements could be manipulated to allow teams to make additional tactical changes under the guise of a concussion replacement.

During the videoconference, the Football and Technical Advisory Panels also requested more clarification on the handball law. 

They claimed the interpretation of handball incidents have not always been consistent, despite the revised wording to the law for 2019-2020. 

It was re-emphasised that the final judgment remains with the referee and not every touch of a player's hand or arm with the ball is an offence.

In terms of the definition of the term "unnaturally bigger", referees should judge the position of the hand or arm in relation to the player's movement in that phase of play, it was ruled.

The Football and Technical Advisory Panels also discussed potential options to be explored around the offside law and making football more dynamic. 

It was agreed that any proposal would need to be applicable at all levels of the game and easy to apply for the match officials, and mindful of the dynamic nature of players' movement. 

It was also agreed that extensive trials would be necessary before a law change could be proposed.

The Panels were then updated on the latest developments with Video Assistant Referees (VAR).

This discussion focused on future innovations that could include more affordable VAR systems, to allow competition organisers with limited budgets to be able to access and use VAR technology.

IFAB acts as a guardian of the Laws of the Game - football's rules.