The clubs had been consulted on several subjects for several weeks. The verdict is in.
As expected, BGL Ligue clubs will see their routine change drastically next season, in terms of match sheets: they won their case in their request to increase the number of players present on the benches at 18, which will now allow them to make 5 changes per encounter like the rest of the planet, whereas they were currently stuck at 16 players and 3 changes.
This change, which concerns only them, the elite clubs saw it pass by an overwhelming majority of almost 88% of all votes cast. But the PH, the lower and ladies divisions remain at sixteen on the match sheets but see their capacity for change increased to four players.
Big success also for the measure aimed at allowing five elements (instead of three currently) who played in their club’s first team the previous week, to be returned to reserve if necessary. Nearly 92% of clubs indicated their agreement with this modification.
Only one proposal, on the other hand, was rejected because it did not reach the minimum of two thirds (66%) required: while the clubs of the lower divisions were openly campaigning to obtain a new key for the distribution of votes between the clubs, so that their opinion is better taken into account during the votes, the BGL Ligue and its sixteen entities have of course blocked them in order to preserve their room for manoeuvre. This measure obtains “only” 60% of the votes.
Julien Mollereau