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German fourth-tier club Astoria Walldorf made history on Tuesday when Benjamin Hofmann became the first player in one of the leading football nations to come on as a fourth substitute. The moment came in extra time of the south German club's penalty shootout defeat to 2. Bundesliga side Arminia Bielefeld in the DFB Pokal. In December, the German FA (DFB) announced that clubs in the competition would be able to make a fourth substitution in extra time as part of an ongoing pilot of a proposed change to the laws. "I think it's a good idea. If something happens in extra time, a player gets injured for instance, it has an influence on the match if you have already made three changes," European Club Association chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told Sport Bild. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) is currently discussing the initiative. Last March, it approved an additional substitute in extra time in matches played in the Rio Olympics. A fourth substitution will also be allowed to be made in the FA Cup from the quarterfinals onwards.
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