Industry Shorts: Fifa, W Series, UFC

FIFA has announced it will temporarily allow football teams to make up to five substitutes if competition is resumed after the coronavirus lockdown.

In a bid to safeguard player welfare, the governing body says that clubs who are taking part in competitions which are scheduled to be completed by 31st December 2020 will be able to make the extra substitutions to give players extra rest. 

However, FIFA has also specified that clubs will only have three opportunities per game to make subs, as it looks to to avoid added disruption during games.

The W Series has launched a new esports series for female drivers.

The series has partnered with Logitech G, tournament hosting organisation Beyond Entertainment, and esports simulation platform iRacing to create the W Series Esports League, which will take place in the absence of on-track racing.

The W Series says the new initiative aims to publicise, promote and empower a shared commitment to raising female sim racing visibility in order to encourage more women and girls everywhere to take up eracing.

UFC and Chiliz have announced a new global partnership.

The MMA promotion will use the fintech company’s blockchain-based fan engagement platform Socios.com which will allow fans to interact with athletes, while the partnership will also enable UFC to capitalise on Chiliz’ fintech expertise.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has extended its Star Creation Programme, an initiative designed to help grow both the global popularity of badminton players and of badminton as a sport.

The project has seen the BWF partner digital and social consultancy agency Seven League, and has given five players a number of social media best practices in a bid to grow their online presence and benefit the sport as a whole.

The federation says a the programme will be extended with a new batch of players, while advanced interview and media training tips will also help prepare athletes for major tournaments like the Olympic Games.