Question Number: 33939

Law 3 - The Players 5/21/2020

RE: 3 Adult

Pluto of Melbourne, Victoria AU asks...

This question is a follow up to question 30620

IFAB Laws of the game 2019/20 states the following: Law 3 Section 5

If a substitution is made during the half-time interval or before extra time,
the procedure must be completed before the match restarts. If the referee is
not informed, the named substitute may continue to play, no disciplinary
action is taken and the matter is reported to the appropriate authorities

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
You quote a section of Law 3 from the most recent Laws of the Game. It is important to check the current Laws as the original question and answers were correct at that time. That has since changed.
Some referees might believe that the half time substitute that goes unnoticed may need to be cautioned yet the LotG expressly states that no caution is required. I would say that many referees may not bother to report this as there may not be a mechanism to do so nor does it achieve very much