WSL Launches Investigation Into Crystal Palace Over Substitution Mix-Up

The Women's Super League is looking into Crystal Palace after the club made four substitutions in Sunday's 1-0 win over Everton, one more than the rules allow.

Palace, who were playing their first ever WSL match after promotion, beat Everton thanks to a goal from new signing Lexi Lloyd-Smith in the 34th minute. But the win has been overshadowed by a rule breach that the league is now looking into.

WSL rules allow teams three substitution windows per game. Palace used theirs in the 62nd, 83rd, and 90th minutes. Then, deep into 13 minutes of added time, manager Jo Potter sent on Kirsty Howat in the 97th minute, a fourth window that shouldn't have happened.

In a statement, the league confirmed that Palace "breached" the substitution rules during the match.

There's no set punishment lined up yet. If the case goes to an independent tribunal, Palace could be hit with a points deduction or even told to replay the fixture. On the other hand, if the mistake turns out to be down to the officials rather than the club, Palace might not face any punishment at all.

According to ESPN, the match officials involved in the game will be left out of the next round of fixtures while the investigation continues. Pro Ref, the body formerly known as PGMOL, is working alongside both clubs to figure out what went wrong.

The referee for the match, Megan Wilson, has been part of the WSL officiating setup since 2023. She has taken charge of more than 45 matches across the top two divisions and cup competitions.