Crystal Palace trigger WSL investigation after using four substitution windows against Everton

Crystal Palace are under investigation by the Women’s Super League after using four substitution windows during their 1-0 victory over Everton on the opening weekend of the season, breaching a regulation that limits teams to three windows per match.

Manager Jo Potter sent on Kirsty Howat in the seventh minute of stoppage time, despite Palace having already made changes in the 62nd, 83rd and 90th minutes. The issue is not the total number of substitutes used but the number of separate windows — a distinction that caught the club out and left the league in uncharted territory.

The WSL has confirmed an investigation involving both clubs and referee body Pro Ref, formerly PGMOL. Referee Megan Wilson and other match officials have reportedly been stood down from the next round of fixtures.

There is no automatic punishment for the offence because there is no established precedent in English league football. Palace could be referred to an independent tribunal, which holds the power to issue anything from a warning or fine to a points deduction or other sporting sanction. A fine is considered the most likely outcome, particularly given that Palace were already leading when the additional window was opened, though the case will test how seriously the WSL treats regulatory breaches and how responsibility is apportioned between clubs and officials.

The incident is the latest in a series of administrative and rulebook errors to trouble the WSL in recent seasons. In January, West Ham’s Estelle Cascarino was denied her debut against Chelsea after arriving with an earring she could not remove. The France international had covered the piercing with tape, but FA rules require jewellery to be physically removed — taping is not an accepted alternative. West Ham head coach Rita Guarino expressed frustration at the situation, noting that Cascarino had previously played in the Champions League with the earring taped under the same arrangement without issue.