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From too many substitution windows to an earring issue and an awkward sock clash, the WSL has faced its share of rulebook problems in recent seasons.

The Women's Super League has been left dealing with an unusual problem after Crystal Palace used four substitution windows during their 1-0 victory over Everton on the opening weekend.

The Eagles broke a regulation that restricts teams to three substitution windows per match, with Kirsty Howat sent on in the seventh minute of stoppage time even though Palace had already used up their permitted allocation.

It is the latest in a series of avoidable rulebook and administrative mistakes to affect the WSL in recent seasons.

Palace made changes in the 62nd, 83rd and 90th minutes before manager Jo Potter introduced Howat in the seventh of eight added minutes.

The problem is not the total number of substitutes Palace used, but the number of separate windows in which those substitutions were made. The WSL regulations, like those in the Premier League, allow a maximum of three substitution windows per team in a match.

The league has confirmed an investigation involving both clubs and refereeing body Pro Ref, formerly PGMOL. Match officials, including referee Megan Wilson, have reportedly been stood down from the next round of fixtures.

There is no automatic punishment for breaking the substitution rule because there is no precedent. Palace could be referred to an independent tribunal, which has the authority to impose anything from a warning or fine to a points deduction or another sporting sanction.

The incident is unusual enough to place it in uncharted territory for English league football.

While there have been cases of teams using too many substitutes in cup competitions, there is no recent precedent for a side using too many substitution windows in a league match.

A fine may ultimately be the most likely outcome, especially given that Palace were already 1-0 ahead when the extra change was made. But this will be an interesting test of how seriously the WSL treats breaches of its regulations and how much responsibility lies with clubs as opposed to match officials.

It is not the first time a relatively simple rule has caught out a WSL club.

In January, after completing a transfer from Juventus, West Ham's Estelle Cascarino was denied her debut against Chelsea because she was wearing an earring that could not be removed.

The France international had covered the piercing with tape, but FA rules are clear that jewellery must be removed, and taping it is not allowed as an alternative.

West Ham manager Rita Guarino was left frustrated after learning Cascarino could not come onto the pitch, particularly as the defender had previously played in the Champions League with the earring taped over.

Former England midfielder Fara Williams described it as a "schoolgirl error", while former Wales defender Nia Jones called the episode an "absolute circus".

West Ham eventually lost 5-0, making the earring an unfortunate footnote to a difficult afternoon.

Then there was the infamous sock-clash issue in March 2024.

Arsenal's white socks were judged too similar to Chelsea's, forcing the visitors to find an alternative after they had already arrived at Stamford Bridge. With no suitable spare kit immediately available, an Arsenal official bought black socks from the Chelsea club shop and taped over the Blues logo.

Kick-off was delayed by 30 minutes for a match watched by what was then a record Chelsea Women's home crowd of 32,970.

Former England midfielder Karen Carney called the situation "embarrassing", while Emma Hayes said she was "gutted" for Arsenal's kit man.

Although none of the previous incidents altered the outcome of a match, they underline the continuing need for greater professionalism in these moments across the league.

However, Palace's rule breach could be judged to have had a direct effect on the result. The Eagles must now wait to discover what consequences follow the latest WSL rulebook headache.