Tighter rules imposed to minimise lower league postponements during international breaks have missed the target with more games off than at this time last year, including those featuring the three lowest ranked teams in the EFL.

The League One programme has been ravaged with 16 of the next 24 fixtures off to accommodate national team call-ups.

Five games in League Two are also postponed over the next two weekends, including Port Vale against Northampton, who are ranked 90th and 91st.

It all seems self-defeating with complaints forever swirling around congested fixture lists and at a time when clubs could feast on greater exposure and bigger crowds without Premier League and Championship action.

New criteria were brought in this season enabling clubs to apply for a postponement if they expected at least three players to be on duty for senior, Under-21, Under-20 or Under-19 internationals but only if those players had appeared before the 75th minute in 50 per cent of league games or four of the last five first-team games.

This is more stringent than last season, when the limit was also three players but with the qualification rules applied only upon the U21, U20 and U19 – not the seniors – and if players started in 25 per cent of league games or in three of the last five first-team games.

The League Two match between Northampton and Port Vale, who lie 22nd and 23rd in the table, is one of several postponed in the EFL due to international call-ups

There is a slightly different protocol for goalkeepers, with clubs allowed to request a postponement if both the first and second choice goalkeepers are called up.

League One leaders Bradford City are without two goalkeepers with regular number one Jon McCracken in the Scotland squad and Zac Hadi called up by Iraq U23s but Cameron Dawson, McCracken’s deputy, is available.

Bradford have confirmed their game at Reading will go ahead on Saturday, October 3 but the home game against Barnsley on Saturday has been called off by the visitors, who have Patrick Kelly with Northern Ireland, Tyrese Noslin with Curacao, Jonathan Bland with Wales U21s and Makenzie Kirk with Northern Ireland U21s.

Reading’s opponents Wycombe will also be without their number one ‘keeper Conor Hazard, who is with Northern Ireland.

The prospect of two games against teams with deputies in goal may explain some of the thinking behind Reading boss Leam Richardson’s decision to play on despite three call-ups from his own squad – Charlie Savage for Wales, Andy Rinomhota for Zimbabwe and Jeriel Dorsett for Montserrat.

‘Football is a squad game, and we have confidence in the players available to us, while keeping the fixture in place also helps us avoid adding another game to an already busy schedule,’ said Richardson.

‘It’s better for the supporters too. Saturday afternoon is the ideal time to play football whenever circumstances allow, so we were pleased to keep this one in place.’

It is not one dimensional. Some clubs want to play on for their own reasons and like the idea of a break for different reasons.

Reading will play on despite having international call-ups and could take advantage of their next two opponents missing their first choice goalkeepers

With seven on international duty, five of them first team regulars, it is difficult to see how Luton could be expected to play.

This season’s changes were made with an eye towards the congested schedules and in the hope of keeping more EFL fixtures on where possible.

On a financial level, few clubs in the third tier like to lose Saturday afternoon games which are generally better attended and more lucrative than rearranged evening dates in midweek.

But there is an inevitable balance to strike with all managers under pressure to win and reluctant to take the risk with some of their better players unavailable and possibly making selections and substitution decisions with the qualification rules in mind.

Crawley Town, rock bottom of League Two, are not playing because of call-ups for winger Dion Pereira with Antigua and Barbuda, left-back Jonny Russell with Northern Ireland Under-21s and goalkeeper Nicholas Michalski with England U20s.

Michalski, 19, on loan from Blackburn has been first choice for Crawley since veteran former Arsenal keeper Vito Mannone, 38, was injured in August.

In last year’s September international break eight of the 12 League One fixtures went ahead with a full set in League Two. In the October break last year there were seven of 12 League One games on and only one game off in League Two.

There are different reasons in play. Former Premier League clubs Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday are in League One this season, with bigger academies and appeal for talented youngsters on loan from the top-flight looking for experience.

There is an increase in lower-league players searching out international football via ancestral links.

And, for the first time, this year’s international break is extended to cover two weekends featuring more games and bigger squads.