that is a very good question as some are ahead and behind time wise. Maybe that is why point 8 has always been available for late submissions.
"8. I'm accepting late entries until 72 hours (February special) after the end of the submission period. In order to submit late, first publish your game to itch, and then send me the link, either on Discord or in the Community tab. Uploads will also be unlocked, so if you have a bug fix to publish, do it during this time!"