Evergrande declared prior to the season that they would field only two foreign players at a time to promote homegrown talent.
But with his side trailing 1-0 at newly promoted Wuhan Zall at half-time on Friday night, Cannavaro brought on English-born former Everton defender Tyias Browning.
That left Evergrande with three foreign players on the pitch in the second half - Browning and the Brazilian midfielders Paulinho and Anderson Talisca.
Evergrande went on to win 3-2 - Talisca and Paulinho both scoring - and the team lie third in the table with a third of the campaign gone.
"Cannavaro broke the inside rules of the club and the appearance of the three players provided a signal that the team needed to win the game at all costs," said the Guangzhou Daily.