Abandoning Matches

Modified on Mon, 25 Apr, 2022 at 3:09 PM


Matches are abandoned for a number of reasons, the main ones being, floodlight failure/power cut, adverse weather (including fog), serious injury and public/player disorder. Prior to reaching a decision, the Referee must consider the following: 

Power failure

  • Discuss with the Home Club to determine the extent of damage or downtime

Adverse weather

  • The possibility of an improvement, use of the local forecast/weather centre is advised
  • If possible, players should be taken off the field of play until such time a final decision is made as to whether to continue or abandon
  • The safety of players and spectators is paramount

Serious Injury or Incident

  • The extent and seriousness of the injury/incident
  • The feelings of both sets of players and management
  • The length of any delay

Public / Player disorder

  • The degree of disorder, either crowd or player
  • The safety of the players and/or spectators prior to any possible re-start

Under all these circumstances the Referee’s decision is final, therefore it is vital that he considers all factors prior to abandoning a match. Consultation and communication are key factors.

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