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Heavy rain caused Blackburn Rovers' home game against Ipswich Town to be abandoned by the referee 10 minutes from full time at the weekend, as the rain-soaked pitch at Ewood Park visibly affected the movement of the ball. So what happens now?
A football match can only be postponed or abandoned with the approval of the referee, authorities, or by the order of the police.
Premier League and English Football League (EFL) rules state that if a match is postponed before kick-off, the fixture will be re-arranged.
However, if a Premier League or EFL game is abandoned after kick-off, but before 90 minutes has been played, the fixture will either be:
Counted as a completed match, with the points awarded based on the time of the abandonment
Replayed partially or in its entirety
The Premier League and EFL boards decide the outcome based on the score at time of the abandonment, the number of minutes played, and the cause of the abandonment, and whether the club or its supporters were at fault.
Image source, Getty Images
Blackburn Rovers v Ipswich Town was abandoned in the 80th minute due to an unplayable pitch in September 2025
When can a referee abandon a match?
According to the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the group responsible for determining the laws of the game, a referee can abandon a match if:
The floodlights are inadequate
An object thrown by a spectator hits a player, official or team official
Unauthorised persons enter the field of play
The crossbar is broken and cannot be repaired
The safety of players, or supporters cannot be guaranteed
The surface on the pitch is deemed unplayable
A team does not have a minimum of seven players on the pitch
Former Premier League referee, Mike Riley said: "A referee has to consider whether the playing conditions threaten the wellbeing of the players and whether they compromise the match as a spectacle for the fans."
When have matches been abandoned?
Blackburn were 1-0 up against 10-man Ipswich in the Championship when the referee abandoned the game in the 80th minute due to an unplayable surface.
Todd Cantwell's goal was expunged from the records, but Jacob Greaves was given a one-match suspension for his red card.
West Bromwich Albion were awarded a 3-0 win against Sheffield United in 2002 when the Blades had three players sent off, and two players went off injured who could not be replaced.
It remains the only time a match has been abandoned in professional English football due to a shortage of players.
In 2023, Luton Town's Premier League match at Bournemouth was abandoned after their captain Tom Lockyer collapsed on the pitch in the 59th minute.
The match was rescheduled later in the season following discussions between "match officials, players, managers from both clubs and the Premier League".
In 2016, Manchester United's final game of the season against Bournemouth was postponed and re-arranged after a dummy bomb used in a security exercise was found at Old Trafford.
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