According to UEFA regulations, what situations qualify for match postponement when facing severe weather conditions?
Following reports from various international media outlets, the match between Como 1907, a strong club in Italy's Serie A, hosting the "Red Devils" Manchester United from the English Premier League, faces the possibility of postponement due to extremely severe weather conditions in northern Italy.
Authorities have issued an orange-level weather warning, predicting rainfall exceeding 60 mm before the match starts, raising concerns about the field's suitability for play. However, the home club Como remains confident that tonight's match will proceed as planned.
UEFA's official regulations regarding postponements due to severe weather such as heavy rain, flooding, or thunderstorms provide clear guidelines as follows.
1. Authority to suspend or postpone matches: The definitive decision to cancel, postpone, or abandon a match lies with the referee in conjunction with UEFA match officials, with the referee inspecting the pitch conditions.
Assessment criteria: Decisions are based on player safety and whether the field conditions prevent fair play—such as the ball not bouncing or rolling properly, excessive flooding, or poor visibility due to storms.
2. Rescheduling timeframe: If a match must be postponed, UEFA protocols prioritize playing the match the following day, usually within 24 hours, aiming to keep the original kickoff time or adjust as appropriate.
Regarding interrupted matches, if a game stops mid-way, for example after 30 minutes, play will resume from that exact minute and scoreline—not restarting at 0-0. The lineup, remaining substitutes, and disciplinary cards (yellow/red) will remain as recorded at suspension.
3. Player and lineup conditions: Players on the field at suspension must be the same when the game resumes. Substitution rights remain as recorded before the stoppage. Players sent off cannot return or be replaced. If a player listed on the field lineup is injured before resumption, the team may use remaining substitutions accordingly.
4. If playing the next day is not possible due to ongoing poor weather or travel and safety constraints, UEFA will schedule a new match date at the earliest opportunity in consultation with both clubs and broadcast rights holders.