The English Football League (EFL) has ruled that Blackburn Rovers’ Championship game against Ipswich Town will be replayed in full.
Heavy rain caused the game to be abandoned by the referee 11 minutes from full-time, with Rovers leading 1-0 against the 10-men of Ipswich.
The EFL said the decision follows “precedents relating to abandoned fixtures” and they took the action “to uphold the integrity of the league competition”.
Rovers boss Valerien Ismael said awarding his side the three points would be “fairest thing to do”.
A 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.
A decision on the outcome on the game at Ewood Park is likely to be made by the end of this week, following an EFL board meeting.
In a statement the EFL said both clubs have until 16:00 BST on Wednesday to make any final representations to the league.
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?
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 because of 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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