Calling a Game Off

[markrwms]

With the grim weather truly arrived, I would welcome people's views on what factors they would consider when deciding whether or not a pitch is fit for play

Logically, safety is the main consideration. As a result, a rock-hard frozen pitch (particularly one that's cut up) is clearly unplayable.

But what about rain-affected? I always believed standing water which stopped the movement of the ball rendered the pitch unfit, but others disagree.

Can anybody give me some pointers, please?

 

[SM]

Surface water and mud patches as you stated would be my considerations. Having once injured myself running through deep mud I am pretty hot on that one regardless of a teams pleas to play the game. If they want to play bog football, there is an actual tournament they can join somewhere!

The other thing is weather forecast. If the pitch is already borderline and more rain is forecast.... Been caught with that once also

 

[MattyontheWhistle]

Yup safety first although we never get frozen pitches here thankfully.

As for standing water, firstly, can I clearly see the pitch markings? Also, with safety in mind, if it slows the ball significantly would it become a danger when players are challenging for the ball? So, players going for the ball which stops a couple of feet short of where it should be.

Is it likely to affect the outcome of the game? For example, puddles in the goalmouth stopping the ball from crossing the line, although in this case I'd be surprised if you could see the goal line so above point counts.

As a player, we have had a ref cancel because of standing water on the pitch, and not seeing the markings, but both teams agreed to play a friendly instead and the ref was happy to ref that.

 

[svenny76]

Would you ever consider calling off because of the wind? With no surrounding trees or anything else that could endanger players???

My game yesterday was a nightmare the ball was travelling 60 yards up the pitch from GK's and blowing all the way back to the penalty area. Players were running around like headless chickens with heads up in the air following the ball and running into one n other, resulting in one clash needing a player to go to hospital with possible concussion

 

[Xman]

Reasons to call a game off when it comes to water on the pitch:

1. Not Safe for players
2. Hard/Impossible to distinguish field markings due to lying water.

As for the first point, if there are areas of the pitch where the ball will completely stop in the water and there is no means of having it drained for the game, the surface is unsafe to players due to the severe unpredictability of how the ball will run/bounce, causing potentially dangerous circumstances where players can run into each other/ twist their legs or ankles with unexpected turns. This situation must also have you consider the softness of the pitch as already mentioned. A pitch where you can substantially submerge your foot is not a suitably solid base to be playing on and can cause serious injury.

Obviously for the second point, the lack of distinguishable markings makes it impossible for you to referee. On plenty occasions you could let the game go ahead if the pitch is muddy and part of the touchline or halfway line/centre circle is obscured, this isn't too much of a big deal. But you draw the line when there is a disintegrated goal line or massive parts of field markings are missing.

You're always going to get into difficult situations with managers etc. when a game looks dodgy, you just need to be frank with them and not let them persuade you with any of their sh*t basically. Hope this helps.

 

[SM]

I called my game off yesterday after 30 mins due to the wind - I would have abandoned after 10 minutes but the teams wanted to carry on. It was a game played in one corner of the pitch, anything in the air was being blown around like a balloon and with controlling the ball being very tricky players were starting to dive in. As soon as the wind really picked up and the ball wouldn't stay still for a goal kick I called it before someone got hurt. The pitch itself was in pretty good condition considering.

The home team should have asked for an early pitch inspection and had the match postponed. On arrival I watched a couple of players kick a ball around and while anything in the air was not great, ball on the floor was fine. I warned both teams that if conditions worsened I would abandon, both teams wanted to play. Once the match was under way, the wind picked up like forecast, match abandoned.

 

[matty639]

I had very similar yesterday but managed to finish the game. Was only the last ten minutes that I started to think about finishing it early which I'm sure would have gone down like a lead balloon. Couple of times near the end some clearances into the wind didn't really go anywhere because they just when up and landed near where they started.

I have had to call one off for wind before, ball wouldn't even stay still for goal/free kicks, was crazy. Only other abandonment was for rain, for the same as discussed the ball was stopping causing loads of issues.

 

[MattyontheWhistle]

THe wind is always a diffilcult one to call. I had a game last season, at a field known for being a 'bit breazy' at the best of times (park is laid out about half a mile from the beach and is unprotected from sea breeze).

It wasn't too much of a problem, both teams were pretty decent sides and played it on the ground anyway. The problems came win the last ten minutes. Home side were leading by a goal, and, instead of hoofing it miles out of play to waste time, they just hoofed it in the air.

Now, I don't have a problem having words with players who are obviously clearing the ball miles away to run the clock down. But, when they aren't even aiming out of play how can you 'police' it? One defender, when the ball rolled through to him, in acres of space flicked it up with his toe and volleyed it high as he could upfield, knowing the wind would take it a good couple of hundred meters over the car park.

Wouldn't usually be a problem, as we have three match balls, but the other two were over there already!

 

[jojo]

park is laid out about half a mile from the beach and is unprotected from sea breeze

Wish I could have the same problem, on a pitch which is half a mile from a beach with a sea breeze! *inserts a funny joke about current pitches because can't think of one*! That really does sound awful!