Adverse weather
27 Nov 2011

Now that the temperature is dropping it is likely that we will have some frozen pitches at some stage. These are the guidelines that all teams must follow when there is any doubt about whether the pitch is suitable to play on. Please can all Clubs forward this to their managers:-

First of all, safety of the players is paramount and we would never expect a team to play on a dangerous pitch.

I have listed below the only circumstances when a postponement will be approved by the League:-

1/ It is often the Council that postpone games due to unfit pitches and this happens it will be usually on a Thursday or Friday that the information comes through.

2/ The appointed Referee inspects the pitch on the morning of the game and agrees to postpone by submitting the League confirmation by e-mail.

3/ For some private pitches there is a groundsman that will make the decision as he is responsible for the maintenance of the facility.

4/ A local FA registered Referee inspects the pitch on behalf of the home club and sends an email report to the League confirming that the pitch is not playable. This could be useful if the appointed Referee has some distance to travel.

5/ In periods of extreme bad weather, the League Referees Secretary (IE me) may send an email to clubs authorising a postponement without requiring a pitch inspection. This will be usually when there is an obvious snow covering on the ground or a really hard frost that has no chance of thawing.

Postponement decisions cannot be made by home or away managers, coaches, fixture secretaries etc. If a club postpones a game outside the above guidelines it will be referred to the Disciplinary Committee.

What to do once the pitch is confirmed as unplayable:-

Clubs must immediately contact their opponents BEFORE DOING ANYTHING ELSE to check whether the game can be switched to their pitch. This must be attempted for all postponements. Even if you have played away already during the season you will be expected to do so again if your opponents have a suitable pitch. The kick off time for such a switch must be the same as that originally scheduled so as not to inconvenience the plans of families for that that weekend. If a switch of venue is offered but not accepted the Disciplinary Committee have the power to award the game. If a switch is agreed it is important to inform the Referee immediately so he knows where the game is being played. If the referee cannot travel to the new venue please contact me and arrange for an alternative.

If the switch of venue is agreed, the original home team is still responsible for all administrative duties such as match card and result reporting.

If a switch of venue cannot be agreed then inform the Referee and the League that the game is postponed. We need to know the reason for the postponement and who made the decision. The away team must also report to me that the game is postponed and that they have no suitable pitch available either.

It is at this stage that you can inform your players that the game is off. Please do not do this until your opponents have confirmed that they have no pitch!

Frozen Pitches:-

When there has been a frost it is often the case that the sun is out and may defrost the pitch by kick off time. It is important therefore not to postpone the game too soon. If you call a game off at 8.00AM and by 10.30 it is thawed out and fit to play on we will have a problem. Clubs must delay the kick off time if there is any chance that the game could take place. We would expect teams to be reasonable and delay kick off for 45 minutes to attempt to get the game played. This could have a knock on affect for subsequent games but FA Rules are only interested in the game in question and whether guidelines have been followed.

If a team is going to travel a long way IE 20 or 30 miles it would be a good idea to inspect the pitch early to try and avoid unnecessary journeys. But the above guidelines on postponements must still be followed.

If in doubt about whether to postpone a game all not, always call me and ask for advice. If you follow my advice then you will not have a problem.

Paul Lyon.

League Fixtures & Referees Secretary,

15 Bertie Road,

Cumnor.

Oxford.

OX2 9PS.

Tel 01865 864620.

Mobile 07876 682501.