Premier League postponement rules and what referees must do amid UK snow and ice warnings

Although postponements of Premier League fixtures because of the weather have been rare in recent seasons, football's governing body has a specific set of rules and regulations clubs must follow. Several games in the EFL and in Non-League have been impacted by the severe weather in the last 24 hours and the UK Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice, though as of yet, no top flight games have been postponed.

Nonetheless, if the weather does pose a risk, then clubs have to follow strict procedures regarding contact with the match referees and the early inspection of pitches. The responsibility falls upon the match official to decide whether a pitch is safe and suitable to play on.

The two main considerations an official has to take into account when conducting a pitch inspection are player safety and the match as a spectacle. The referee has to decide whether the playing conditions are a threat to the player's wellbeing, and whether the conditions compromise the match as a spectacle for supporters.

If there is the slightest indication that a match will be adversley affected by the weather, clubs are advised to contact the match referee at least 48 hours ahead of kick-off to warn of poor conditions. In the top-flight, a pitch inspection will take place early on a matchday to limit the impact on travelling supporters and save them wasted journeys.

The referee will first speak to the head of ground staff at the home club given they're in the best position to understand how the pitch responds in wintery conditions and whether the pitch is at risk of deteriorating.

The official will then conduct a pitch inspection in their match boots, with a thorough examination of the playing surface using a match ball, checking every area possible to see if the surface responds as it should.

If there are doubts about the pitch, the referee will speak with the ground staff to see if there's a solution to the problem.

However, it is not always possible to predict the weather conditions or what the temperature will be during a match, so an official may have to abandon the game midway through. If that is the case, and the weather deteriorates during a match to the point where the referee can no longer guarantee the safety of the players or is concerned about the match as a spectacle, they will discuss this with the Premier League Match Manager.

They, in turn, will liaise directly with the Premier League Match Centre, who will inform fans as quickly as possible via the Premier League's digital channels and announcements by major broadcasters.

There are also possibilities that a match may be postponed for issues out of the referee's hands entirely. It's often the case that a ground's safety officer may have concerns about guaranteeing the safety of supporters in the ground, or the Safety Advisory Group, who may deem the conditions around or near to the ground to be dangerous upon the advice of the police.

A recent example of that was the postponement of the The Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool on 7 December 2024. A statement published by Everton said: "Following a Safety Advisory Group meeting at Goodison Park, attended by officials from both clubs, as well as representatives from Merseyside Police and Liverpool City Council this morning, it was decided that, due to the risk to safety in the local area due to strong wind gusts, and an amber severe wind warning that remains in place until 06:00 on Sunday, today's fixture should be postponed on safety grounds."

A postponement is never taken lightly and is often the last resort.