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Blackburn put case to EFL
at 19:29 21 Sep 2025

It is the EFL Board who decides on what option to take.
FA Regulations:
The Football Association (FA) has general rules for abandoned matches, but specific league rules (EFL in this case) take precedence.

There is no hard and fast rule regarding abandoned games, each is judged on its own merits.
In the English Football League, when a match is abandoned, the decision for what happens next is made by the English Football League (EFL) Board, which can order the game to be replayed in full or in part, or even count as a completed fixture depending on the circumstances and competition rules. The referee's decision to abandon the match is final, with the referee consulting team managers before making the call. The FA provides general rules for match abandonments, but specific league rules, like those in the EFL, take precedence for the leagues they govern.

Referee's decision:
The referee has the authority to abandon a match for reasons such as unsafe playing conditions, serious injury, or other significant events. The decision is final and made after consulting with team managers.

Governing body's role:
The English Football League (EFL) will review the abandoned match and decide its outcome.

Possible outcomes:
The EFL Board has several options:

Replay: The match may be replayed in full or in part on terms determined by the EFL Board.

Completed fixture: The match might be allowed to stand as a completed fixture, even if it fell short of the full 90 minutes.

FA Regulations:
The Football Association (FA) has general rules for abandoned matches, but specific league rules take precedence.

Consultation:
It is important for everyone involved to understand the relevant rules so they can work with the match officials to resolve the situation.

When considering a decision to declare the match as 'completed', the general guide for how many minutes must have been played has, for many years, been 75 minutes; but that is not the only criteria taken into consideration.
All factual circumstances should be carefully considered, each one individually, then as a whole.
Rovers had a 1-0 lead with 10+ minutes remaining.
Ipswich had been reduced to ten players from the 49th minute.
The importance and/or impact of any decision on League positions at this stage in the season.
The Logistics involved if a part or full replay is ordered.

It is extremely unlikely that Rovers will be awarded the win, but many stranger things have happened when matches were abandoned in the past. The most interesting, astonishing, and comprehensive article can be found at
https://www.footballsite.co.uk/DYK/DYK01-AbandonedMatches.htm
Plenty of 'I don't believe it!' situations covered in full.

Seven matches that had a declared winner are included, along with the six PL games that were all forced to be replayed, even with one team ahead. Also, Altrincham were once winning 2-0 after 83 minutes when their game was abandoned; they insisted the result should stand, but a replay was ordered, fortunately they won that 2-0 with the same two players scoring their goals.

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