If a Premier League match is called off before kick-off, the Board sets a new date and kick-off time. If it is abandoned after kick-off but before 90 minutes plus added time, the Board decides whether the score stands or the match is replayed in part or in full.
Postponed and abandoned are not the same
The league rules treat these as two separate situations. A match that does not start is postponed. A match that starts but does not reach 90 minutes plus added time is abandoned.
Premier League rules also limit when a match may be postponed or abandoned. Under the 2026/27 handbook, that can happen when one club is playing in another permitted competition on that date, with the referee's approval or instructions, by order of the police, by order of another authority using statutory powers, or on the Board's instructions or with its prior written consent.
| Situation | What the Board does | Ticket rule for the rearranged match |
|---|---|---|
| Called off after fans are admitted but before kick-off | Fixes a new date and kick-off time | Free admission |
| Abandoned after kick-off, before 90 minutes plus added time | Lets the result stand at the current score, or orders a partial or full replay | Half-price admission |
Who decides, and what do they consider?
The decision sits with the Premier League Board. Match officials can be part of the call to stop play on the day, but the league decides whether the abandoned fixture counts at the score when play stopped or has to be replayed.
When making that decision, the Board may consider the score at the time of abandonment, the number of minutes played, the cause of the abandonment, and whether either club or its supporters were at fault. If a club is at fault for a postponement or abandonment, it is in breach of Premier League rules.
IFAB's Laws of the Game set the wider principle that an abandoned match is replayed unless the competition rules or organisers decide otherwise. In Premier League matches, the competition rules give the Board the power to choose between letting the score stand and ordering a replay.
Bournemouth v Luton: a clear example
AFC Bournemouth v Luton Town is a clear recent example. The game was stopped after a serious medical emergency on the pitch, and the decision to abandon it was made jointly by the match officials, players, both managers and the Premier League.
The Board later ordered a full replay rather than letting the score at the stoppage stand. That shows how the league can weigh the reason for the abandonment, not only the state of play.
| Match | Minute of abandonment | Reason | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth v Luton | 59th minute | Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch | Full replay, rescheduled for 13 March 2024 |
What happens to tickets?
Ticket treatment depends on whether the match was stopped before kick-off or after it had started. If supporters have already been admitted and the game is then called off before kick-off, the rearranged match must offer free admission.
If the match is abandoned after kick-off, the rearranged match must offer half-price admission. That requirement comes from the league's ticketing rule and applies through each club's ticketing policy.
FAQ
Does the score stand if a Premier League match is abandoned?
Sometimes, but not automatically. The Board can award points on the score at the time the match was abandoned, or order a partial or full replay.
That choice depends on the circumstances of the stoppage, not just the scoreline.
Who decides whether an abandoned match is replayed?
The Premier League Board makes that call. The people on site may decide that play cannot continue, but the league decides what the abandoned fixture means in the table and schedule.
That is why two abandoned matches do not have to be treated in the same way.
Do fans get in free if a match is abandoned?
Not in every case. Free admission applies when fans are already inside and the match is called off before kick-off.
If the game has already kicked off and is then abandoned, the rearranged match is half-price.
What is the difference between a postponed and an abandoned match?
A postponed match never starts. In that case, the Board simply fixes a new date and kick-off time.
An abandoned match has started but stops before 90 minutes plus added time, so the league still has to decide whether the score stands or the game is replayed.