A Premier League match can be postponed only for reasons set out in the rules: one club is playing in another permitted competition that day, or the referee, the police, another authority using legal powers, or the League's Board decides it. If the match is postponed before kick-off, the Board fixes the new date and kick-off time.
Reasons the rules allow
Here are the situations that the Premier League rules list for postponement.
| Reason | Rule |
|---|---|
| Either club is playing in another permitted competition that day | L.13.1 |
| The referee approves or instructs it | L.13.2 |
| The police order it | L.13.3 |
| Another authority orders it under its legal powers | L.13.4 |
| The League's Board instructs or consents in writing | L.13.5 |
A league match is not to be postponed or abandoned outside those listed grounds, and those grounds also sit alongside other Premier League rules referenced in the same section.
Who decides and what happens next
The decision-maker depends on the ground being used. A referee can approve or direct a postponement, the police can order one, another public authority can do so when acting under statutory powers, and the Board can either instruct it or give prior written consent.
Once a match is postponed before kick-off, the Board sets the replacement date and kick-off time. If a match starts and is then abandoned before the full 90 minutes and added time are completed, the Board deals with it under Rule L.39 instead, so that process is separate from a pre-match postponement.
Extra requirement on safety grounds
Here is the added step when postponement is sought on safety grounds.
| Situation | Required action by the home club |
|---|---|
| Postponement on safety grounds under L.13.4 | The home club must provide its risk assessment documents and, if time permits, consult the referee, the police and the chair of its safety advisory group |
Postponement is not the same as every fixture change
The Board sets all league match dates and kick-off times before the season and can change them later after consulting the clubs involved. That means fixture movement can happen within the scheduling system without every change being treated as a postponement under Rule L.13.
One rule gives a specific example. A club playing a UEFA match on a Thursday evening may move its following league match from Saturday to Sunday if it gives notice within 72 hours of the UEFA fixture being fixed, the police do not object, the opponent would not then have to play again within two days, and the kick-off time fits a UK televised Sunday slot or is approved by the Board. A club may also ask the Board to rearrange any fixture.
Another limit appears earlier in the scheduling rules. No league fixtures are arranged on, or on the six days before, the four dates agreed with the Football Association for international matches. That is a calendar rule, not a late postponement ground.
FAQ
Who decides whether a Premier League match is postponed?
It depends on the rule being used. The referee, the police, another authority with statutory powers, or the Board can each be the decision-maker in the right circumstances.
What happens when a Premier League match is postponed?
If the postponement happens before kick-off, the Board fixes the new date and kick-off time. If the match has already started and is then abandoned before completion, the Board handles it under Rule L.39.
Has the Premier League been postponed?
The rules deal with individual matches: a fixture can be postponed only on the grounds listed in Rule L.13, and the Board then sets its new date.
Has the Premier League been cancelled?
The rules speak of postponement, abandonment and rearrangement rather than cancellation: a match postponed before kick-off gets a new date from the Board, and an abandoned match is dealt with under Rule L.39.