The host association must make every reasonable effort to ensure that the pitch is in the best possible condition for play. If the climatic conditions so require, facilities such as pitch heating and a pitch cover must be provided, to ensure that the field of play can be made available in a suitable condition on any match date. The UEFA administration or a third party mandated by UEFA may carry out pitch inspections at any time before and during the competition to check whether the pitch is in a suitable condition to host matches in the competition. Following any initial pitch inspection and recommendation report, the cost of any further inspections or the provision of expert guidance or material by a third party is to be assumed by the association concerned. Associations are requested to cooperate fully with such inspections.
Any full or partial replacement of a pitch ahead of a match must be communicated to UEFA in advance. UEFA reserves the right to inspect the pitch before approval.
For natural pitches, the height of the grass may not, in principle, exceed 30mm and the entire playing surface must be cut to the same height. The height of the cut should be the same for both the training sessions and the match. If deemed necessary by the referee or the UEFA match delegate, the host association may be required to reduce the height of the grass for the match and training sessions.
Associations must respect the pitch cutting guidelines.
The host association must announce the pitch-watering schedule at the organisational meeting. The pitch must be watered evenly and not only in certain areas. As a general rule, pitch watering must be finished 60 minutes before kick-off. Additional pitch watering may be carried out if so decided by the host association, provided it takes place:
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between 15 and 10 minutes before kick-off; and/or
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during half-time for a maximum of 5 minutes.
The referee is entitled to request changes to the pitch-watering schedule.
Except at half-time, participating associations may not allow any commercial or promotional activities (e.g. commercial or product brands, logos or commercial mascots) to appear on the field of play from the moment the teams are ready to kick off until after the final whistle.
It is the responsibility of the host association to ensure that the area immediately adjacent to the pitch is safe for players and referees, which includes, but is not limited to, securely installing additional, high-quality, green artificial turf around the field of play temporarily if necessary. Furthermore, should artificial turf need to be temporarily installed for the purpose of creating one or more warm-up areas, for example on top of a running track, this must also be securely installed, high-quality, green artificial turf.
The recommended minimum distances for the positioning of pitch advertising perimeter boards is shown in Annex D. Any kind of upright advertising must be positioned at least three metres from the boundary lines of the field of play and at least one metre from the goal net, and must be safe for players and referees.
All goals must be set up securely and in accordance with the IFAB Laws of the Game and UEFA's instructions. No additional structural elements or physical supports may be used inside the net or in its immediate surroundings other than bars fixing the goal net to the ground and goal net stanchions behind and outside the net. Portable goals must not be used.
Associations must respect the relevant pitch protection maps for both MD-1 training sessions (if applicable) and pre-match warm-ups.