Article 30 Pitches - Champions League

Regulations of the UEFA Champions League

Content Type
Competition Regulations
Category
Clubs
Subject
UCL
Edition
2023/24
Language
English
Enforcement Date
28 June 2023
30.01

The home club 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 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 suitable conditions to host matches of 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 club concerned. Clubs are requested to cooperate fully with such inspections.

30.02

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 home club may be requested to reduce the height of the grass for the match and training sessions.

30.03

Any full or partial replacement of a pitch ahead of a match must be communicated in advance to UEFA. Without prejudice to the obligation of the clubs to inform UEFA in advance of any full or partial replacement of a pitch ahead of a match, a club can change the surface of its pitch from natural grass to artificial turf or vice-versa once during the season. This change must occur after the end of the group stage. Such requests must be submitted to the UEFA administration by 1 December 2023 and the new pitch must be in place 30 days prior to the first match in the round of 16. UEFA reserves the right to inspect the pitch before approval.

30.04

The pitch watering schedule must be communicated by the home club at the matchday organisational meeting. The pitch must be watered evenly and not only in certain areas. As a general rule, pitch watering must finish 60 minutes before kick-off. However, upon decision of the home club, pitch watering may also take place after that time, provided it takes place:

  1. between 10 and 5 minutes before kick-off, and/or

  2. during half-time (for a maximum of 5 minutes).

The referee is entitled to request changes to the schedule.

30.05

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 support 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.

30.06

It is the responsibility of the home club to ensure that the area immediately adjacent to the pitch is safe for players and referees including, but not limited to, securely installing additional, high-quality, green artificial turf around the field of play if necessary.

30.07

All clubs must respect the pitch cutting guidelines.

30.08

All clubs must respect for both the MD-1 trainings and pre-match warm-up the respective pitch protection maps.