Article 23 Pitches - Women's World Cup Qualifiers

Regulations of the UEFA European Qualifying Competition for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup

Content Type
Competition Regulations
Category
National teams
Subject
FWWC
Edition
2021-23
Language
English
Enforcement Date
11 July 2021
23.01

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 pitch cover must be provided, to ensure that the field of play can be made available in a suitable condition on any match date.

23.02

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 host association may be requested to reduce the height of the grass for the match and training sessions.

23.03

The pitch watering schedule must be communicated by the host association at the pre-match 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. Additional pitch watering may also take place if so decided by the host association, provided it takes place:

  1. between 15 and 10 minutes before kick-off (or between 20 and 15 minutes before kick-off depending on the countdown); and/or

  2. during half-time (for a maximum of five minutes, allowing substitute players to warm up on the field of play).

The referee is entitled to request changes to the schedule.

23.04

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.

23.05

Advertising placed in the vicinity of the field of play must be safe for players and referees. Any kind of upright advertising must be placed at a minimum distance of three metres from the boundary lines of the field of play, and at least one metre from the goal net. The recommended distances are shown in Annex C.

23.06

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.