Article 29 Pitches - Under-21

Regulations of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship

Content Type
Competition Regulations
Category
National teams > Under-21
ft:locale
en-GB
Edition
2025-27
Enforcement Date
5 February 2025
29.01

The host association must ensure that the pitch is in the best possible condition for play.

29.02

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.

29.03

For natural pitches, associations must respect the pitch-cutting guidelines. 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 grass 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.

29.04

The pitch-watering schedule must be communicated by the host association 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 in the qualifying competition and by UEFA in the final tournament, provided it takes place:

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

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

The referee is entitled to request changes to the pitch-watering schedule.

29.05

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.

29.06

The recommended minimum distances for the positioning of pitch advertising perimeter boards is shown in Annex B. Any other 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 pose no danger to players or referees.

29.07

It is the responsibility of the host association to ensure that the area immediately adjacent to the pitch is safe for players, team officials and the referee team in accordance with the UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations. This includes, but is not limited to, temporarily installing additional, high-quality, green artificial turf around the field of play if necessary.

29.08

All field markings and goals must be in accordance with the IFAB Laws of the Game and the UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations. 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.

29.09

Associations must respect the relevant pitch protection maps for both MD-1 training sessions (if applicable) and pre-match warm-ups.