{"id":1392,"date":"2024-03-12T15:16:14","date_gmt":"2024-03-12T15:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/footballcollective.org.uk\/?post_type=general&#038;p=1392"},"modified":"2024-03-12T15:16:14","modified_gmt":"2024-03-12T15:16:14","slug":"can-football-games-be-played-in-snow","status":"publish","type":"general","link":"https:\/\/footballcollective.org.uk\/general\/can-football-games-be-played-in-snow\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Football Games Be Played in Snow?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Anyone that follows America\u2019s Major Lague Soccer got a rare treat in March 2024 when Real Salt Lake took on Los Angeles FC on home soil. The game felt unique because Salt Lake\u2019s pitch was completely covered in snow \u2013 it was alien to see the players having to adjust to the conditions, which saw the ball travelling at sluggish speeds across the ground.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">the gif you&#8217;ve been waiting for <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/OAoJ4Y7sEZ\">pic.twitter.com\/OAoJ4Y7sEZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realsaltlake\/status\/1764428971486191829?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 3, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>To make matters worse for LAFC, a blizzard broke out during the game \u2013 but still it went ahead as they were condemned to a 0-3 defeat. Los Angeles head coach Steven Cherundolo <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/2024\/mar\/03\/absolute-disgrace-lafc-coach-criticizes-mls-for-playing-in-blizzard\">blasted the decision<\/a> to play on as an \u2018absolute disgrace\u2019. \u201cIt was impossible conditions. I feel terrible for the players that we put them through this,\u201d he commented afterwards.<\/p>\n<p>So, why did the game go ahead? Can football be played in the snow? And, why don\u2019t we see snow games in English football?<\/p>\n<h2>Why Are Football Games Postponed?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1394\" src=\"https:\/\/footballcollective.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/stadium-filled-with-snow.jpg\" alt=\"Stadium filled with snow\" width=\"780\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/footballcollective.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/stadium-filled-with-snow.jpg 780w, https:\/\/footballcollective.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/stadium-filled-with-snow-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/footballcollective.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/stadium-filled-with-snow-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/footballcollective.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/stadium-filled-with-snow-400x267.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It was decided in that RSL vs LAFC game that the conditions were safe enough for the contest to go ahead. And that is one of the key considerations when determining whether a football game is postponed due to the snow: is the welfare of the players at risk?<\/p>\n<p>Another factor is the welfare of supporters travelling to and from the game. Is the snow settling on the ground? How much is forecast? If travel conditions become dangerous, it\u2019s possible that the game will be called off to ensure that thousands of people aren\u2019t on the roads or using public transport in sub-zero temperatures.<\/p>\n<p>That is one of the reasons why Premier League matches and those in other top-tier competitions can be postponed. Although the pitch is itself playable \u2013 many big clubs now have undersoil heating and covers that help to keep the snow at bay, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.premierleague.com\/news\/299988\">prevailing conditions<\/a> around the game can be considered unsuitable.<\/p>\n<p>In lower league football, clubs can go to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.itv.com\/news\/westcountry\/2022-12-13\/it-really-warms-the-heart-fans-clear-tons-of-snow-ahead-of-football-match\">great lengths<\/a> to get games on \u2013 including players, staff and volunteers even shovelling snow off the playing surface. That can ensure that a match goes ahead, but only if the pitch isn\u2019t frozen.<\/p>\n<p>One of the other determining factors is the country\u2019s preparedness for snow and cold weather. In Russia, for example, games are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/football\/article-12819907\/CSKA-Moscows-match-miraculously-goes-ahead-despite-mountains-snow-pitch-freezing-5c-temperatures.html\">rarely called off<\/a> in the Premier Division, despite winter temperatures regularly dropping below zero and snow being a regular foe \u2013 this is a country that is simply built to deal with Arctic conditions.<\/p>\n<h2>Why Do They Use a Yellow Ball in Football?<\/h2>\n<p>When games are able to go ahead in snowy conditions, one of the problems is being able to see the white ball against such a backdrop. There\u2019s no problem for the players at ground level, but for the supporters watching on from the stands and the TV viewers at home, it can be almost impossible to track where the ball actually is \u2013 other than to trace the players\u2019 movements.<\/p>\n<p>The orange ball was devised to counteract the problem \u2013 with Adidas one of the first sports manufacturers to produce an orange ball, which became famously known as \u2018Tango\u2019 due to its illuminous orange colouring. That sphere was used in English football on snow days throughout the 1980s.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Today has an orange adidas tango feel about it\u2026.\ud83d\udc4c\ud83c\udffc <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xOrKQJZnlZ\">pic.twitter.com\/xOrKQJZnlZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 80s Football (@80s_football) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/80s_football\/status\/1464984468255555585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 28, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Other brands put out their own official orange match balls, before there was a palette change in the 2000s \u2013 Puma, and other ball manufacturers, bringing out a hi-vis <a href=\"https:\/\/www.efl.com\/news\/2023\/november\/01\/puma-hivis-match-ball\/\">yellow option<\/a> that is used in the EFL when the clocks go back for winter.<\/p>\n<h2>Football\u2019s Most Memorable Snow Games<\/h2>\n<p>There aren\u2019t that many have high profile games that have been blighted by the snow in recent years \u2013 of course, major competitions like the World Cup are held in the summer months of the host nation to minimise the risk of adverse weather being a factor.<\/p>\n<p>But that hasn\u2019t always been the case. Arsenal\u2019s old ground Highbury, for example, was one of the first to have undersoil heating installed \u2013 so even as far back as the 1960s they were able to get games on in the snow and ice. The problem was that, in the days before all-seater stadia, many grounds had open terracing that was exposed to the weather \u2013 so Arsenal, on more than one occasion in the sixties, would play games with their famous Clock End stand closed due to the snow.<\/p>\n<p>Decades later, Highbury still had problems with the snow \u2013 so much so that ahead of one Arsenal game against Coventry City in 1987, Gunners boss George Graham promised supporters a free ticket to the game if they turned up early to help clear the pitch and surrounding areas.<\/p>\n<p>One famous game at Ewood Park saw dozens of staff members and volunteers clearing the pitch of snow ahead of a clash between Blackburn Rovers and West Ham in 2010. The contest was played out on a gloriously green pitch with the snow shovelled just off the touchlines \u2013 cue Hammers striker Carlton Cole being unceremoniously dumped in a snow drift following one robust tackle. Happily, Cole took it well \u2013 even giving himself a snow shower afterwards.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Just Carlton Cole playing in the snow 8\ufe0f\u20e3 years ago today&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ytvvCZn3QL\">pic.twitter.com\/ytvvCZn3QL<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 West Ham United (@WestHam) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WestHam\/status\/1074993888467828736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 18, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>A similar scenario unfolded at Leicester\u2019s King Power Stadium in March 2018, with Wilfred Ndidi this time the unlucky soul to be crashed into the snow pile by Bournemouth\u2019s Lewis Cook. The Nigerian responded by forming a snowball and throwing it at Cook, who picked up the remnants and threw them back at Ndidi. The pair exchanged words, before seeing the funny side.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Ndidi and Cook having a snow fight mid game \ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MidPLRBPBN\">pic.twitter.com\/MidPLRBPBN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Aura (@90k_Aura) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/90k_Aura\/status\/1738181150877647158?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 22, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>And, of course, the infamous snow mound at the side of the pitch offers the perfect \u2013 albeit chilly \u2013 celebration:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cVIzqi87V3U?si=a7XIWMrTXG0yQvHo\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1393,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":""},"tags":[],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/footballcollective.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/general\/1392"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/footballcollective.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/general"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/footballcollective.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/general"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/footballcollective.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/footballcollective.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/footballcollective.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}