What happens when a hockey match is stopped by rain or lightning?
A · Advanced · How does a match work, and how is it won? · 2 of 10Checked 13 October 2026
The match is resumed as soon as possible, not always on the same pitch or the same day, from the score and the time at which it stopped. It is played to the full 60 minutes. In FIH tournaments the umpires or the technical delegate can stop it for weather, lightning or the state of the pitch.
How it works
- Umpires can stop a match for the conditions; the technical delegate can stop it for something like a thunderstorm.
- The match resumes with the score as it was, and the remaining time is played.
- Substitution rules carry on as if there had been no break.
- What a tournament does if a match cannot be finished at all is set out in its regulations.
Tricky cases
Is a stopped match replayed from the start?
No. It resumes from the score and time when it stopped.
Why the rule exists
Restarting from where the match stopped keeps the goals and time already played, rather than wiping them out.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FIH tournaments | As above | TR 10.1 |
| Other matches | Set by the competition | Not covered |
From the rule book
FIH Outdoor Tournament Regulations, Regulation 10, June 2026. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: FIH Outdoor Tournament Regulations (PDF).