Blackburn v Ipswich: Why was it abandoned, will there be a replay and what happens to Jacob Greaves' red card?
Heavy rain brought an abrupt end to a Championship clash last weekend as Blackburn Rovers v Ipswich Town was called off.
With just 10 minutes to go at Ewood Park, a deluge of rain forced referee Steve Martin to abandon the match, with the hosts 1-0 up. The rain had been falling throughout the game, but towards the end reached a point where the game was simply unplayable.
According to the Premier League and English Football League (EFL) rules, if a match is abandoned before kick-off, it must be rearranged for a later date.
However, if the game is called off midway through, the rules become a little bit murky - and open to different interpretation.
Here’s what we know about whether there will be a replay of Blackburn v Ipswich, and what might happen to Jacob Greaves after his red card incident.
Will there be a replay?
When a match is abandoned after kick-off, there are two ways of approaching a potential replay.
First, the game that was called off can be counted as a complete match, with the full three points given to the winner. In this instance, Blackburn would be given the win as they were 1-0 up when the referee ended the game.
The alternative is to replay the match, either partially (to make up the full 90 minutes) or in its entirety.
Whether or not there is a replay will be decided by the EFL board, which takes into account the scoreline, how much time was left when the game was abandoned, and whether or not the club or its supporters were to blame.
In this case, a partial replay seems unlikely - although a 10-minute game would see all players go absolutely hell for leather.
What about Jacob Greaves’ red card?
In the 49th minute of the abandoned game, Ipswich were reduced to 10 men when Jacob Greaves was sent off.
With the game being called off, Ipswich fans are now wondering if - in the event of a replay - Greaves’ red card will be rescinded, as the match technically would never have happened.
Speaking to Football Insider, former referee Keith Hackett explained how this situation is most likely to unfold.
He said: “The sanction of a red card will be applied when the game is replayed.
“I’ll be surprised if it is not replayed. The referee for the Blackburn game is one of the most experienced officials on the list.
“He will have tried to ensure that the game could be played. Sadly, the weather has beaten them.”
What this would mean is that Greaves is only suspended for the rescheduled fixture, if the game is replayed.