UEFA return to play protocol
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
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As its competitions prepare to return to play, European football’s governing body releases the medical and operational protocol applicable to competitive UEFA football matches of senior club and national teams for men and women, as well as all matches of the UEFA club competition final tournaments at all levels.
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UEFA’s Return to Play protocol includes medical and operational obligations for all parties taking part in and/or organising UEFA matches. These obligations must be applied by match organisers when preparing venues, subject to any additional measures imposed by local authorities from country to country.
While it is impossible to establish a completely risk-free environment, the protocol aims to lower the risk as far as possible by applying current medical advice and best practices.
Collective duty of football stakeholders
Minimising the risk to UEFA competitions from the COVID-19 virus relies on thorough and robust preparations and on-site organisation, but also to a large extent on the cooperation, behaviour and understanding of the teams, their players, officials and technical staff, as well as the UEFA referees, the UEFA venue staff and all target groups involved in the matches.
As the protocol states in its preamble: “Football players and everyone else involved in should remember that their actions… serve as a strong symbol for the millions of viewers around the world. Football stakeholders have a collective duty to show leadership and set an example in the rigorous application of these measures.”
To learn more, download the full protocol (please note that this link was updated on 6 September 2021 to open the latest edition – version five – of the protocol).