Match Suspended After a Floodlight Failure: What the Club Risks in Italy
In Pineto the floodlights failed twice during one match. What the FIGC rules provide, the precedents and what changes with LED floodlights.
If the floodlighting fails in Italy, the home club risks anything from a fine to a forfeit defeat. The referee decides whether play is possible. In Pineto, on 11 October 2026, the lights went out twice during the match against Reggiana. With LED floodlights the light returns immediately after an interruption; a metal halide lamp has to cool down first.
- Pineto v Reggiana, 11 October 2026: two lighting failures in the second half, match then suspended for rain at 2-0.
- Imolese v Südtirol, 15 November 2020: match not played because the lighting was out of order, 0-3 forfeit.
- Renate v Lecco, November 2025: 25 minutes of suspension, a €500 fine.
What happened in Pineto
On Sunday 11 October 2026 a fault in the lighting system stopped Pineto v Reggiana in the 7th minute of the second half. After a few minutes the problem was fixed. In the 24th minute the lights went out again and the referee suspended the match for good because of the heavy rain, at 2-0 for Pineto. Stampa Reggiana reported this; the cause of the fault is not stated.
What the rules provide
The FIGC's internal organisational rules (NOIF) contain no specific article on a lighting failure. The general rules apply:
- the home club must set up the pitch properly (art. 59, para. 3);
- the referee judges whether play is possible (art. 60, para. 1);
- the maximum time to start or resume the match does not exceed one half (art. 60, para. 2).
The precedents
On 15 November 2020 Imolese v Südtirol (Serie C) was not played because the lighting system malfunctioned. The referee waited 45 minutes. The sports judge awarded a 0-3 forfeit under art. 10, para. 1, of the Sports Justice Code, citing the home club's obligation to create all the conditions required by the regulations.
In November 2025 Renate v Lecco was suspended for about 25 minutes. According to the club, the fault started with a short circuit in a lamp on one of the four floodlight towers. The sports judge imposed a fine of €500.
What changes with LED floodlights
After an interruption, metal halide lamps have to cool down for a few minutes before they re-ignite, longer for high wattages, as OSRAM's technical guide states. An LED floodlight returns to full light as soon as the power is back. An LED system can fail too: cables, switchboards and drivers have to be checked.
- Yearly check of the cables, switchboards and fuses of the floodlight towers.
- A test switch-on before every evening match, with time to intervene.
- An electrician on call and spare material during matches.
LED floodlights for football pitches
Frequently asked questions
How long does the referee wait?
The maximum is one half (art. 60, para. 2, NOIF). In the Imolese case the referee waited 45 minutes.
Does a failure always lead to a forfeit?
No. In Renate the match resumed and the club received a fine; in Imola the match was not played and the result was 0-3.
Does LED prevent every failure?
No. LED removes the wait for re-ignition, but cables, fuses and drivers can still fail.
Last checked: 14 November 2026, Nick Cuppens, Clightstore. Sources: Stampa Reggiana, 11 October 2026, Alto Adige, 17 November 2020, TuttoC, 11 November 2025, FIGC, NOIF arts. 47–70 and OSRAM, technical guide to metal halide lamps.
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