Ramadan: Premier League, EFL to pause matches for fast-breaks

The Premier League and the English Football League (EFL) will once again observe special Ramadan arrangements, allowing brief pauses in matches so Muslim players can break their fast.

Ramadan, the holy month observed by Muslims worldwide, requires fasting from dawn until sunset.

During this period in the United Kingdom, sunset is expected to fall between 17:00 and 19:00 GMT. This means only fixtures with later kick-off times, such as Saturday’s 17:30 match and Sunday’s 16:30 game, are likely to require short breaks.

Under the arrangement, club captains and match officials will identify a suitable moment in the game for Muslim players or officials to take fluids and food.

Both teams and the referee will agree in advance if a pause will be needed and roughly when it should happen.

However, matches will not be stopped during active play. The brief break will only take place at a natural stoppage, such as a goal-kick, free-kick or throw-in, to avoid disrupting the flow of the game.

The first official pause for fasting players took place in April 2021 during a Premier League match between Leicester City and Crystal Palace.

The game was stopped at a goal-kick around the half-hour mark to allow Leicester’s Wesley Fofana and Palace’s Cheikhou Kouyate to replenish themselves with liquids and energy gels.

One of the five pillars of Islam is fasting during daylight hours in Ramadan, which reflects devotion to the religion. Muslim players currently in the Premier League include Mohamed Salah, William Saliba, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Amad Diallo, among others.

“In the Premier League you are free to do whatever suits you. They will never do anything against your faith and this is great,” former Everton player Abdoulaye Doucoure told BBC Sport in 2023.

“I fast every day, I don’t miss any day. It has become normal and very easy for me. Training is still the same during Ramadan but when we go [for away matches], we might need to eat later than the others so the chef prepares food for us, making sure everything is in place as at home. We get halal food so there are no problems,” Doucoure added.

In 2022, former Liverpool player Sadio Mane also revealed that the club adjusted training schedules to support their Muslim players during Ramadan.

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