Drone Halts Arsenal Carabao Cup Match for Nearly 10 Minutes
Police intervention leads to a nearly 10-minute suspension of play as a drone hovers over the pitch during Arsenal's Carabao Cup tie against Fleetwood Town.
Arsenal's Carabao Cup match against Fleetwood Town was suspended for nearly 10 minutes due to a drone flying over the pitch at Fleetwood's Highbury Stadium. The match was halted shortly after kick-off as referee Michael Salisbury stopped play when the drone was spotted. Both teams passed the ball between themselves to stay warm during the unexpected delay. Play resumed after discussions between officials and managers, and reportedly, police identified the drone operator.
The Football Association guidelines state that referees must stop games if a drone is sighted above the pitch. According to the guidance, play should not resume until the drone has passed or left the vicinity. If the drone does not leave, referees are advised to send the players to the changing rooms, if possible, or continue to wait if that is not feasible. The guidelines also clarify that it is not within a match official's remit to dictate where drones can be flown. For media or filming purposes, drones must not fly above the playing area once players have entered the field for warm-ups until they have left post-match.
Shortly after the game restarted, Fleetwood took the lead with a goal from Aaron Loupalo-Bi in the fourth-round tie.