UEFA stadium categories facts for kids

UEFA stadium categories are categories for football stadiums laid out in the UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations. Using these regulations, stadiums are rated as category one, two, three, or elite (in order going up). These categories replaced the old method of ranking stadiums as four or five star in 2006. A stadium must be categorised as elite to host the final of the UEFA Champions League or the UEFA Europa League. These are UEFA's two top club competitions.

Main differences between categories

Criteria	Category 1	Category 2	Category 3	Category 4
Field of play	100 to 105 m long, 64 to 68 m wide		105 m long, 68 m wide
Minimum size of referee's dressing room	n/a		20 m2
Minimum floodlighting	to suit broadcaster	800 lux, to fixed cameras	1400 lux, to fixed cameras	1400 lux, all directions
VIP parking	20	50	100	150
Spectator standing allowed	yes	no
Minimum Seated capacity	200	1,500	4,500	8,000
Minimum total VIP seats	50	100	250	500
VIP seats for visiting team	10	20	50	100
VIP hospitality area	n/a			400 m2
Minimum media working area	50 m2	100 m2 for 50 people		200 m2 for 75 people
Minimum number of photographers	n/a		15	25
Minimum space for main camera platform	4 m2 for at least 1 camera	6 m2 for 2 cameras		10 m2 for 4 cameras
Minimum number of seats in the press box	20, 5 with desks	20, 10 with desks	50, 25 with desks	100, 50 with desks
Minimum number of commentary positions	2	3	5	25
Minimum number of TV studios	1 room that can be converted	1	2	2, at least 1 with a view of the pitch
Minimum post-match interview positions	n/a			4
Minimum outside broadcast van area	100 m2	200 m2		1,000 m2
Minimum number of seats in press conference room	at least 1	30	50	75

Related pages

• List of European stadia by capacity