European Championship 2024 – Official Match Schedule

IPCH is excited to announce the official match schedule for the European Championship 2024.

The Opening Ceremony will take place on October 23rd, at 2pm CET and will then be followed by two opening matches featuring Denmark vs Belgium at 3:15pm CET and the Netherlands vs Germany at 5:15pm CET. The remainder of the group stage matches will take place on October 24th and October 25th, which will determine the match-ups for the playoffs on October 26th and 27th. 

This schedule was created by the IPCH EC2024 Technical Delegates in accordance with the IPCH Competition Regulations. As agreed at the 2018 Sports Congress, Technical Delegates are entitled to modify the match schedule for instance by having the host nation compete on the opening day while still making the schedule as fair as possible for all teams.

In light of the opportunity to have some national media and VIP and special Guests present at the Opening Ceremony and Opening match, the IPCH Technical Delegates have agreed to some small adaptations to the order of the matches suggested by the IPCH Competition Regulation to grant the hosting Nation to be featured in the very first match. 

The EC2024 match schedule also provides a new competition structure concept. In previous competitions, matches always alternated between group A and B. Considering the additional paperwork and complexities in the management of the match table and secretariat, this year, with the exception of the Opening day, the matches are played following a new structure: Group A match then Group A match followed by Group B match and another Group B match. 

This aids the Officials, Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and Technical Delegates to process a series of documents and materials after each match as well as giving more time to process protests and disciplinary decisions where needed. Additionally, this structure addresses a common piece of feedback from previous competitions which followed the Group A, Group B, Group A, Group B match structure where teams playing early in the morning were often the same teams. Last, but not least, this structure maximizes the resting time for teams between matches.  

The IPCH Technical Delegates feel this new structure will be beneficial for everyone involved in the competition. Changing or modifying procedures and practices we take for granted and as established is never easy, but after long conversations and considering the development of the sport, thinking outside the box and coming up with new ideas is needed to create a sustainable future for our sport. We are looking forward to what is sure to be a competition filled with exciting matches as always!