Cardiff City’s abandoned battle with Rotherham United could lead to several different results in the inquiry.

Play at New York Stadium was suspended just minutes after halftime after torrential rain left surface water visible in several areas of the playing surface.

Cardiff were leading 1-0 at the time and are unhappy with the way the incident was handled by the Millers, whose football team were also in the firing line on a dismal day in South Yorkshire.

READ MORE: Cardiff City demand answers over Rotherham ‘theft’

It is understood that the EFL is still in talks with both clubs about the circumstances of the decision and will need time to review all the evidence before taking the next step.

Despite suggestions to the contrary, there are no official EFL rules on match suspensions, instead the league considers each case on a case-by-case basis.

Also, the proposed 75-minute time limit for replays isn’t really a formal rule.

Speculation about such measures seems to have been sparked by the recent League One game between Oxford United and Ipswich Town in January, which was called off due to heavy fog.

Referee Bobby Madden brought the two chiefs together to inform them that if the match had been abandoned after the 75th minute, the score would have been 1–1. Both opted to continue and Oxford won the game.

However, there is actually no such rule in the EFL regulations, each case is considered at the discretion of the league.

The reason is that, as suspensions often occur for a variety of reasons, the league cannot apply a one-size-fits-all approach.

As a result, nothing has been ruled out about what will happen next, although some possibilities are more likely than others.

Indeed, it’s still possible for Cardiff to pick up three points with a win, and it wouldn’t be the first time the EFL has gone down that route.

For example, when Blackpool v Huddersfield Town were abandoned on the final day of the 2014/15 season, a 0-0 draw was declared.

The Mandarins fans invaded the pitch in the 48th minute of the game in protest against the club’s ownership, delaying the game by an hour before the decision was made to suspend it. As well as the match being declared a draw, Blackpool were also subsequently accused of a lack of schedule.

However, with the hosts already relegated and Huddersfield safe, the result, in the context of their respective seasons, turned out to be meaningless.

At the time, the EFL clearly saw no point in changing the game.

Given the potential impact of Cardiff’s trip to Rotherham on the Championship relegation battle, it’s unlikely the EFL will come to the same conclusion this time around.

Another potential option would be to restart the game from where it was cancelled, but there doesn’t seem to be much of an appetite for that outcome. Both sides may face challenges, for example in terms of fielding the same teams, while other aspects such as weather conditions are likely to be different.

This will inevitably raise concerns about the fairness and integrity of the accessory.

The league is currently continuing its investigation and it is understood that if Rotherham are found guilty of the detention, this could influence the EFL’s decision.

Again, the burden of proof in these circumstances seems nebulous, as Rotherham are likely to argue that they did everything possible to allow the game to go on.

Therefore, a rescheduling from scratch seems the most likely outcome at this stage.

Source: Wales Online