Behind closed doors

The term Behind Closed Doors is a term used in football to denote football matches in which no spectators are allowed inside the stadium to watch the match. This is essentially done in order to punish the home side (the club in whose stadium the game is played) for some reason. Arena violence is usually punished in this manner.

Playing behind closed doors can be very damaging for a club. It implies that there is no revenue earned by the club for that match.