Electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structures have interesting properties in terms of electromagnetic wave propagation. Using a plasma discharge in an EBG structure may increase its reconfigurability. The use of microplasma arrays in the design of EBG structures is however complex and may cause energy losses. In this paper, we show through experiments and simulations that EBG effects can be obtained in structures where a single discharge plasma is used to create a defect in a periodic structure of metallic rods.