High Heat Index Policies for Football and Soccer Games
Athletic Directors and Head Coaches,
As we approach the start of the TAPPS football and soccer seasons, we want to take a moment to remind all schools to have a comprehensive plan for protecting their athletes from Heat Illness Issues. As a reminder, TAPPS requires that all athletic personnel receive annual Health and Safety education that includes training in Temperature Illness.
In addition, in the event that the heat index reaches 100 degrees, any interscholastic contest may not be played without the mutual consent of all teams involved in the contest.
The TAPPS Office strongly encourages and recommends that AD’s and head coaches from both schools meet with the game officials prior to the contest to discuss strategies for mitigating the risk of heat illness for players, coaches and officials.
These strategies may include but not be limited to:
- Ensure the constant availability of hydration in the form of water, sports drinks (etc) for players, coaches and officials.
- Rescheduling kickoff to a later time
- Reduce time of warmup
- Warmup without shoulder pads and helmets
- Extending the length of timeouts, time between quarters and half time
- Adding a mandated official timeout during the first dead ball period following the 6 minute mark in each quarter for 11 man football and after the 5 minute mark for six man games.This will be an official timeout and should not count towards the timeouts allotted to either team.
Please take time to review TAPPS policies as shown below on Temperature Illness (TAPPS ByLaws Section 142 – Health and Safety)
- Temperature Illness – Heat and Cold Related
- Training – School Personnel
- Each TAPPS athletic director and coach will receive training in Temperature Illness on an annual basis.
- Training shall encompass
- Recognition of Heat Distress
- Treatment of Heat Distress
- Prevention of Heat Distress
- Prevention of Cold related distress
- Training – School Personnel
- Weather Policy for Temperature
- In the event the outside temperature or heat index reaches 100 degrees as determined by the home team or event host, interschool contests shall not be played without the mutual consent of all teams involved in the contest.
- In the event the outside temperature or chill factor reaches 32 degrees as determined by the home team or event host, interschool contests shall not be played without the mutual consent of all teams involved in the contest.
- This determination should be made by the Athletic Directors at each school at the time of the contest with student safety at the forefront of the decision making process.
- Heat in August
- TAPPS supports the following health and safety option for early season games as a model for game management.
- When the actual or heat indexed temperature at kickoff is 100 degrees or higher, this procedure shall apply.
- A mandated official timeout shall be called during the first dead ball period following the 6 minute mark in each quarter for 11 man football and after the 5 minute mark for six man games.This will be an official timeout and shall not count towards the timeouts allotted to either team.
- This rule shall apply to games hosted by TAPPS schools
- The home team is responsible for notifying each of the following in advance of the contest:
- Visiting team
- Assigned Officials
- The home team is responsible for notifying each of the following in advance of the contest:
- This rule shall apply to High School varsity and sub-varsity contests
- TAPPS supports the following health and safety option for early season games as a model for game management.
We wish you all the best as you prepare for the beginning of the 2023 football and soccer seasons. If questions arise, please contact the TAPPS office at 254-947-9268 or by email at [email protected].