Lightning: thunder means stop
The NFHS guideline (revised October 2024) is simple Sourced:
- Suspend immediately when thunder is heard or lightning is seen.
- With a detection network, suspend when lightning is within 10 miles.
- Wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder, or the last strike within 10 miles, before resuming.
- Every new flash restarts the 30-minute clock.
Safer locations are large permanent buildings with plumbing and wiring, or fully enclosed hard-top vehicles Sourced.
The weather watcher, and what apps can and cannot do
Assign a named weather watcher at every site with the authority to suspend and resume play. List the shelter and the time to reach it in your emergency action plan.
Free lightning apps can lag 7 to 60 minutes and may pull from a distant station; visual and audible cues always override devices Sourced. For a small league, a free app plus the human watcher and the thunder rule is acceptable. A multi-site operator should budget for a professional service, which can deliver WBGT and lightning alerts together (see heat policy and WBGT).
Rainouts and field closures
Align your closure criteria with the field owner's: no play with standing water, unsafe footing, or turf that pulls up by hand. Teams that play on a closed field are liable for damage and may lose future permits Sourced.
- Decide about two hours before game time. A weekday hotline by 4 pm and Saturday by 8 am is a common standard. After that, the on-site official decides.
- Communicate through one channel only.
- Build one or two open weekends into an 8 to 10 week season for makeups. Many rec departments reschedule a game once and do not reschedule a second rainout of the same game.
- Put the makeup policy and the no-refund-for-weather position in your registration terms.
Your permit terms set the closure rules on most public fields; see field permits and rental costs.
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Book a 20-minute call →Air quality
| AQI | Utah high school guidance | A reasonable league policy |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 50 | No restrictions | Follow the guidance |
| 51 to 100 | Modify for athletes with respiratory conditions | Follow the guidance |
| 101 to 150 | Consult athletes; modify practice and competition | Optional participation, inhaler access check, reduced intensity |
| 151 and above | Postpone, cancel or relocate | Cancel |
Utah guidance Sourced. League policy column Estimate: use the AirNow or PurpleAir reading nearest the field one hour before play.
Cold
| Wind chill | Action |
|---|---|
| 30 F and below | Alert staff |
| 25 F and below | Protective clothing and rewarming places |
| 15 F and below | Modify activity |
| 0 F and below | Consider stopping |
MSHSAA cold weather guidelines Sourced. Youth leagues commonly cancel below about 20 to 25 F wind chill, and reassess constantly when players are wet.
Weather policy checklist
- Lightning policy: thunder means stop; 30-minute reset; shelter and walk time listed
- Named weather watcher per site per game day
- Closure criteria matched to the field owner, with a decision time
- Rain, AQI and cold thresholds published
- One communication channel for every call
- Makeup weekends in the schedule; weather terms in registration