In this article · 5 sections
Georgia, Texas and Florida all regulate high school practice by wet-bulb globe temperature, and all three use five bands that run from normal activity to no outdoor work at all. Read them side by side and the structure is almost identical. The edges are not, and the edges are where a reading lands on the wrong side of a two-hour cap.
The five bands, side by side
Ranges are in °F WBGT, exactly as each association prints them. Texas prints two sets: UIL’s WBGT map places each area in Class 3 or Class 2, and Class 2 uses lower thresholds.
| Attribute | Georgia (GHSA) | Texas (UIL) Class 3 | Texas (UIL) Class 2 | Florida (FHSAA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal activity | Under 82.0 · at least 3 breaks an hour, 3 min each | Under 82.0 · at least 3 breaks an hour, 3 min each | Under 79.7 · as Class 3 | Under 82.0 · no breaks listed |
| Use discretion | 82.0 – 86.9 · at least 3 breaks an hour, 4 min each | 82.0 – 86.9 · at least 3 breaks an hour, 4 min each; rapid cooling zone | 79.7 – 84.6 · as Class 3 | 82.1 – 87.0 · three 4-min breaks an hour; no time limit listed |
| 2-hour cap | 87.0 – 89.9 · 4 breaks an hour, 4 min each; helmet, shoulder pads and shorts | 87.0 – 90.0 · 4 breaks an hour, 4 min each; helmet, shoulder pads and shorts | 84.7 – 87.6 · as Class 3 | 87.1 – 90.0 · four 4-min breaks an hour; football: helmet, shoulder pads and shorts |
| 1-hour cap | 90.0 – 92.0 · no conditioning; 20 min of breaks; no protective equipment | 90.1 – 92.0 · no conditioning; 20 min of breaks; no protective equipment | 87.7 – 89.7 · as Class 3 | 90.1 – 92.0 · no conditioning; five 4-min breaks; no protective equipment |
| No outdoor practice | Over 92.0 | 92.1 and above | 89.8 and above | 92.1 and above |
Georgia (GHSA)
- Normal activity
- Under 82.0 · at least 3 breaks an hour, 3 min each
- Use discretion
- 82.0 – 86.9 · at least 3 breaks an hour, 4 min each
- 2-hour cap
- 87.0 – 89.9 · 4 breaks an hour, 4 min each; helmet, shoulder pads and shorts
- 1-hour cap
- 90.0 – 92.0 · no conditioning; 20 min of breaks; no protective equipment
- No outdoor practice
- Over 92.0
Texas (UIL) Class 3
- Normal activity
- Under 82.0 · at least 3 breaks an hour, 3 min each
- Use discretion
- 82.0 – 86.9 · at least 3 breaks an hour, 4 min each; rapid cooling zone
- 2-hour cap
- 87.0 – 90.0 · 4 breaks an hour, 4 min each; helmet, shoulder pads and shorts
- 1-hour cap
- 90.1 – 92.0 · no conditioning; 20 min of breaks; no protective equipment
- No outdoor practice
- 92.1 and above
Texas (UIL) Class 2
- Normal activity
- Under 79.7 · as Class 3
- Use discretion
- 79.7 – 84.6 · as Class 3
- 2-hour cap
- 84.7 – 87.6 · as Class 3
- 1-hour cap
- 87.7 – 89.7 · as Class 3
- No outdoor practice
- 89.8 and above
Florida (FHSAA)
- Normal activity
- Under 82.0 · no breaks listed
- Use discretion
- 82.1 – 87.0 · three 4-min breaks an hour; no time limit listed
- 2-hour cap
- 87.1 – 90.0 · four 4-min breaks an hour; football: helmet, shoulder pads and shorts
- 1-hour cap
- 90.1 – 92.0 · no conditioning; five 4-min breaks; no protective equipment
- No outdoor practice
- 92.1 and above
Where the edges differ
Three readings show why you cannot carry one state’s chart into another:
- 87.0
- The two-hour cap in Georgia and in Texas Class 3. In Florida, 87.0 is still the top of the discretion band; the cap starts at 87.1. In Texas Class 2, 87.0 is already in the two-hour band and close to the one-hour band at 87.7.
- 90.0
- A one-hour day in Georgia, where the fourth band starts at 90.0. In Texas Class 3 and in Florida, 90.0 is still inside the two-hour band.
- 92.0
- Still a one-hour practice in Georgia, Texas Class 3 and Florida: Georgia stops outdoor work over 92.0, Texas Class 3 and Florida at 92.1. In Texas Class 2, outdoor practice stops at 89.8.
Texas Class 2 is the largest shift: each threshold sits roughly 2.3 to 2.4 degrees below its Class 3 counterpart. UIL does not publish a county list; a school near the line between the classes makes a local determination before the year starts and applies it consistently.
The rules around the bands
| Attribute | Georgia (GHSA) | Texas (UIL) | Florida (FHSAA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading cadence | First reading 30 min before practice; hourly by the by-law, at least every 30 min per GHSA’s reminder | Instrument set up 30 min before, read 15 min before; then every 30 min | Whenever WBGT is expected to exceed 82: set up 15–20 min ahead, then about every 30 min |
| Device | Scientifically approved WBGT monitor, calibrated at least every two years; no phone apps | Scientifically approved instrument, or another scientifically proven method such as internet-based weather station software or an app | WBGT device with a black globe, in the sun, three feet above the surface |
| Band changes mid-practice | 15 consecutive min in a band commits it for the session, never back down; players in pants may finish in pants at 87.0–89.9 | Football players already in pants may finish in pants | Football players already in pants may finish in pants |
| Cooling | Cool rest zone out of the sun; over 86, ice towels and a cold-immersion tub on hand | Rapid cooling zone (tub or tarp) from 82.0 in Class 3 or 79.7 in Class 2, at every practice and contest | Cooling zones with cold-water immersion, ice and a trained person present |
| Records | Readings on the GHSA Heat Index Measurement & Record Chart | Recommended, not required | The device records conditions whenever WBGT is expected to exceed 82 |
| Games | Not summarised here; check By-Law 2.67 | Practice limits do not apply to competitions; the cooling zone does | A separate contest table, Policy 41.9.5, with breaks set sport by sport |
Georgia (GHSA)
- Reading cadence
- First reading 30 min before practice; hourly by the by-law, at least every 30 min per GHSA’s reminder
- Device
- Scientifically approved WBGT monitor, calibrated at least every two years; no phone apps
- Band changes mid-practice
- 15 consecutive min in a band commits it for the session, never back down; players in pants may finish in pants at 87.0–89.9
- Cooling
- Cool rest zone out of the sun; over 86, ice towels and a cold-immersion tub on hand
- Records
- Readings on the GHSA Heat Index Measurement & Record Chart
- Games
- Not summarised here; check By-Law 2.67
Texas (UIL)
- Reading cadence
- Instrument set up 30 min before, read 15 min before; then every 30 min
- Device
- Scientifically approved instrument, or another scientifically proven method such as internet-based weather station software or an app
- Band changes mid-practice
- Football players already in pants may finish in pants
- Cooling
- Rapid cooling zone (tub or tarp) from 82.0 in Class 3 or 79.7 in Class 2, at every practice and contest
- Records
- Recommended, not required
- Games
- Practice limits do not apply to competitions; the cooling zone does
Florida (FHSAA)
- Reading cadence
- Whenever WBGT is expected to exceed 82: set up 15–20 min ahead, then about every 30 min
- Device
- WBGT device with a black globe, in the sun, three feet above the surface
- Band changes mid-practice
- Football players already in pants may finish in pants
- Cooling
- Cooling zones with cold-water immersion, ice and a trained person present
- Records
- The device records conditions whenever WBGT is expected to exceed 82
- Games
- A separate contest table, Policy 41.9.5, with breaks set sport by sport
What travels between states, and what doesn't
- Travels: the instrument. All three read WBGT, not air temperature or heat index, and Florida spells out the setup — in the sun, three feet above the surface.
- Travels: the shape. Five bands, a two-hour cap, a one-hour cap with no conditioning, then no outdoor practice. Shoulder pads and shorts in the two-hour band, no protective equipment in the one-hour band.
- Travels: the cadence. A reading before practice and about every 30 minutes during it.
- Does not travel: the edges. 87.0, 90.0 and 92.0 land in different bands depending on the state and, in Texas, the class.
- Does not travel: the breaks. Florida lists none under 82.0 and counts five 4-minute breaks in the one-hour band, where Georgia and Texas give 20 minutes through the hour.
- Does not travel: cooling and records. When the cooling zone is required, and whether readings must be kept, are different in each state.
Flash's WBGT outlook shows the GHSA bands at 82, 87, 90 and 92 by default. Set your own state's — or your district's — thresholds per field, and the six-hour outlook, the alerts and Flash Agent all use them. The on-site reading on your association's schedule stays the compliance record; the outlook tells you hours ahead which band that reading is heading for.
Same instrument
Different bands. Set your state’s thresholds, not the neighbour’s.
We add a state to this comparison only once its association’s own documents have been checked and its page is published. Until then it stays off the table.
Frequently asked
No. The structure is the same — five bands with a two-hour and a one-hour cap — but the edges differ. 87.0 is the two-hour cap in Georgia and Texas Class 3; in Florida the cap starts at 87.1.
Class 2 thresholds sit about 2.3 to 2.4 degrees lower than Class 3. UIL's WBGT map places each area in a class; schools near the line make a local determination before the year starts.
Texas: from 82.0 in Class 3 or 79.7 in Class 2, at every practice and contest. Georgia keeps ice towels and a cold-immersion tub on hand over 86; Florida requires cooling zones with cold-water immersion and a trained person.
Yes. The GHSA bands are the default; set your own state's or district's thresholds per field and the outlook, alerts and Flash Agent use them.