On this page · 8 sections
What does GHSA require?
By-Law 2.67 applies to every sport, year-round, including summer conditioning. The head coach signs the policy at the start of each season and it goes to every player and parent. It follows modified American College of Sports Medicine guidance on three things: when practice can be scheduled, how much rest and hydration time each hour needs, and the level at which practice stops.
A scientifically approved WBGT instrument must be used at each practice. The by-law text sets readings every hour, beginning 30 minutes before practice starts; GHSA's practice reminder tightens that to at least every 30 minutes. Once a reading has stayed in a band for 15 consecutive minutes, that band's restrictions hold for the rest of the session — you can move up to a stricter band, never back down.
Reading cadence
Every hour by the by-law; at least every 30 minutes per GHSA's reminder. First reading 30 minutes before practice.
Band lock-in
15 consecutive minutes in a band commits that band for the rest of practice. Stricter bands apply at once; no reverting lower.
The device
A scientifically approved WBGT monitor, calibrated at least every two years. Phone apps are not accepted.
Rest breaks and cooling
In a cool zone out of direct sun, unlimited hydration, never combined with activity. Over 86: ice towels and a cold-immersion tub on hand.
The GHSA WBGT threshold table
Five bands, read in degrees Fahrenheit from the on-site WBGT device. The row colour follows the Flash alert scale your athletic trainers already see in the app.
| WBGT (°F) | Activity limit | Rest breaks | Football equipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 82.0 | Normal activities | At least 3 separate breaks per hour, minimum 3 min each | No restriction |
| 82.0 – 86.9 | Use discretion for intense or prolonged exercise; watch at-risk players closely | At least 3 separate breaks per hour, minimum 4 min each | No restriction |
| 87.0 – 89.9 | Maximum practice time 2 hours | At least 4 separate breaks per hour, minimum 4 min each | Helmet, shoulder pads and shorts only; all protective equipment off for conditioning |
| 90.0 – 92.0 | Maximum practice time 1 hour; no conditioning activities | 20 minutes of breaks distributed through the hour | No protective equipment |
| Over 92.0 | No outdoor workouts — delay until a cooler WBGT is reached | — | — |
Source: GHSA By-Law 2.67, Practice Policy for Heat and Humidity — current PDF on ghsa.net, verified 21 Sep 2026. If WBGT rises into 87.0–89.9 during a session, players may finish in football pants without changing to shorts.
Where does Flash fit?
GHSA compliance is decided by your on-site WBGT reading. Flash's WBGT forecast tells you at 1 pm what the 4 pm reading is likely to be, so you can move practice instead of cancelling it.
Heat: plan, don't cancel
The outlook runs per field for every hour of the afternoon, against the five bands above. Shift the start, swap the equipment plan or go indoors before the cars arrive.
Lightning: up to 60 minutes ahead
Strike-level prediction on a 1×1 km cell, refreshed every 2 minutes. Up to 99.6% lightning prediction accuracy on a one-hour window, measured against NLDN ground-truth strikes — method published.
Accuracy methodReturn to play: the all-clear timer
After the last strike inside your radius, Flash runs your policy's all-clear timer and logs it. The practice clock stops for the weather stoppage, as 2.67(c) allows.
Weather Command Center
Flash Heat and WBGT prediction WBGT forecast, heat index, air temperature and dew point per 1×1 km cell
What does a planning day look like?
Illustrative example · Not live weather — the readings are examples, the rules are GHSA's
3:15 pm · The reading that decides the day
The band you land in at 3 pm sets the pads, the breaks and the water.
Flash WBGT forecast for the practice field: 84 by 3 pm, into 87.0–89.9 by 4 pm. The athletic director flags the football session.
Decision: run at 4 pm under the 2-hour cap with four breaks an hour, or push to 6:30 pm. The AD pushes. The bus, the trainers and the parents hear now, not at 3:45.
First on-site WBGT reading, 30 minutes before practice: 83.4, the 82.0–86.9 band. Three 4-minute breaks per hour go on the plan and the reading goes on the GHSA record chart.
Flash lightning alert: a strike is predicted inside the site radius within the next 60 minutes. The field clears and the practice clock stops.
Last strike inside the radius. Flash starts the all-clear timer.
All clear. Practice resumes for its remaining time; the alert log records who was warned, when, and when play returned.
What does the athletic director keep on file?
The by-law is enforced from the record. Keep these together for every practice, so a question from the GHSA, the district or a parent is answered from one folder.
- WBGT readings with times — the first 30 minutes before practice, then every 30 minutes — on the GHSA Heat Index Measurement & Record Chart.
- The band each reading fell in and the decision it triggered: practice length, rest-break schedule, equipment plan.
- The WBGT monitor used and its calibration date (at least every two years).
- The signed policy for the season — head coach, each athlete and a parent or guardian.
- The Flash alert log: lightning alerts, who was notified, the all-clear, and the WBGT forecast the schedule decision was based on.
Which other states publish WBGT policies?
Every state page follows this template: verified thresholds, the reading cadence, what to keep on file, and where the WBGT forecast fits.
State by state
Same instrument, different bands — the WBGT forecast travels with you.
- Texas (UIL)
- Florida (FHSAA)
- Arizona (AIA)
- Arkansas (AAA)
- Colorado (CHSAA)
- Hawaii (HHSAA)
- Illinois (IHSA)
- Kansas (KSHSAA)
- Massachusetts (MIAA)
- Mississippi (MHSAA)
- Missouri (MSHSAA)
- Nevada (NIAA)
- New Hampshire (NHIAA)
- New Mexico (NMAA)
- North Carolina (NCHSAA)
- Ohio (OHSAA)
- West Virginia (WVSSAC)
- Oklahoma (OSSAA)
- Alabama (AHSAA)
- California (CIF)
- Connecticut (CIAC)
- Iowa (IHSAA / IGHSAU)
- Kentucky (KHSAA)
- Louisiana (LHSAA)
- Minnesota (MSHSL)
- Nebraska (NSAA)
- New Jersey (NJSIAA)
- New York (NYSPHSAA)
- South Carolina (SCHSL)
- South Dakota (SDHSAA)
- Utah (UHSAA)
- Vermont (VPA)
- Virginia (VHSL)
- Washington (WIAA)
- Wisconsin (WIAA)
Sources
- GHSA — By-Law 2.67, Practice Policy for Heat and Humidity, current PDF on ghsa.net. Thresholds, reading cadence, definitions. Verified 21 Sep 2026.
- GHSA — Heat policy FAQ and practice reminder, ghsa.net. 30-minute reading cadence, 15-minute band lock-in, monitor calibration, record chart.
- National Weather Service — WBGT and heat-safety guidance, weather.gov.
- National Athletic Trainers' Association — Position Statement: Exertional Heat Illnesses, Journal of Athletic Training, 2015.
GHSA documents are published at ghsa.net (opens in a new tab).
Frequently asked
No. GHSA compliance is decided by the reading from a scientifically approved monitor at the practice site. Flash's WBGT forecast tells you where that reading is heading — a scheduling tool, not a compliance instrument.
By-Law 2.67 says every hour, starting 30 minutes before practice. GHSA's practice reminder says at least every 30 minutes. Plan for every 30 minutes and record each one.
Once a reading has stayed in a higher band for 15 consecutive minutes, that band's limits apply for the rest of practice. Football players already in pants may finish in pants when the reading enters 87.0–89.9. You never drop back to a lower band in the same session.
Yes. By-Law 2.67 is year-round and covers voluntary conditioning workouts as well as in-season practice, for every sport.