EXTREME WEATHER POLICY

HEAT / HUMIDITY

The Australian Elite Football Academy (AEFA) may postpone, delay or abandon any training or match due to extreme weather conditions that may endanger participants including but not limited to excessive heat and/or humidity.

Consideration must be given to the effects of heat and humidity on elite and amateur athletes. During summer and warmer months, Academy staff should:

(a) Refer to Sports Medicine Australia (SMA) Hot Weather Guidelines,

(b) Provide information in relation to sun safety,

(c) Schedule games and training for cooler parts of the day or evening,

(d) Check forecast and local weather conditions,

(e) When possible, use weather gauge, Wet Bulb Globe Thermometer or Heat Stress Meter to monitor player conditions

(f) Ensure regular hydration by players, officials and other participants,

 

For match play, if the temperature exceeds 32 degrees Celsius water bottles must be made available and placed along the sidelines to enable any player to take a drink during the course of the game. If conditions are considered extreme by a referee, he or she may allow a two minute break during the course of each half.

(i) In the event water bottles are made available along the sidelines, players should not leave the field of play to take a drink nor should bottles be thrown on to or from the field of play. No time will be added for additional breaks and breaks will be taken at suitable breaks in play, as determined by the Referee.

 

CHILDREN

Cancel or postpone events involving children at ambient temperatures of 32 Deg C

 

ADULTS

Cancel or postpone events involving adults at ambient temperatures of 37 Deg C or above

COLD TEMPERATURES

The Australian Elite Football Academy may postpone, delay or abandon any training or match due to extreme weather conditions that may endanger participants including but not limited to cold weather and chill risks.

Apparent Temperature (AT) is an adjustment to the ambient temperature based on the perceived effect of extra elements such as humidity and wind chill. At a temperature of negative 2 degrees Celsius AT play should be suspended for wind chill factor. Referees should refer to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s AT reading.

HAIL

The Australian Elite Football Academy may postpone, delay or abandon any training or match due to extreme weather conditions that may endanger participants including but not limited to hail storms.

The Referee should suspend play during hail storms so match participants can take suitable shelter. Referees should note where the ball was stopped for the drop ball restart.

Match play conditions should be reviewed with attention given to the level of ice on the playing surface. Deferral of the restart for an additional 15 minutes to allow melting or manual removal of ice should be considered. Line markings should also be evaluated.

LIGHTNING

The Australian Elite Football Academy may postpone, delay or abandon any training or match due to extreme weather conditions that may endanger participants including but not limited to lightning storms.

The Referee should suspend play during lightning storms under the 30/30 Lightning Safety Guideline so match participants can take suitable shelter. Referees should note where the ball was stopped for the future drop ball restart.

Where lightning is observed, play should be suspended until 30 minutes after the last lightning event. Match play conditions should be reviewed with attention given to the level of residual water on the playing surface. Line markings should also be evaluated.

 

30/30 LIGHTNING SAFETY GUIDELINE

1. Stop play if the time between seeing a lightning flash and hearing thunder is less than 30 seconds. Immediately safety under appropriate shelter.

2. Do not resume play until at least 30 minutes has passed since the last thunder was heard.