As a record-setting heat wave rolls through Pensacola, high school football coaches look for one number to see when they can take the field and practice in the afternoon.
It’s not the temperature outside. Or the heat index. The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature determines whether teams take the field as they try to ramp up for the season over the next four weeks.
The Florida High School Athletic Association uses the WBGT to determine what restrictions are placed on outdoor activities. According to the National Weather Service, the WBGT “is a measure of the heat stress in direct sunlight, which takes into account: temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover (solar radiation).”
This is different than the heat index, which takes into account temperature and humidity in shady areas. With practice areas almost exclusively in the sun, the WBGT is seen by the FHSAA as the better tool to monitor heat stress and be able to prevent heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
How is the WBGT used?
Teams use a Wet Globe Thermometer to determine whether it’s safe to practice outside. The device, according to the FHSAA, is supposed to measure ambient temperature, relative humidity, wind and solar radiation from the sun.
If it reads lower than 82, that means no restrictions on outdoor activities. If it reads higher, restrictions are broken down into multiple categories.
In the first days of high school football practice this week, teams are waiting for the thermometer to drop below 92 to take the field. Teams were wearing just helmets the first two practices before adding shoulder pads on the third day before having full-contact practices the sixth day in accordance with FHSAA rules.
What other restrictions are there for outdoor sports?
As the heat wave lessens slightly toward the end of this week, coaches will have to start watching the radar too. There’s a 50 percent chance of precipitation over the next six days.
Thunder and lightning then become issues. According to NFHS guidelines, if thunder is heard or lightning is seen, play is paused for at least 30 minutes, with the clock resetting until the last thunder is heard or lightning is seen.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: How the WBGT decides when Pensacola area HS football teams practice
Reporting by Justin Fitzgerald, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Justin Fitzgerald, Pensacola News Journal | USA TODAY Network
