Intercollegiate Athletics Policy Manual
Section 15.00 - Sports Medicine
15.05.2 Lightning
LIGHTNING
Lightning is the most consistent and significant weather hazard that can interrupt intercollegiate athletics participation and jeopardize the health and safety of participants. The Athletics Department subscribes to the WeatherData, Inc. SkyGuard® monitoring and alerting service (for description, see 15.06.2a). When there is a lightning storm in the vicinity of the UT-Austin campus, the weather service sends notification to the designated Athletics Department staff (via alphanumeric pager, email, and/or text message) with specific information.
If the weather becomes a concern during an event or practice and a received warning notification has not been received, Weather Data meteorologists are available for consultation by calling (316) 265-9127. Additionally, weather monitoring software is available in the MNC Athletics Training Room. Each athletics staff member that has been designated to receive notification must ensure that his/her chosen communication device is operational before beginning practice/game/work.
Stoppage of Practice/Game/Work
Everyone should be removed from an outdoor facility when lightening is approximately 10 miles away. Games, practices, or work may resume when the storm has moved through and the closest lightning is beyond the 10-mile radius. Outdoor practice/game/work should not resume until 30 minutes after the last flash of lightning or sound of thunder.
The decision to suspend practice/game/work and remove people from an outdoor facility due to threatening weather will be made as follows:
1. Prior to and during practice – the attending athletic trainer will advise the coach about weather related issues. The coach has the responsibility to cancel, delay, stop and restart the practice. The athletic training staff will follow the above protocol and will not remain on the field if the coach ignores the weather warning. The athletic training staff can get real time information from the WeatherData Service so the practice opportunity can be maximized.
2. Prior to a game – the attending athletic trainer will advise the game operations staff about weather related issues. The game operations staff has the responsibility to cancel, delay, or allow play.
3. During a game – the attending athletic trainer, in consultation with events/operations staff, will advise the game officials about weather related issues. The game officials have the responsibility to stop and restart or cancel the game.
NOTE: In accordance with NCAA guidelines outlined in the NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook, during an NCAA sanctioned competition, play stoppage may be delayed until lightning has been identified within a 6-mile radius. This may only occur during competitions in which an approved weather monitoring device that provides real-time monitoring of lightning strikes is being utilized. If such a device is unavailable, the 10-mile radius must be utilized. WeatherData, Inc. SkyGuard®, utilized by UT Athletics, provides this information.
4. Prior to and during facilities work (field maintenance, etc.) – the individual that is performing the outside duties is responsible for receiving the notification and stopping work/seeking shelter accordingly.
If stoppage of play/work is indicated, everyone should go to the closest safe structure and remain there until given an ‘all clear’ by the game official, operations/events/facilities staff designate, coach, or athletic trainer. The following safe structures have been identified for each facility:
SITE SAFE STRUCTURES
1. DKR/Memorial Stadium Moncrief-Neuhaus Center
Beneath West & East Granstand
2. Myers Stadium Myers Fieldhouse
3. Denius Fields Enclosed Practice Facility
4. Rowing Facility – Town Lake Boathouse
5. UFCU/Disch Falk Baseball Field Fieldhouse
6. McCombs Softball Field Fieldhouse
7. Pennick-Allison Tennis Center Fieldhouse
8. Intramural Fields (51st Street) Vehicles
Coaches and staff should also be familiar with the flash-to-bang method of estimating how far away lightning is occurring. Thunder always accompanies lightning, even though its audible range can be diminished due to background noise in the immediate environment and its distance from the observer. To use the flash-to-bang method, count the seconds from the time the lightning is sighted to when the clap of thunder is heard. Divide this number by 5 to obtain how far way (in miles) the lightning is occurring. For example, if an individual counts 15 seconds between seeing the flash and hearing the bang, 15 divided by 5 equals 3; therefore the lightning is approximately 3 miles away.
As a minimum, the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) strongly recommends that by the time the flash-to-bang count reaches 30 seconds, all individuals should have left the athletic/work site and reached a safe structure or location.
Further, the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports recommends the following:
If individuals are unable to reach a safe structure, find a thick grove of small trees surrounded by taller trees or a dry ditch. Assume a crouched position on the ground with only the balls of the feet touching the ground, wrap your arms around your knees and lower your head. Minimize contact with the ground, because lightning current often enters a victim through the ground rather than by direct overhead strike. Minimize your body’s surface area and minimize contact with the ground. DO NOT LIE FLAT! Stay away from the tallest trees or objects (such as light poles or flag poles), individual trees, standing pools of water, and open fields. Avoid being the highest object in a field. Do not take shelter under a single, tall tree.
last updated: February 11, 2009