Arkansas school sports heat policy
AAA’s handbook rule for WBGT, which AAA titles Required, sets activity limits for practices in all sports, with one table for the whole state. How to read these labels
- Association
- AAA (Arkansas Activities Association)
- Label
- WBGT required
- Reading it uses
- WBGT
- Statewide table
- Yes, shown below
- Last checked
- September 27, 2026
What AAA’s document says
The policy cited below is written as a requirement.
AAA files this under Sports Medicine Rule 7, “Required Guidelines for Use of Wet Bulb Globe Thermometer,” and each sport’s rules say “Schools must follow all rules in Sports Medicine.” Taking the reading is written as advice: an instrument “should be utilized at each practice when the temperature is greater than 80 degrees Fahrenheit,” with readings every 30 minutes. AAA’s rest breaks are longer than the rows shown here: breaks that “should equal 10 minutes per hour” below 82.0 °F, “20 minutes of rest breaks distributed throughout the hour” from 87.0 to 89.9 °F, and 30 minutes of rest breaks across the hour from 90.0 to 92.0 °F. The rule also says “Cool zones must be set up for all practices.” AAA’s table puts 92.0 °F in its one-hour band and starts “No outdoor workouts” above it. This card starts that top band at 92.0 °F, a tenth of a degree earlier.
- < 82°FNormal activity
Normal activities. Provide 3+ rest breaks per hour (≥3 min each); unlimited water.
- 82 to under 87°FUse discretion
Use discretion for intense or prolonged exercise; watch at-risk athletes. 3+ rest breaks/hour (≥4 min each).
- 87 to under 90°FReduced: cap 2 h
Cap practice at 2 hours. Football: helmet, shoulder pads, and shorts only (pads off for conditioning). 4+ rest breaks/hour (≥4 min).
- 90 to under 92°FLimited: cap 1 h
Cap practice at 1 hour. No protective equipment and no conditioning. ~20 min of rest breaks across the hour.
- ≥ 92°FCancel outdoor activity
No outdoor workouts: delay or cancel until the WBGT drops to a cooler level.
This is a plain-language summary to help you plan. It is not legal advice, and it is not the association’s document. Associations revise these policies often. Confirm what currently applies with your school, district or association.
What else to know
- AAA applies the WBGT guidelines beyond regular-season practice: its Summer Rule 4(E) says “Must follow WBGT heat guidelines at all summer events”, and AAA brought marching band under the guidelines in July 2024.
- Asked in a “Frequently Asked Friday” post on its website (August 17, 2026) whether the WBGT can be set up in the shade, AAA answered no: “the WBGT needs to be in the same location and surface as the practice.” That is an FAQ answer, not a line in Rule 7.
- In the same post, AAA said its WBGT requirements, which are written for practices, do not apply to benefit games, because “benefit games are considered contests, not practices”, and that administrators should consider start times and extra breaks when planning them.
- A separate AAA rule (Article II, Section 1, Rule 1.M) lists “Develop an Emergency Action Plan for each athletic venue and procedures for hot weather practices”, so it is worth asking your school for its own hot-weather procedures.
How to read this
Each row is a range of WBGT readings, and every reading falls in exactly one row. A range like “82 to under 87°F” includes the first number and stops just below the second. The short activity notes in each row are a general guide, worded the same on every state page. AAA’s document may word its limits differently or add rest breaks, equipment and water rules, so open it for the exact rules.
Before you rely on this
- This page summarizes AAA’s document. It does not replace it. If they differ, go by the document and by the policy your school or league has adopted.
- Confirm what currently applies with your school, district or association. Many schools adopt their own version.
- Any WBGT number WetBulbTracker shows is a modeled estimate for planning, not an official reading. Where a policy calls for an on-site reading, that reading governs.
- This page does not replace an athletic trainer’s judgment.
Live heat readings in Arkansas
Suggest a correction
Associations update these documents, often before the fall season. If something here is wrong or out of date, send us a link to the current document and we will re-check it.
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