Illinois school sports heat policy
In Illinois, IHSA recommends its WBGT limits to member schools for competitions and uses them at all of its own state series events. How to read these labels
- Association
- IHSA (Illinois High School Association)
- Label
- WBGT recommended
- Reading it uses
- WBGT
- Statewide table
- Yes, shown below
- Last checked
- October 1, 2026
What IHSA’s document says
The state association recommends WBGT-based activity modification.
IHSA’s “Managing Heat and Heat Illness” calls its guidelines “minimum standards that IHSA member schools should follow for athletic competitions” and says they “will be used by managers or their designees at all IHSA state series events when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.” The zones here are IHSA’s own Table 1, which it says to use “with an on-site WBGT reading”. For practices, its third band says “If practicing, maximum of 2 hours of training/practice while temperature is in this range”, and its fourth band sets a “maximum of 1 hour”.
- < 80°FNormal activity
Normal activities. Provide 3+ rest breaks per hour (≥3 min each); unlimited water.
- 80 to under 84.6°FUse discretion
Use discretion for intense or prolonged exercise; watch at-risk athletes. 3+ rest breaks/hour (≥4 min each).
- 84.6 to under 87.6°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).
- 87.6 to under 90°FLimited: cap 1 h
Cap practice at 1 hour. No protective equipment and no conditioning. ~20 min of rest breaks across the hour.
- ≥ 90°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
- For tournaments, IHSA’s guidelines have temperature and humidity readings taken at the site 30 minutes before the start and again 60 minutes in, recorded in writing and kept by the tournament manager or host school.
- IHSA calls a Wet Bulb Globe Thermometer “recommended”, and says a WBGT can also be estimated from air temperature and relative humidity with the chart on its second page, which assumes full sun.
- IHSA says “Schools with more restrictive guidelines are not expected to modify any pre-existing guidelines in order to meet this policy”, so a school with a stricter rule can keep it.
- IHSA’s guidelines reach indoors too: in its two-hour and one-hour bands they say to reduce outdoor activity time “as well as indoor activity if air conditioning is unavailable”.
How to read this
Each row is a range of WBGT readings, and every reading falls in exactly one row. A range like “80 to under 84.6°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. IHSA’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 IHSA’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 Illinois
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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