Iowa school sports heat policy
In Iowa, IHSAA and three other associations publish one joint WBGT policy, written as a requirement, for practices and contests. How to read these labels
- Association
- IHSAA (Iowa High School Athletic Association, with IGHSAU, IHSMA and IHSSA)
- Label
- WBGT required
- Reading it uses
- WBGT
- Statewide table
- Yes, shown below
- Last checked
- September 4, 2026
What IHSAA’s document says
The policy cited below is written as a requirement.
This policy, issued jointly by IHSAA, IGHSAU, IHSMA and IHSSA, names Iowa’s region itself: “Category 2 is where Iowa is at and how we derived our numbers”. The zones here are its own printed numbers. Its table leaves one reading in no band (79.7 °F); this card shows it in the band below it. It also calls for WBGT readings year-round whenever the air temperature is above 80 °F, indoors or out; that 80 °F says when to take a reading, not when to change activity.
- < 79.8°FNormal activity
Normal activities. Provide 3+ rest breaks per hour (≥3 min each); unlimited water.
- 79.8 to under 84.7°FUse discretion
Use discretion for intense or prolonged exercise; watch at-risk athletes. 3+ rest breaks/hour (≥4 min each).
- 84.7 to under 87.7°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).
- 87.7 to under 89.8°FLimited: cap 1 h
Cap practice at 1 hour. No protective equipment and no conditioning. ~20 min of rest breaks across the hour.
- ≥ 89.8°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
- Iowa’s table is headed “Activity Guidelines / Required Modifications for Grades 9-12”, so it is written for high school grades.
- The policy covers games too: its two-hour and one-hour bands call for extra or longer timeouts for rest and water at contests, and its top band says to “Cancel or delay outdoor practices / contests until lower WBGT is recorded”.
- The policy says readings should be taken every 30 minutes where the activity is held, by the same person throughout. The reading at the start “is the lowest category directions to follow”, so limits can tighten if the WBGT rises, but the starting category is the least strict that applies.
- The table’s two-hour and one-hour bands each say “Cold water immersion available”, pointing to an additional info sheet.
How to read this
Each row is a range of WBGT readings, and every reading falls in exactly one row. A range like “79.8 to under 84.7°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. IHSAA’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 IHSAA’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 Iowa
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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