Maryland school sports heat policy
MPSSAA’s model policy for preseason heat acclimatization recommends WBGT practice limits; check the version your school system adopted. How to read these labels
- Association
- MPSSAA (Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association)
- Label
- WBGT recommended
- Reading it uses
- WBGT
- Statewide table
- Yes, shown below
- Last checked
- September 8, 2026
What MPSSAA’s document says
The state association recommends WBGT-based activity modification.
MPSSAA’s model policy is issued under Md. HB 836 (2022), which says each local board “shall adopt preseason practice heat acclimatization guidelines … consistent with the model policy”. The model’s WBGT table follows “Recommendations from Category 3 heat safety zones adapted from the Korey Stringer Institute”, and the zones here are that table as MPSSAA prints it. MPSSAA’s table leaves two readings in no band (82.0 °F and 87.0 °F); this card shows each in the band below it. The model document also carries one district’s own version, Baltimore County’s, which runs on heat-index codes rather than on this WBGT table at all. So check which version your district adopted before relying on these numbers.
- < 82.1°FNormal activity
Normal activities. Provide 3+ rest breaks per hour (≥3 min each); unlimited water.
- 82.1 to under 87.1°FUse discretion
Use discretion for intense or prolonged exercise; watch at-risk athletes. 3+ rest breaks/hour (≥4 min each).
- 87.1 to under 90.1°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).
- 90.1 to under 92.1°FLimited: cap 1 h
Cap practice at 1 hour. No protective equipment and no conditioning. ~20 min of rest breaks across the hour.
- ≥ 92.1°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
- MPSSAA’s model is written for preseason practice, and its WBGT table is headed “WBGT Practice Modifications”. In its second band, it calls for three rest breaks an hour, four minutes each.
- MPSSAA is the athletic association for Maryland’s public secondary schools. Some private schools play in other leagues, such as the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association, which publishes its own heat table.
How to read this
Each row is a range of WBGT readings, and every reading falls in exactly one row. A range like “82.1 to under 87.1°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. MPSSAA’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 MPSSAA’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 Maryland
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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