Missouri school sports heat policy
MSHSAA’s policy, written as a requirement, calls for WBGT readings, though MSHSAA calls the heat index an alternative; we show its high school table. How to read these labels
- Association
- MSHSAA (Missouri State High School Activities Association)
- Document
- MSHSAA Wet Bulb Globe Temperature - Heat Modification Policy (updated 6/25), high school column
- Label
- Required: WBGT or heat index
- Reading it uses
- WBGT or heat index
- Statewide table
- Yes, shown below
- Last checked
- September 28, 2026
What MSHSAA’s document says
The policy cited below is written as a requirement.
MSHSAA’s heat modification policy says “Schools must follow the statewide policy …” and “A scientifically-approved instrument that measures the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature must be utilized at each practice when the temperature is greater than 80 degrees Fahrenheit”. MSHSAA’s page “Wet Bulb Globe Temperature vs Heat Index” says “the utilization of the heat index is an alternative but is NOT considered best practice and has significant limitations”, and that MSHSAA’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee “recommended removing the utilization of the heat index … and to obtain a WBGT on site reading”. MSHSAA prints a separate, lower middle school column (“< 82”, “82.1 – 83.9”, “84.0 - 86.9”, “87.0 - 90.0” and “> 90”); this card shows the high school column. MSHSAA’s high school column puts 92.0 °F in its one-hour band and starts its top band above 92. This card starts that top band at 92.0 °F, a tenth of a degree earlier.
- < 82.1°FNormal activity
Normal activities. Provide 3+ rest breaks per hour (≥3 min each); unlimited water.
- 82.1 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
- The policy covers “practices and voluntary conditioning workouts (including during the summer) in all sports”, and each head coach signs it at the start of each season.
- MSHSAA says WBGT readings “should be taken every hour, beginning 30 minutes before the beginning of practice/event”.
- MSHSAA’s policy describes rest breaks “held in a ‘cool zone’ where players are out of direct sunlight”, with “unlimited access to hydration”.
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°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. MSHSAA’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 MSHSAA’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 Missouri
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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