New Hampshire school sports heat policy
NHIAA’s 2026-27 handbook recommends WBGT practice limits, in a sports medicine section that also covers preseason acclimatization for fall sports. How to read these labels
- Association
- NHIAA (New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association)
- Label
- WBGT recommended
- Reading it uses
- WBGT
- Statewide table
- Yes, shown below
- Last checked
- September 28, 2026
What NHIAA’s document says
The state association recommends WBGT-based activity modification.
The zones here are NHIAA’s own table (Handbook 2026-27, By-Law Article III §12, printed p. 62). NHIAA prints its top band, “No outdoor workouts”, as “Over 86.1”; this card starts it at 86.1 °F, a tenth of a degree earlier. NHIAA’s table leaves two readings in no band (76.1 °F and 86.1 °F). This card shows 86.1 °F in the top band, as above, and 76.1 °F in the band below it. NHIAA’s instrument sentence is bounded by the calendar: “A scientifically approved instrument that measures the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature should be utilized at each practice (prior to October 1)”, while the practice policy above it says “this policy is year-round, including during the summer”.
- < 76.2°FNormal activity
Normal activities. Provide 3+ rest breaks per hour (≥3 min each); unlimited water.
- 76.2 to under 81.2°FUse discretion
Use discretion for intense or prolonged exercise; watch at-risk athletes. 3+ rest breaks/hour (≥4 min each).
- 81.2 to under 84.2°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).
- 84.2 to under 86.1°FLimited: cap 1 h
Cap practice at 1 hour. No protective equipment and no conditioning. ~20 min of rest breaks across the hour.
- ≥ 86.1°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
- For games, NHIAA leaves changes to athletic directors, game officials (referees and umpires) and medical staff, who may add rest and water breaks, move a game to a cooler time of day or postpone it. For postseason events, NHIAA decides, in consultation with them.
- Fall outdoor sports other than football “should follow an acclimatization of a minimum of three (3) days before interscholastic scrimmaging”. Football’s preseason schedule is in NHIAA’s By-Law Article XXI.
- NHIAA says “WBGT readings should be taken at a minimum of every 30 minutes, beginning 30 minutes prior to the start of practice”, and that monitors “shall be calibrated, at a minimum, every two (2) years”.
- NHIAA first printed this section in its 2025-26 handbook, headed “(Pending Council Approval in Nov. 2025)”. The 2026-27 handbook, posted September 21, 2026, prints it with the same table and without that line.
How to read this
Each row is a range of WBGT readings, and every reading falls in exactly one row. A range like “76.2 to under 81.2°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. NHIAA’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 NHIAA’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 New Hampshire
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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