Ohio school sports heat policy
OHSAA’s heat regulation includes its own WBGT chart for adjusting practice, and it labels each level of that chart a recommendation. How to read these labels
- Association
- OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Association)
- Label
- WBGT recommended
- Reading it uses
- WBGT
- Statewide table
- Yes, shown below
- Last checked
- September 4, 2026
What OHSAA’s document says
The state association recommends WBGT-based activity modification.
OHSAA’s WBGT chart gives a “Recommendation” for each level, under the lead-in “Recommendations are as follows”. The zones here are OHSAA’s own numbers, as printed in its chart. OHSAA’s chart leaves 79.7 °F and 87.7 °F in no band; this card shows each in the band below it.
- < 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 87.8°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).
- 87.8 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
- OHSAA’s regulation names sports with “a required acclimatization period”: football candidates “must participate in five days of pre-season, non-contact acclimatization”, ice hockey has four days, and cross country runners need at least 10 days of practice before competing.
- OHSAA’s heat precautions are written for “all sports competed outdoors” and for sports “in a hot, humid environment”, not only for outdoor sports.
- Among them, OHSAA lists “Know both the Temperature and Humidity” and testing the air with a WBGT reading before practice or a game.
- For games in any sport, OHSAA lets referees and umpires set breaks in advance, such as halfway through each period, when players can drink water and take off equipment.
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. OHSAA’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 OHSAA’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 Ohio
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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