Oklahoma school sports heat policy
OSSAA moved from the heat index to WBGT in 2026; its policy, written as a requirement, sets limits for practices, not games, in two regional tables. How to read these labels
- Association
- OSSAA (Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association)
- Label
- WBGT required
- Reading it uses
- WBGT
- Statewide table
- Yes, two tables shown below
- Last checked
- September 4, 2026
What OSSAA’s document says
The policy cited below is written as a requirement.
OSSAA’s policy says “OSSAA member schools shall utilize WBGT to monitor practice and workout conditions and modify activity as outlined in the chart”, and has schools record the readings and keep them on file. An on-site instrument is set up 30 minutes before practice and read 15 minutes before, then every 30 minutes during it. Two scope points from the same policy: it does not apply these practice limits to OSSAA competitions, where it recommends monitoring, and it calls for a rapid cooling zone with cold-water immersion on site for any contest, practice, workout or marching-band session at 82.0°F WBGT or above.
OSSAA’s Region 3 table
- < 82°FNormal activity
Normal activities. Provide 3+ rest breaks per hour (≥3 min each); unlimited water.
- 82 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 90.1°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.
OSSAA prints two columns, Region 2 and Region 3, beside a WBGT classification map. Which one your school follows depends on where it sits, so check with your athletic director.
OSSAA’s Region 2 table
- < 79.7°FNormal activity
Normal activities. Provide 3+ rest breaks per hour (≥3 min each); unlimited water.
- 79.7 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
- Until its 2026 change, OSSAA’s heat policy ran on the heat index: its football manual had coaches check the heat index before every practice, and it printed no WBGT limits. Summer 2026 was the first season under OSSAA’s WBGT policy.
- OSSAA’s policy says all athletic coaches are required to view an NFHS course on heat acclimatization and heat illness every year, with proof of completion kept on file at the school, and that “All marching band staff must view the Band Safety course”.
- OSSAA times practice “from when players report to the outside practice/workout area until the players leave the area.” For football, its heat policy points to OSSAA’s 14-day football acclimatization guidelines for practice length and equipment.
- OSSAA’s policy says a student-athlete “should never be denied access to water”, and that rest breaks “must involve unlimited hydration intake and rest without any activity involved.”
How to read this
Each row is a range of WBGT readings, and every reading falls in exactly one row. A range like “82 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. OSSAA’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 OSSAA’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 Oklahoma
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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