AUSTIN, Texas — Heading into the 2024-25 school year, there are new recommendations and requirements for school athletes stepping onto the field this season.
The University Interscholastic League (UIL), which creates rules for schools in the state of Texas, is implementing new requirements based on the so-called Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT). The WBGT is the recommended forecast measurement to determine changes to outdoor activities in the heat.
It comes after Austin ISD already adopted strict new guidelines last year for activities in hot weather that align with new UIL rules, with added precautions.
Starting this school year, all schools must have rapid cooling zones for WBG temperatures of 80 degrees or higher, with cold-water immersion tubs or tarps that can be filled with ice and water and wrapped around people. Schools must also have emergency action plans to address heat emergencies.
In an incident last year that prompted Austin ISD to update its guidelines, a Bowie High School football player got heat stroke during a game played on Astroturf in triple-digit heat.
Austin ISD guidelines address water breaks and how long outside practices can occur depending on the temperature.
For example, regular rest and water breaks are required once the temperature reaches 95 degrees, or a WBGT of 82.2-86.9. At least three five-minute water breaks are required every hour for outdoor activities once the temperature reaches 95.
In addition, starting at 100 degrees or a WBGT of 87.1-90, outdoor practices for athletics and fine arts are limited to two hours. Starting at 105 or a WBGT of 90.1-91.9, those practices are limited to one hour.
The guidelines also include a chart to teach students and staff the warning signs for heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat stroke, as well as what actions to take if someone starts to show those warning signs.