Severe Weather Policy

Games shall be stopped and

possibly terminated due to the presence of severe weather. Severe

weather shall include but is not limited to:

1. The sighting of lightning.

2. The hearing of thunder.

3. The sighting of a funnel cloud.

If any of these conditions are present during a game, then the referee

in charge shall stop the game and instruct everyone to clear the field

and seek shelter. After a wait of at least 30 minutes with the absence

of any severe weather, the game may be resumed. If after 30 minutes the

severe weather continues, the referee may terminate the game.

If any of these conditions are present during a practice or a scrimmage

where no referee is present then the coach or coaches are responsible

for stopping the practice or scrimmage and instructing everyone to clear

the field and seek shelter. After a wait of at least 30 minutes with the

absence of any severe weather, the practice or scrimmage may be resumed.

If after 30 minutes the severe weather continues, the practice or

scrimmage shall be terminated.

In the case of multiple games, practices or scrimmages occurring at a

single location, if there is a person or persons on site who have been

vested with the authority for the whole site, such as is

the case of a tournament director, then the individual referees and

coaches will be subordinate to that site authority/s determination of

the presence of severe weather and whether the activities should be

stopped or terminated.

If there are no severe weather conditions present but in the opinion of

the referee or the site authority the threat of severe weather is

sufficiently real then the referee or the site authority may suspend or

terminate a game at their discretion.

If at any time during any game, practice or scrimmage a parent or

guardian feels that conditions are dangerous or constitute a possibility

of a threat of severe weather that poses a risk to their or their

child/s safety, then that parent or guardian has the responsibility to

remove their child from the game, practice or scrimmage even if the

game, practice or scrimmage continues. In that event there shall be no

penalty to the parent or child for such an action but consequences such

as forfeiture of a game may result.

If the Fayette County area is under a severe weather warning then no

activities shall be permitted to start or continue while that

warning is in effect.

This policy was created after reviewing information found at the

following sources:

National Severe Storms Laboratory website at www.nssl.noaa.gov

National Lightning Safety Institute website at www.lightningsafety.com

National Collegiate Athletics Association website at www.ncaa.org

(search for ?weather guidelines?) as well as reviewing policies of

individual organizations such as:

The current Lexington FC and LYSA weather policies at www.lysa.org

The severe weather policy of the Georgetown ( Texas ) Soccer Association

at www.georgetownsoccer.org

The severe weather policy of the city of Louisville , Colorado at

www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_pls/lsvl_plans.html