What the policy requires
Louisiana sets one statewide heat standard for every sport
Louisiana's Bulletin 135 (Health and Safety), §507, written to align with Act 259 of the 2020 Regular Legislative Session and applied to LHSAA schools, covers summer conditioning, preseason, and fall and spring sports any time a coach is present. It requires an approved WBGT instrument at every outdoor practice, with readings taken at the practice site at least every hour, beginning 30 minutes before practice or a contest starts, and every reading recorded. Forecasts don't satisfy the rule: it's built around on-site conditions at the actual venue.
WBGT Monitoring
An approved instrument at each outdoor practice, with readings at least hourly starting 30 minutes before start time.
Cooling Tubs
Cold-water immersion tubs or an equivalent available in a shaded area when WBGT exceeds 85.0°F.
Documentation
Any practice modification or cancellation must be recorded on the WBGT Environment Modification/Cancellation Log.
14-Day Acclimatization
The first 14 days of preseason practice, with no more than two rest days or the process restarts at day one.
Lightning Safety
The NFHS standard: suspend at the first thunder or lightning, wait 30 minutes, and reset the clock on any new strike.
LHSAA WBGT categories
What each WBGT reading requires on the field
Louisiana ties rest breaks, practice length, and equipment to the WBGT category at the practice site. Weatherstem reads the category for you, so coaches act on it instead of looking it up.
| WBGT | Required action |
|---|
| Below 76.1°F | Normal activities and practice rules; standard hydration. |
| 82.2–86.9°F | At least 3 rest breaks per hour, 3 minutes each. Normal equipment with active monitoring. |
| 87.1–90.0°F | Maximum 2 hours. At least 3 rest breaks per hour, 4 minutes each. Football in helmets, shoulder pads, and shorts. |
| 90.1–91.9°F | Maximum 1 hour. Football in helmets and shorts (or football pants if the level is crossed mid-practice). No conditioning. |
| 92.1°F and above | All outdoor activities and practices are cancelled. |
Above 85.0°F WBGT, cold-water immersion tubs or an equivalent should be available in the shaded rest area. Categories as published for LHSAA schools; confirm your district's applicable guidance with the LHSAA.
Acclimatization
The 14-day heat acclimatization rules
Every athlete follows the same 14-day schedule at the start of preseason. More than two rest days restarts the clock at day one.
Days 1–5One practice per day, 3 hours maximum, plus a 1-hour walk-through after 3 hours of rest.
Equipment phase-inHelmets only on days 1–2, helmets and shoulder pads on days 3–5, full gear and contact from day 6.
DoublesAllowed on days 6–14, but not on back-to-back days, with a 5-hour daily maximum.
Restart ruleMore than two rest days in the 14 restarts the acclimatization process.
Also required
The safety practices behind the numbers
Shaded rest breaksRest in shade with unrestricted fluids and helmets off.
Cool first, transport secondBe ready to start cold-water immersion for suspected heat stroke while calling EMS.
Venue-specific EAPAn emergency action plan for each venue, reviewed every season.
Annual coach trainingHeat-illness training for coaches every year.
