Inclement Weather

This policy would be applicable to any outdoor MCSA sanctioned event (practice, game, etc) where there is no other authority that would outline when weather conditions are such to require assessment.

Player safety on and off the field is our priority, and we use a catalog of resource to help inform our decisions to adapt to weather changes, suspend, and/or cancel when needed. A few resources include:

US Soccer’s Recognize to Recover has guidelines to protect players related to heat, cold temperatures, on-field conditions, hydration, lightning, sun protection and more. 
 
National Athletic Trainers Association, which houses position statements and guidelines for safe athletics, including related to heat illness.  The heat of the summer is of particular concern for our players as we navigate summer storms that pop-up and extreme heat.

Excerpt from NCYSA Lightning Policy 10/15/2014:

If you see lightning, clear the field. If you hear thunder, clear the field. Play will be halted for a
minimum of 30 minutes. If no lightning is spotted during the 30 minutes and/or no thunder is
heard during the 30 minutes, play will resume. If lightning is seen and/or thunder is heard during
the 30 minute period, the clock starts over. No play will resume until a minimum of 30 minutes
passes with no thunder and/or no lightning.

Our Board Members are all involved in the decision-making process – whether that’s to cancel or suspend a session because of heat or lightning, adapt sessions to include more water breaks, or any other measure deemed necessary for the safety of our players.

Provided MCSA allows for games to continue, the referees make the final decision on whether the conditions are safe or not for play at the game.

Inclement Weather Communication

Our goal is to communicate cancellations as soon as a decision is made, and we strive to make a decision by 3pm during the week and 6:30am on the weekend. This affects carpool schedules and long commutes so we will do our best to stick to this schedule.  We often wait until these times to make a decision in hopes conditions will improve and allow us to play. 

Field Status

We update the field status on this website and Facebook as soon as a decision is made. Fields are marked “closed” if weather conditions are not safe for players, and we cancel soccer related activities. No one is allowed to play on a “closed” field.