You Make The Call 9/22/09

bamajake · September 22nd, 2009, 09:38 AM

Game time is scheduled for 7:00. At 6:45, a lightning bolt is observed in the distance. It is announced that the game will be delayed until 7:15. No other lightning is seen and at 7:10 thunder is heard in the distance. When can the game be started?

VolFan1 · September 22nd, 2009, 12:28 PM

Sounds like a new rule this year

..or at least something added to a rule

TSUBAMAFAN · September 22nd, 2009, 12:58 PM

In Georgia, it would be thirty minutes after lighting registation on the designated school administer's lightning sensor. In this case it would depend on how far away the lightning was indicated on the sensor. If it is far enough away the game could restart at 7:15, if it is inside of tolerable range the game would be delayed until 7:40 or until another lightning strike is registered.

bamajake · September 22nd, 2009, 02:52 PM

Lightning sensors? I only wish we had such things here in Alabama.

TSUBAMAFAN · September 22nd, 2009, 03:33 PM

The sensors are required at all outdoor sporting events. The sensor indicates how far away lightning activity is. I don't know how far it measures, but if it is within relatively short distance (I believe 10 miles, but that may not be correct) activity must be delayed for 30 minutes from that last recorded instance.

bamajake · September 22nd, 2009, 04:30 PM

I was being a bit of a smart*** with my last post. I know what they are and I think they should be required uniformly for outdoor high school events. However, they are not currently required in Alabama. Alabama follows the National Federation of High Schools guidelines when it comes to weather issues.

VolFan1 · September 22nd, 2009, 04:31 PM

7:40..thunder now counts the same as lightning

bamajake · September 22nd, 2009, 04:59 PM

Very good VolFan. The guidelines state that when thunder is heard or a cloud-to-ground lightning bolt is seen, play is to be suspended and not resumed for 30 minutes. If there is another rumble of thunder or lightning strike, the thirty minutes starts over.

I put this question up to let folks know why we were sitting around in so many places until after 8:00 this past Friday. I know the fine folks of Gordo thought we had lost our minds when we sat around waiting and then decided to play when the heavy rain started at about 8:15. The reason is simple -- the last thunder or lightning was at around 7:45. Once that moved out, we played.

aden · September 22nd, 2009, 10:30 PM

good post ,there were a lot of delayed games in the southern part of the state last friday night also.

VolFan1 · September 23rd, 2009, 06:26 AM

What is the rule in Alabama about heat delays?

Tennessee is if the heat index is 95-104, a timeout half way through each quarter. 105+ Game cannot be played. Each school is required to have a psychrometer (sp?), tool that tells heat index.

http://www.tssaa.org/Handbook/heatpolicy.pdf

bamajake · September 23rd, 2009, 09:28 AM

What? They can't handle a little warm weather in Tennessee? What a bunch of wimps! Just kidding VolFan. In Alabama, heat timeouts are mandated at the first dead ball after the 6:00 mark of each quarter for the first three games. After the third game, it is the referee's discretion as to whether heat timeouts are called. Basically, that means that the referee will decide if we need heat breaks or not.