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Our opinion is based on best practice of respected organisations such as the American College of Sports Medicine and Sports Medicine Australia. If there is a WBGT of more than 32☌, training and matches should be rescheduled. We recommend that if there is a WBGT between 28-32☌, cooling breaks should take place around the 30th minute and 75th minute. If there is a WGBT of more than 32° Centigrade (89.6 degrees Fahrenheit) cooling breaks are mandatory in both halves of a match, around the 30th minute and 75th minute the decision on whether to suspend or cancel the match is at the discretion of competition organisers.įIFPRO believes that FIFA’s guidelines do not do enough to protect the health and performance of players. In extreme cold, players can be at risk to hypothermia or frostbite when their bodies experience excessive heat loss. It is recognised and monitored by FIFA before matches using a special temperature device. The WBGT is a composite temperature calculated from several relevant parameters such as air temperature, humidity, sun exposure or wind speed. To prevent or mitigate this risk, guidelines relying on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) should measure the conditions.
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In extreme heat, players are at risk of suffering from heat-stress disorders such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heat strokes. Extreme weather conditions – especially heat and cold – trigger physiological responses that can damage health and performance. The human body maintains a constant core temperature that usually ranges from 36.1 to 37.8° Centigrade.
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