Hot Topic

[bama_stripes]

When I began officiating (back in the last century), the traditional kickoff time was 7:30 PM and we were regularly off the field by 9:15-9:30.  As the game evolved from triple-option, run-heavy offenses to more pro-style offenses (and with the 1996 timing changes), the games began taking longer to complete.  As a result, local TV stations complained that they didn’t have enough time to prepare their highlight segments for the 10:00 news.  Our state then mandated that all games begin at 7:00, which continues until now.

This week, due to the excessive heat, schools are allowed to move start times back.  Many are going to a 8:00 start, including my contest.  In addition, we are to take as many heat TOs as necessary for player safety.

What measures are other states taking?

[bossman72]

There's never been a mandate in PA about what time games could start.  Everyone has naturally moved the games from 7:30 to 7:00 over the years, I think due to game length (I'm not positive that's the reason).

[CalhounLJ]

In our state, when I began, Game times in August and September were 7:30 because of heat. October - November were 7:00. Eventually they moved all games to 7:00. The rationale was that it was no cooler at 7:30 than it was at 7. Last year, they reverted back to the 7:30/7:00 pattern, only to rescind that for this year, and go back to 7:00. Until the recent heat wave. Now, they allow a voluntary push back to 8:00 if both coaches agree...

I have my own personal opinion about this, which I will not share today...

[TNofficial]

TN does not mandate start times except for playoff games which start at 7:00 so that the scores can get in earlier for the next week's brackets. Most of the schools my area in the last 3 years have  moved from 7:30 to 7:00. This is supposedly to get everyone home earlier. This Friday, however, many have moved as far back as 8:00 due to heat.

[riffraft]

Almost all games start at 7pm here in AZ. At 7 tomorrow expected to be 105, 103 at 8pm.  Only 18% humidity, so while it will be hot, it won't feel too bad.

Moving starting time to 8pm wouldn't change much for the heat.  And water breaks at natural times during the game has always been the rule during the first month of the season.

As long as the temps stay below 110 and humidity below 20% things are fine as long as you stay hydraded.  That is the problem, these kids think if you start drinking at 5pm you will be fine in spite of everyone telling them you have to start the day before drinking plenty of water.

[dammitbobby]

I can remember as a kid going to Texas HS football games that started at 8.  Now, I think they generally start at 7, sometimes 7:30, but that tends to be the exception in my experience. 

I am 100% in favor of moving them back to 8pm - at least where I am, it absolutely does get a little cooler when the sun goes down... maybe not a whole lot, but certainly enough to make a difference, at least to me.

[ElvisLives]

Yes, some (many?) schools in Texas have adjusted game time to 7:30, in lieu of 7:00, and will ask that there be an uncharged timeout about half-way through each period, for a water break, to be taken at a natural break in the action (turnover or score).

We have directed to cooperate. No problem. We need the water break, too.

[dammitbobby]

My game got moved from 7:30 to 7 this Friday.  No idea why.

[HLinNC]

In my jr. high and high school days, usually the first 3 weeks or so, varsity games would start at 8:00 and then move to 7:30 for the rest of the season. 

7:30 has been the standard for 40+ years now.  Some of our larger cities began moving their games to 7:00 because of issues outside the fence.

Several years ago our largest county/conference in the region decided to start varsity at 7:00 and JV's at 6:00.  The 6:00 Thursday JV start has had the domino effect of forcing their middle school games to Wednesdays because we can't cover all the games with 4:30 MS/6:00 JV start times.  When it was 7:00 JV we could normally pull a doubleheader as the MS and HS fields were the same or not that far apart.

We've received heat/hydration warnings and recommendations to move kickoff times back from the state office all week.  My JV game tonight still starts at 6:00 as scheduled.  My son's JV game moved from 6:00 to 6:30, which will have absolutely no effect on the temperature difference.  My varsity game tomorrow has been rescheduled from 7:30 to 8:00 pm.  The stadium is located at the foot of a mountain and has the coolest projected game time temps in the county.

I seriously question the intelligence and/or common sense of what passes for school administration these days.

[ElvisLives]

I seriously question the intelligence and/or common sense of what passes for school administration these days.

I could be wrong, but I truly believe that potential litigation outranks sensible decisions.

[CalhounLJ]

I could be wrong, but I truly believe that potential litigation outranks sensible decisions.

Yes, yes, and yes.

[VALJ]

When I started, it seemed like most of our games were at 730.  Somewhere over the last 20+ years, we moved first to one particular district at 7 and the rest at 730 and we’re now at 7 PM across the board.  But with some of our games lasting 2:30 or more, nobody wanted to be coming off the field at 10 PM (or later) regularly.

[dammitbobby]

My JV game tonight is at 5:30. On Turf.  Should be 106, not counting heat magnification.

Looking forward to being back on the field; melting my shoes, not so much.