Weatherbug

[Joe Stack]

Many of you may already know this, but for those that don't, there's a free weather app called Weatherbug (website as well) that has a Spark lightning meter that tells you whether there's been a lightning strike within 10 miles in the last 30 minutes. It doesn't tell you where or where the weather is heading, plus it doesn't tell you when the lightning strike occurred (thus, there's no specific time remaining in the 30 minute window). But it will tell you when the lightning is outside of the 10 miles/last 30 minute window.

In other words we know the window is open (i.e. a delay) but we don't know when it opened or when it closed specifically. When it closes, we play ball. We used it in a HS game last week and it worked well.

[Rulesman]

Most, if not all NCAA institutions, have equipment far more sophisticated. IMO it's a function of game management to provide the detection equipment and inform. If you are using an app that doesn't supply COMPLETE information, I'd hate to be in your shoes if you are wrong.

[Joe Stack]

I started to put this in General, but I don't know what the lightning rules/guidelines are in Fed rules. Even if your assertion is correct, the key word you said was "most," not all. I've been to DIII schools that were less sophisticated than even moderate sized high schools I've worked. Plus, there are many officials on here that work Texas (and probably Mass.) high schools that not only don't have lightning meters (or, as you worded, sophisticated equipment), but know little if anything about lightning guidelines in general.

OBVIOUSLY, if you have better equipment at your disposal, it would be idiotic to not use it. But my post assumed you didn't -- perhaps I should have made that more clear. Or, ignore the app completely. It was strictly information I thought some might be interested in.

[Rulesman]

I'm just saying the officials should not be expected to shoulder that burden. And they shouldn't.