NCGLL INCLEMENT WEATHER CANCELLATION AND LIGHTNING POLICY AND PROCEDURES:
Administrators should be familiar with our Cancellation Policy which can be found in the document below. Please be sure administrators, coaches, players and parents are familiar with our On-Site Inclement Weather Policy and Procedure
Administrators should be familiar with our Cancellation Policy which can be found in the document below. Please be sure administrators, coaches, players and parents are familiar with our On-Site Inclement Weather Policy and Procedure
NCGLL Playday INCLEMENT WEATHER CANCELLATION POLICY
CANCELLATION PROCEDURE:
● Decisions shall be made on a site by site basis by program director (i.e. just because one site cancels doesn’t mean all cancel)
● If inclement weather is in the forecast, program directors should discuss via text Friday evening prior to Saturday morning games and make every effort to make a call to close fields/cancel games by 10:30pm
● Should the forecast be questionable, directors can agree to delay the decision to close fields until Saturday morning/afternoon
● It is up to HOST SITE PROGRAM DIRECTORS to make the ultimate decision to cancel games on their host field(s) and notify visiting Program Director AND Official Assignor
● A call must be made whether or not to close fields/cancel games by 7:30am Saturday morning for 10:00 am games and at least 2.5 hours prior for afternoon games
● Once a decision is made, we stick with it. If games are a go, they are to begin on time and be played in full UNLESS there is lightning or some extenuating circumstance that puts players, coaches, officials, or fans in danger (i.e. see On-Site Lightning Policy)
● TEXT UPDATES WITH FIELD CLOSURES SHOULD BE SENT OUT TO VISITING TEAM DIRECTORS, HEAD ASSIGNORS, AND OFFICIALS ASSIGNED TO THE GAMES.
● It is up to Program Directors to communicate cancellations with their respective coaches and team in a timely manner.
ON-SITE INCLEMENT WEATHER/LIGHTNING POLICY:
NCGLL expects all hosts to abide by the following On-Site Inclement Weather Policy which adheres to local public school protocol and emphasizes safety for all participants:
(a) Assign an On-Site Point of Contact to monitor local weather conditions before and during play days and make sure that representative has NCGLL contact numbers to text updates on the day of the event. This On-Site Point of Contact MUST have a phone and MUST use radar websites in order to determine storm developments. Suggested websites that include radar and lightning tracking are: National Weather Service (NWS), Weather Underground, AccuWeather.
(b) Prior to hosting an event, clubs must notify all member organizations of: evacuation policy OR safe spaces (covered or indoor areas) at the site. If there are NO safe spaces, please include this information on your field notes provided to NCGLL Board prior to start of the season so that information can be published on the website and parents are prepared to bring players into cars in the event of lightning or thunder.
(c) If rain or field conditions become a concern after games have already started, the On-Site Point of Contact should be responsible for initiating a meeting between coaches and officials to decide if games are able to be played safely. Coaches, officials, and On-Site Point of Contact will come to an agreement to cancel and the On-Site Point of Contact is responsible for texting all coaches and officials regarding the cancellation.
(d)Hosts must adhere to the following criteria for suspension and resumption of play: (1) When thunder is heard or a cloud-to-ground lightning bolt is seen, the leading edge of the thunderstorm is close enough to strike your location with lightning. Suspend play for thirty (30) minutes and take shelter immediately. This means that the field must be cleared of all personnel and players. (2) Thirty-minute rule. Once play has been suspended, wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder is heard or flash of lightning is witnessed prior to resuming play. (3) Any subsequent thunder or lightning after the beginning of the 30-minute count will reset the clock and another 30-minute count should begin.
In the event of lightning- / thunder- related delay, affected games will be suspended according to rules above (c). Given the short duration of the games (40 minutes), if a host is able to salvage a minimum of 20 minutes of play, they are encouraged to continue with the game after determining it is safe to do so. However, if teams are unable to play at least 20 minutes, the game should be called entirely. The host should strive to adhere to the play day schedule (games starting on the hour) so as not to 1) disrupt rental timeframe and 2) disrupt travel timeframe for families. The Board will try to reschedule cancelled games on a make-up day at the end of the season if they are able to.
(e) If a game is cancelled, please notify the Scheduler and Member Organization Directors immediately for tracking purposes.
CANCELLATION PROCEDURE:
● Decisions shall be made on a site by site basis by program director (i.e. just because one site cancels doesn’t mean all cancel)
● If inclement weather is in the forecast, program directors should discuss via text Friday evening prior to Saturday morning games and make every effort to make a call to close fields/cancel games by 10:30pm
● Should the forecast be questionable, directors can agree to delay the decision to close fields until Saturday morning/afternoon
● It is up to HOST SITE PROGRAM DIRECTORS to make the ultimate decision to cancel games on their host field(s) and notify visiting Program Director AND Official Assignor
● A call must be made whether or not to close fields/cancel games by 7:30am Saturday morning for 10:00 am games and at least 2.5 hours prior for afternoon games
● Once a decision is made, we stick with it. If games are a go, they are to begin on time and be played in full UNLESS there is lightning or some extenuating circumstance that puts players, coaches, officials, or fans in danger (i.e. see On-Site Lightning Policy)
● TEXT UPDATES WITH FIELD CLOSURES SHOULD BE SENT OUT TO VISITING TEAM DIRECTORS, HEAD ASSIGNORS, AND OFFICIALS ASSIGNED TO THE GAMES.
● It is up to Program Directors to communicate cancellations with their respective coaches and team in a timely manner.
ON-SITE INCLEMENT WEATHER/LIGHTNING POLICY:
NCGLL expects all hosts to abide by the following On-Site Inclement Weather Policy which adheres to local public school protocol and emphasizes safety for all participants:
(a) Assign an On-Site Point of Contact to monitor local weather conditions before and during play days and make sure that representative has NCGLL contact numbers to text updates on the day of the event. This On-Site Point of Contact MUST have a phone and MUST use radar websites in order to determine storm developments. Suggested websites that include radar and lightning tracking are: National Weather Service (NWS), Weather Underground, AccuWeather.
(b) Prior to hosting an event, clubs must notify all member organizations of: evacuation policy OR safe spaces (covered or indoor areas) at the site. If there are NO safe spaces, please include this information on your field notes provided to NCGLL Board prior to start of the season so that information can be published on the website and parents are prepared to bring players into cars in the event of lightning or thunder.
(c) If rain or field conditions become a concern after games have already started, the On-Site Point of Contact should be responsible for initiating a meeting between coaches and officials to decide if games are able to be played safely. Coaches, officials, and On-Site Point of Contact will come to an agreement to cancel and the On-Site Point of Contact is responsible for texting all coaches and officials regarding the cancellation.
(d)Hosts must adhere to the following criteria for suspension and resumption of play: (1) When thunder is heard or a cloud-to-ground lightning bolt is seen, the leading edge of the thunderstorm is close enough to strike your location with lightning. Suspend play for thirty (30) minutes and take shelter immediately. This means that the field must be cleared of all personnel and players. (2) Thirty-minute rule. Once play has been suspended, wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder is heard or flash of lightning is witnessed prior to resuming play. (3) Any subsequent thunder or lightning after the beginning of the 30-minute count will reset the clock and another 30-minute count should begin.
In the event of lightning- / thunder- related delay, affected games will be suspended according to rules above (c). Given the short duration of the games (40 minutes), if a host is able to salvage a minimum of 20 minutes of play, they are encouraged to continue with the game after determining it is safe to do so. However, if teams are unable to play at least 20 minutes, the game should be called entirely. The host should strive to adhere to the play day schedule (games starting on the hour) so as not to 1) disrupt rental timeframe and 2) disrupt travel timeframe for families. The Board will try to reschedule cancelled games on a make-up day at the end of the season if they are able to.
(e) If a game is cancelled, please notify the Scheduler and Member Organization Directors immediately for tracking purposes.