Player Safety

Orono Youth football is a volunteer organization and while we strive to make football the safest game possible there are inherent risks with playing any contact sport. We believe football to be one of safest contact sports because of the quality of protective equipment, modified rules, player and coach safety training, and controlled practices. To help educate our coaches and our players, we follow the rules and regulations of USA Football.

The following VIDEO links will provide you more education and training.

Heat Stress Risk Temperature and Humidity Graph

Reprinted with permission from Kulka TJ, Kenney WL. Heat balance limits in football uniforms: how different uniform ensembles alter the equation. Phys Sportsmed 2002;30(7):29-39.

■     GREEN LINE: Regular practices with full practice gear can be conducted for conditions that plot to the left of the green line.

■     RED LINE: Cancel all practices when the temperature and relative humidity plot to the right of the red line;

practices may be moved into air-conditioned spaces.

■     BETWEEN RED AND YELLOW LINES: Increase rest to work ratio with breaks every 20 minutes and all protective equipment should be removed to practice in shorts only when the temperature and relative humidity plot between the red and yellow lines.

■     BETWEEN YELLOW AND GREEN LINES: Increase rest to work ratio with breaks every 30 minutes and

wear shorts with helmets and shoulder pads only when the temperature and relatrve humidity plot between the yellow and green lines.

■     Heat risk rises with increasing heat and relative humidity. Fluid breaks should be scheduled for all practices

and increased as the heat stress rises.

■     Add 5 degrees to temperature between 10 AM & 4 PM from mid May to mid September on bright, sunny

days.

■     Practices should be modified to reflect the conditions for the safety of the athletes.