Too hot to play? Heat and lightning rules for junior football
Short answer
There’s no single national temperature at which junior football stops. Each state federation sets its own hot weather policy, and many clubs use Sports Medicine Australia’s heat tool, which rates the risk for your postcode from low to extreme. In WA, for example, games for under-12s are cancelled when it’s forecast at 32°C or more.
Summer football, pre-season training and early-season games in March all run into hot days. The short version for coaches: check the forecast a couple of days out, know what your federation's policy says, and don't wait for the referee to make the call on a 38-degree afternoon.
The Sports Medicine Australia heat tool
Sports Medicine Australia's 2025 guidelines, built with the University of Sydney, don't use a single temperature. The free web tool takes your sport (soccer is on the list) and your postcode, pulls in the Bureau of Meteorology's readings from the nearest station, and allows for humidity, sun and wind. It then gives a risk level:
| Risk | What to do |
|---|---|
| Low | Drink regularly, and wear light, breathable kit |
| Moderate | More and longer rest breaks in the shade, for example at least 15 minutes’ rest for every 45 minutes of training |
| High | Active cooling during breaks: wet towels, ice packs, water dousing, misting fans |
| Extreme | Consider suspending play. If it’s already started, stop, get everyone into shade or air-conditioning and cool them down |
Keep the tool bookmarked on your phone: sma-heat-policy.sydney.edu.au.
What a federation policy looks like: Football West
Football West publishes hard temperature cut-offs, using the Bureau of Meteorology forecast for the area nearest the ground. Its policy (version 7.1, from November 2025) is a good example of how these work in practice:
| Forecast | Juniors up to 12 | Juniors 13 to 17 | Seniors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 31°C | Played | Played | Played |
| 32 to 35°C | Cancelled | Rescheduled | Played |
| 36°C and over | Rescheduled | Rescheduled | Rescheduled |
It also calls for a drinks break in each half when kick-off is forecast at 30°C or more for juniors (34°C for seniors), roughly two-thirds of the way through the half. Football West announces its decision by 10am Friday for weekend games.
Other states do it differently. Football NSW, for instance, has told clubs that the decision sits with them under their duty of care, using Sports Medicine Australia's guidance. Your association's handbook is the one that applies, so look it up before summer.
A hot-day checklist for coaches
- Check the heat tool or your federation's update two or three days out, and again on the morning.
- Move training to early morning or evening. Football West, for example, asks junior training on 32 to 35°C days to finish by 11am or start after 5pm.
- Bring shade if the ground hasn't got any, and more water than you think.
- Use every break properly. On high-risk days Sports Medicine Australia recommends active cooling: wet towels, ice packs, water over the head and neck.
- Rotate more often so nobody is out there for long stretches. Equal minutes still apply, just in shorter bursts.
- Tell parents early. A Thursday message beats a car park full of families at 8am.
Lightning: the 30-second rule
Storms often follow hot days. Football West's policy uses the same rule many sports do: count the seconds between the flash and the thunder.
- Under 30 seconds means the lightning is within about 10 km. Stop play and get everyone into a large, solid building.
- Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before you go back out. Every new rumble restarts the clock.
Wet grounds after the storm are a council call, not a club one. Our ground closures guide has the Sydney council status lines.
Equal playing time calculator
Shorter shifts on a hot day? Plan a rotation that still gives every player fair minutes, with the free equal playing time calculator.
Questions
At what temperature is junior soccer cancelled in Australia?
It depends on your state. Football West cancels games for under-12s at a forecast of 32°C or more. Other federations, such as Football NSW, leave it to clubs using Sports Medicine Australia’s heat guidance.
Who decides if a game is called off for heat?
Your federation or association if its policy sets the rule; otherwise the club, under its duty of care. Check your association’s handbook before the season.
Are drinks breaks compulsory?
Under Football West’s policy, yes, when kick-off is forecast at 30°C or more for juniors or 34°C for seniors. Elsewhere, it depends on your competition’s rules.
How long do we wait after lightning?
Thirty minutes after the last thunder, under Football West’s policy, and the count restarts if there’s more thunder.
Sources
- Extreme Heat Risk and Response Guidelines and Webtool (2025)Sports Medicine Australia, with the University of Sydney. Four risk levels from local weather data, and what to do at each
- SMA Extreme Heat Policy webtoolSports Medicine Australia, with the University of Sydney. Pick soccer and your postcode for today’s heat risk
- Extreme Weather Policy v7.1Football West. From November 2025: heat thresholds by age, drinks breaks and the lightning rule
- Football NSW Hot Weather Policy in full force this weekendFootball NSW. Clubs decide under their duty of care, using Sports Medicine Australia guidance
Associations and clubs can set their own rules within these, so check your association's handbook for anything that decides a match or a fee.
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