Weather Policy

Cold Weather Policy

Potomac Soccer Association shall follow the policy outlined below for teams that are scheduled to practice outdoors:

1. 1. Field Conditions must be safe and conducive for an effective and productive training session.

   2. For teams U13 and YOUNGER, the temperature shall not be lower than 32 degrees, and the wind chill/”feels like” shall not be lower than 27 degrees.

   3. For teams U14 and OLDER, the wind chill/”feels like” shall not be lower than 25.

   4. Practices may also be canceled due to rain, sleet, or other factors that may influence road conditions, or greatly affect the effectiveness and productivity of a training session.

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Inclement Weather Information

For SoccerPlex fields, please use the weather hotline at 301-528-1497 or their website: http://www.mdsoccerplex.org/

For private school fields (Connelly School of the Holy Child, Barrie School, Landon School, Woods Academy, Norwood School, Fourth Presbyterian School, Seven Locks Baptist Church), it is open unless notified by the club.

For MCPS County fields, please go to this website: http://www.montgomeryparks.org/services/permits-rentals/apply/athletic-fields/

Please always remember that playing on a field under any of the conditions listed below can damage the field and make it unplayable, for everyone, for the rest of the season. All play on any park athletic field is prohibited whenever:

• The field is closed for renovation or repair
• Water is standing on the field
• One half-inch of rain or more has fallen within the previous 24 hours
• Soil is frozen
• Soil is wet and “spongy”
• The ground is muddy and soil clumps or clings to shoes
• Steady rain is falling
• A lightning/electrical storm is occurring
• The field is deemed unplayable by Park staff or Park Police

If you’re unsure if a field is closed, please call your ballfield rainout number first: 301-579-5610! Rainout number recordings are updated by 3:00 p.m. on weekdays and 7:00 a.m. on weekends. Each recording applies to all parks listed under that number.

For decisions about the use of school fields refer to the appropriate rainout number on the field listing or call Community Use of Public Facilities (CUPF) at 240-777-2706, Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. For decisions about sports programs offered by the Montgomery County Recreation Department, call their update line at 240-777-6889.

https://rainoutline.com/search/dnis/3015795610

For County Turf fields, you should call the appropriate ballfield rainout number (as mentioned above).

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Lightning Policy

1. Coaches are required to download the FREE WeatherBug App and utilize it to ensure safety if storms are forecasted.

2. If Thunder occurs, the APP should be used to by clicking the Spark tab at the bottom of the page to determine if there is lightning is detected within 10 miles of your location.  If lightning is detected within 10 miles of the location, all coaches and players are required to clear the field, benches, and stadium seats and seek shelter. STAY AWAY FROM METAL OR TREES.

3. There is a required 30 minute wait period if there are no other lightning strikes, however, every new lightning strike within the 10 miles radius restarts the 30-minute timeclock.

What to do?

1. All players, coaches, referees, parents must seek immediate shelter if there is a building close. If not, they should go to their cars.

2. Training will be considered finished if there is less than 45 minutes remaining in training when lightning is detected.

3. Parents should not drop off players if there is a weather delay.

4. If there is threatening weather, parents should stay at the field until the conclusion of practice.

5. Coaches are not permitted to leave players unattended. SAFETY IS THE PRIORITY.

LIGHTNING INFORMATION US Youth