Lightning Extreme Weather

Occupational health and safety of players highlighted at Football Sustainability Summit

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Lightning Extreme Weather
  • FIFPRO Europe and Player IQ hosted a seminar on player workplace safety and performance as part of the Football Sustainability Summit in Berlin, Germany
  • The focus of the stakeholder and expert-led initiative was to anticipate measures and competition standards to counter extreme weather

  • Competitions around the world have seen play suspended in matches due to lightning and heavy rain; extreme weather and heat is anticipated to occur more frequently due to climate change

FIFPRO Europe and Player IQ last week hosted a seminar on player workplace safety and extreme weather in the framework of the Football Sustainability Summit 2024 in Berlin, Germany.

Key stakeholders including UEFA and World Leagues Associations were present, along with six FIFPRO member unions, allowing for important dialogue on strengthening awareness and enhancing player safety in the context of extreme weather conditions.

UEFA EURO 2024 saw play suspended in matches due to lightning and heavy rain, one of many examples of how rapidly changing weather conditions are impacting competitions and players.

Climate change and extreme weather events require the adaptation and development of guidelines and mitigation practices to deal with extreme weather conditions such as extreme heat or air quality levels, in order to protect players’ health and performance in the context of tournaments and competitions.

Currently industry standards in the football sector typically take the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index as its benchmark to activate cooling breaks as of more than 32°C (89.6°F) in both halves of a match, around the 30th minute and 75th minute.

The decision on whether to suspend or cancel the match is at the discretion of competition organisers. However, collective agreements – as for example between the PFA Australia and the A-Leagues – allow football markets to tailor standards to their needs and go beyond current IFAB recommendations.

Extreme Weather Summit
Member unions, scientific experts and stakeholders from UEFA gathered at the FIFPRO Europe and Player IQ seminar
Extreme Weather Summit 2
Extreme Weather Summit 3

The findings from the seminar were later presented by FIFPRO Europe at the Football Sustainability Summit, hosted by the German government in cooperation with UEFA and the German Football Association (DFB).

FIFPRO Europe General Secretary Joachim Walltin said: "The seminar enabled us to collect evidence-based learnings from leading scientists on what extreme weather issues to anticipate in future, as well as current experiences of player unions, which were presented to UEFA and key stakeholders.

"Hearing from member unions across three continents enabled us to gain different perspectives on extreme weather worldwide – such as extreme heat, heavy rain and thunderstorms, pollution, wildfires – and solutions to mitigate those risks to protect players in their workplace.

"In football, we all have a responsibility to contribute to a more sustainable future. We’re encouraged by these constructive discussions when it comes to developing best practices and managing serious cases of extreme weather in the near future." 

Sun Heat Spain Croatia
Sun glints through the stands during Spain-Croatia at UEFA EURO 2024

Player perspective on extreme weather conditions

Thursday’s seminar analysed the threat climate change poses to workers and the effects extreme weather and heat has on the development and adaptation of health and safety legislations across numerous countries, as presented by the International Labour Organization’s Occupational Health and Safety Team Lead Manal Azzi.

Player unions then presented their perspectives on the scale and impact of extreme weather on footballers in their workplace and how to manage it in a high-performance environment.

With the help of field experts in environmental physiology, such as Loughborough University’s Dr Lee Taylor, best practice on standards and mitigation practices in sports science and high-performance coaching were shared, along with an exchange on the future competition design and the need for climate mitigation strategies at future tournaments.

Dr Lee Taylor said: "Extreme weather events that are directly linked to climate change are anticipated to occur more frequently across the globe.

"We have witnessed in this year’s competitions footballers having to manage playing in extreme weather conditions. As these events will become more frequent and likely also more drastic, it is imperative that scientific experts and football stakeholders work together to share best practice and implement solutions to mitigate extreme weather and protect the health and safety of players amongst other participants."

Guidelines and Mitigation Strategies for Hot Conditions in Professional Football

Elevated heat, humidity, and solar load combined with low air movement independently and additively impair performance, increase the perception of effort and the risk of heat-related illnesses.

Guidelines And Mitigation Strategies

UEFA Chief Medical Officer Dr Zoran Bahtijarevic and World Leagues Association’s Head of Intelligence Stanislav Shtipkov provided feedback on the current practices of medical regulations and competition standards for national leagues and tournaments.

FIFPRO member associations in attendance included Australia (PFA), Chile (SIFUP), Cyprus (PASP), Greece (PSAPP), Israel (IFPO) and Malta (PFA).

PFA Australia’s Head of Policy Brett Taylor said: "Climate change is not only a universal challenge – it also has a direct impact on the football industry and the working environment of players.

"The health and safety of footballers is of paramount importance for player unions. We need to strengthen the awareness amongst professionals in the football industry on this rapidly emerging workforce issue and the practical measures that can be taken to allow players and the industry to better adapt and cope with this new reality."