As temperatures continue to rise across parts of the UK, thousands of grassroots football clubs are returning for pre-season training and preparing for their first summer friendlies.

Hot weather does not automatically mean football should be cancelled. With sensible planning, good communication and the right precautions, training and matches can often continue safely. However, coaches, referees, volunteers and parents all have a responsibility to recognise when conditions may pose a risk to player welfare.

There is no official temperature at which grassroots football must stop. Instead, every session should begin with one simple question:

“Can we deliver this session safely today?”

That decision should always place player welfare above results, fitness targets or sticking rigidly to a training plan.

Football Can Continue – But Common Sense Must Lead

One of the biggest misconceptions during hot weather is that football either has to be played exactly as planned or cancelled altogether.

The reality is that there are plenty of sensible adjustments coaches can make to reduce the risk while still delivering an enjoyable and productive session.

These include:

• Increasing the number of drinks breaks.
• Reducing the intensity and duration of activities.
• Making full use of shaded areas.
• Rotating players more frequently.
• Avoiding the hottest part of the day where possible.
• Focusing more on technical work and decision-making rather than prolonged high-intensity fitness exercises.

A well-planned 60-minute session with regular cooling breaks is often far more beneficial than pushing players through a demanding 90-minute workout simply because it was written on the training schedule.

💡 Editor’s Tip

Players should never have to ask for water. By the time someone feels thirsty, dehydration may already be affecting concentration and performance. Plan hydration breaks before players need them.

What Does the FA Say?

The Football Association does not specify a maximum temperature at which grassroots football must stop. Instead, clubs, coaches and match officials are encouraged to complete a dynamic risk assessment based on the conditions on the day.

Factors to consider include:

• Air temperature.
• Humidity.
• Access to shade.
• Age of participants.
• Playing surface.
• Intensity and duration of activity.
• Individual medical conditions.
• Availability of drinking water.

The FA’s guidance makes it clear that player welfare should always come first and that coaches should adapt sessions where necessary rather than simply continuing as normal.

There Isn’t a Magic Number

Every summer, social media fills with the same question:

“What temperature is too hot to play football?”

The honest answer is that there isn’t one.

A technical passing session for Under-8s on grass is very different from a demanding pre-season fitness session for Under-18s on an artificial pitch, even if both are taking place at exactly the same temperature.

Good coaches don’t simply look at the weather forecast.

They look at the whole picture.

Recognising Heat-Related Illness

According to the NHS, early signs of heat exhaustion can include:

• Excessive tiredness.
• Dizziness.
• Headache.
• Feeling sick.
• Muscle cramps.
• Heavy sweating.
• Pale or clammy skin.

If a player begins to experience these symptoms, they should stop exercising immediately, move to a cool place, be given fluids if appropriate and be monitored closely. If symptoms worsen or do not improve quickly, medical advice should be sought immediately.

No training session or friendly fixture is more important than a player’s health.

💡 Editor’s Tip

If you are debating whether to shorten, adapt or postpone a session, you’ve probably already answered your own question. Player welfare should never be compromised simply to complete a training plan.

Parents Play an Important Role Too

Keeping players safe starts long before they arrive at training.

Parents can help by ensuring children:

• Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
• Eat before training.
• Wear lightweight clothing suitable for the conditions.
• Bring sufficient water for the entire session.
• Tell coaches about any medical conditions that could increase the risk of heat-related illness.

If a child is feeling unwell before training starts, there should never be pressure to attend.

There will always be another session.

Referees Should Feel Confident to Act

Referees also play an important role in protecting participants.

Where conditions require it, they should feel confident introducing additional drinks breaks, speaking with team officials and, if necessary, delaying or abandoning activity where player safety becomes a genuine concern.

Protecting participants should always take priority over completing a fixture.

Quick Hot Weather Checklist

Before every training session or match, ask yourself:

✅ Is plenty of drinking water available?

✅ Have additional drinks breaks been planned?

✅ Is shade available?

✅ Has the session been adapted for the conditions?

✅ Is a stocked first aid kit available?

✅ Do coaches recognise the signs of heat-related illness?

✅ Does everyone know what to do in an emergency?

If the answer to any of these questions is “no”, take action before the session begins.

TeamGrassroots View

Every week, thousands of volunteers give up their time to help children enjoy football.

Those same volunteers also carry one of the game’s greatest responsibilities.

Winning a pre-season friendly, completing another running drill or sticking rigidly to a training plan should never come before the welfare of a child or any participant.

Hot weather doesn’t have to stop football.

But it should encourage every club to stop, think and ask one simple question:

“Are we putting player welfare first today?”

If the answer is yes, you’re already making the right decision.

Join the Discussion

How does your club adapt training during hot weather?

Do you shorten sessions, introduce additional cooling breaks or change the focus of training altogether?

Share your experiences in the comments and help other grassroots clubs prepare for the weeks ahead.