Arkansas AAA Heat Policy and WBGT Guidelines
The Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) sets heat limits for high school athletics by Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT). Here are the activity limits at each level, and how Sports Safe applies them to your fields.
Outdoor practice stops
92.0°F WBGT and above
Arkansas WBGT activity chart
No Flag
Under 82.0°F
Practice limit: None stated
Normal activities. Provide separate rest breaks each hour of practice totalling 10 minutes per hour.
Green Flag (low)
82.0 to 86.9°F
Practice limit: None stated
Use discretion for intense or prolonged exercise and watch at-risk players carefully. At least three separate rest breaks each hour, minimum 4 minutes each.
Yellow Flag (moderate)
87.0 to 89.9°F
Practice limit: 2 hours
Maximum 2 hours of participation in this range. All sports: 20 minutes of rest breaks distributed through each hour of participation.
Equipment: Football: helmet, shoulder pads and shorts only. Protective equipment must be removed for conditioning activities.
Red Flag (high)
90.0 to 91.9°F
Practice limit: 1 hour
Maximum 1 hour of participation in this range. All sports: 30 minutes of rest breaks distributed through the hour of participation.
Equipment: Football: no protective equipment may be worn. No conditioning activities.
Black Flag (extreme)
92.0°F and above
Practice limit: No outdoor practice
No outdoor workouts. Delay practice until a cooler WBGT level is reached.
| WBGT | Level | Practice limit | What the chart says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 82.0°F | No Flag | None stated | Normal activities. Provide separate rest breaks each hour of practice totalling 10 minutes per hour. |
| 82.0 to 86.9°F | Green Flag (low) | None stated | Use discretion for intense or prolonged exercise and watch at-risk players carefully. At least three separate rest breaks each hour, minimum 4 minutes each. |
| 87.0 to 89.9°F | Yellow Flag (moderate) | 2 hours | Maximum 2 hours of participation in this range. All sports: 20 minutes of rest breaks distributed through each hour of participation. Equipment: Football: helmet, shoulder pads and shorts only. Protective equipment must be removed for conditioning activities. |
| 90.0 to 91.9°F | Red Flag (high) | 1 hour | Maximum 1 hour of participation in this range. All sports: 30 minutes of rest breaks distributed through the hour of participation. Equipment: Football: no protective equipment may be worn. No conditioning activities. |
| 92.0°F and above | Black Flag (extreme) | No outdoor practice | No outdoor workouts. Delay practice until a cooler WBGT level is reached. |
Key points
- Uses nearly the same WBGT thresholds as Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida (82, 87, 90, and 92°F), but states rest as total minutes per hour: 20 minutes at Yellow and 30 at Red.
- Football at Yellow: helmet, shoulder pads, and shorts only, and protective equipment comes off for conditioning.
- Football at Red: no protective equipment and no conditioning.
- When it's over 80°F, use a WBGT instrument: set it up 30 minutes before practice, read it 15 minutes before practice starts, then every 30 minutes.
- Cool zones out of direct sunlight are required at every practice, athletes get unlimited access to water, and heat stroke is treated with cold water immersion on site before transport.
- AAA's chart puts a reading of exactly 92.0°F at the top of Red. Sports Safe treats it as Black, the more protective choice.
Common questions
- At what WBGT does outdoor practice stop in Arkansas?
- Using the AAA heat policy, Sports Safe stops outdoor practice at 92.0°F WBGT.
- How long can practice last at each heat level in Arkansas?
- Under the AAA heat policy, the practice time limits are: Yellow Flag (moderate), 87.0 to 89.9°F: 2 hours; Red Flag (high), 90.0 to 91.9°F: 1 hour. Levels not listed have no time limit stated, and at the top level outdoor practice stops.
- Does Sports Safe use the heat chart for Arkansas automatically?
- Yes. Sports Safe uses the AAA chart for fields in Arkansas. You can choose a different chart for any field in its settings.
How Sports Safe uses the Arkansas chart
Sports Safe estimates WBGT for each of your fields from current weather, checks it against this chart, and alerts you when a field moves into a stricter level. On the Organization plan, coaches can keep a timestamped log of meter readings and the actions taken.
An app estimate supports your decisions but is not a WBGT meter. Where your association requires readings from an approved instrument, use one for the reading of record.
Source
Checked against the AAA's WBGT policy as shared by the Arkansas Athletic Trainers' Association, because the AAA's own site was not serving it. View the source. Last reviewed October 3, 2026.
Sports Safe is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Arkansas Activities Association. Policies change, so always confirm the current rules with your association and follow your school's emergency action plan.