While heat in the United States, Canada and Mexico are issues at the top of mind for fans and players at the World Cup, a different form of bad weather could delay games for hours on end.
In the United States, a specific protocol is followed for outdoor events impacted by thunderstorms that could lead to significant delays.
On top of this, FIFA does not have any cut-off point in their match regulations to call off any games being played, according to The Athletic.
American thunderstorm protocol dictates that a fixture being played at a stadium has to be immediately suspended if lightning is detected within an eight-mile radius of the venue.
This leads to athletes, coaches and officials being taken off the field and fans being evacuated to safe areas within the venue.
After a strike is detected, a 30-minute countdown clock starts. If that 30 minutes passes without another strike, the match will resume after a warmup period. However, if another strike occurs before that half hour elapses, then the clock re-starts at zero.
Thunderstorms could have a major impact on World Cup games due to US safety policies
At last summer’s Club World Cup, a match in Charlotte between Benfica and Chelsea was delayed for nearly two hours due to a thunderstorm that covered the area
Houston’s NRG Stadium is one of four American venues with a fixed or retractable roof
During last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, a match between Benfica and Chelsea was delayed for around two hours due to ‘severe weather’ around Charlotte, North Carolina. The match lasted over four-and-a-half hours in total.
FIFA does not have any regulations to stipulate how long a delay must last before calling the game off. But, according to the outlet, the organization will assess any situation on a case-by-case basis.
‘FIFA’s emergency preparedness team meets regularly with national meteorological and emergency management authorities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as with partners across all 16 Host Cities,’ the governing body said in a statement concerning the impact of severe weather.
‘A comprehensive, tournament-wide preparedness exercise focusing on severe weather scenarios has further strengthened cross-agency coordination and operational readiness.
‘Stadiums are required to maintain robust risk management and evacuation procedures, including lightning and severe weather protocols aligned with local legislation and international best practice.’
Only four American stadiums being used at the World Cup have fixed or retractable roofs, which will exempt them from these delays: NRG Stadium in Houston, AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
