Weatherford Little League Association
Severe Weather/Lightning Policy  

Notification of all umpires, board members and fields in play of weather alert when:
A.    A selected Board Member/Safety Officer receives a text alert from our lightning alert resource when lightning has been detected within 10 miles of our facility.
B.     Any Board Member or Umpire physically observes lightning or hears thunder.     

The responsibility of the safety of our members, their children and any other participants at the park due to severe weather fall explicitly with our Board Members and Umpires equally.  Any umpire working in any field has the complete authority to call for the suspension of play due to observed severe weather.

Actions to be taken:
A.    When an alert of lightning within 10 miles is received by a board member, then all umpires should be notified, and the local radar should be examined to determine if severe weather is directly approaching the park and will positively move through the playing area.  If it is determined, at this time that it will, then all play should be suspended, and all participants asked to vacate the fields.
B.     If at the time of the alert, a board member is unable to determine positively that the park will be impacted by severe weather then play can continue until a judgment is made, however, there should be constant observance of the local radar and the sky looking for signs that lightning or severe weather is approaching and a decision to suspend play should be made at the earliest time possible.                  
C.  If, at any time, lightning or thunder is observed by any Board Member or Umpire then play is to be immediately suspended, and all teams are to vacate the fields.  At this time, a 30-minute pause in play should occur while local radar is examined to determine whether severe weather is going to impact the park or is going to pass by without affecting play further.  THIS 30 MINUTE PAUSE IN PLAY IS TO BE OBSERVED AT ALL FIELDS IN USE.  If local radar shows that severe weather will positively be impacting the park, then all games should be postponed at that time and all participants asked to leave the facilities at once.
D.     If, after observing a 30-minute pause, all lightning and severe weather has passed then an all-clear can be given and play can resume.
                    
We as Board Members and its Umpires are tasked with the protection of our players, their families and all persons using the park facilities for baseball activities.  We will always want to rule in favor of safety when it comes to making weather decisions.  We can always reschedule games for another date, and we cannot be afraid to make a weather-related decision.  If a decision is made to postpone games due to approaching weather, but that weather does not materialize, or for some reason winds up not affecting the park, then we can move ahead knowing that we made the best safety decision with the data that we had. 

 

No Board Member or Umpire will EVER receive any scrutiny over making a decision to be safe, but this decision must be made collectively.