Arizona high school football teams battle triple-digit heat as season approaches

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — With temperatures climbing toward some of the highest marks of the year, thousands of Arizona high school football players are hitting the practice fields to prepare for the upcoming season. However, with early morning temperatures already hovering around 95 degrees, safety has become the primary focus for coaches and athletes across the state. The Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) mandates strict heat acclimatization rules to protect student-athletes during back-to-school practices. These policies dictate mandatory water breaks, establish outdoor safety limits, and require a gradual phase-in for protective equipment over the first two weeks of practice. “The first five days of practice, schools can only have one practice per day, and that practice cannot be any longer than three hours,” said Dr. Jim Dean, AIA executive director.

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