NJSIAA wants to ensure its member schools have established Lightning Policies and Procedures in place for all interscholastic athletic events. It is important that member schools keep their policies and procedures current and are reviewed by administrators and coaches prior to the start of each season.
Here are the current NJSIAA guidelines on Lightning and Thunder procedures:
There are many other resources available to school administrators, coaches, parents and student-athletes, such as these from the NFHS and the NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC):
- NFHS SMAC Guidelines on Handling Practices During Lightning or Thunder Disturbances – (January 2021)
- NFHS High School Today Article (May 2021) – “Schools Should Establish Proactive Lightning Policy”
- NFHS High School Today Article (April 2018) – “Guidelines for Developing Lightning Safety Policies”
Additional resources from the National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) and the Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) can also be found below:
- National Weather Service – “Lightning Safety Tips and Resources”
- NOAA – “Lightning Safety”
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – “Lightning Safety Tips”
- NATA Position Statement (April 2013) – “Lightning Safety for Athletics and Recreation”
- KSI: “Lightning”
