Southern Classic Sports North Texas Youth Baseball Register a Team
Player & Family Safety

Safety & Weather Policy

Our approach to lightning, heat, and severe weather at every Southern Classic Sports event.

Lightning Policy

  • All play stops immediately at the first sign of lightning or thunder, regardless of the score or inning.
  • Following the widely used "30-30 rule": once thunder is heard within 30 seconds of a lightning flash, players and spectators move to a safe location, and play does not resume until 30 minutes have passed since the last observed lightning or thunder.
  • Safe locations are fully enclosed buildings or hard-topped vehicles — dugouts, tents, and open-sided structures do not qualify as safe shelter.
  • Tournament staff and umpires have full authority to suspend play; this decision is never overridden by coaches, parents, or the schedule.

Heat & Hydration

  • Water breaks are built into game stoppages during high-heat conditions at umpire and staff discretion.
  • Coaches and parents are encouraged to bring extra water and shade for players between games, especially during summer tournament weekends.
  • Any player showing signs of heat illness (dizziness, nausea, confusion, stopping sweating) should be removed from play immediately and given water, shade, and cooling — seek medical attention if symptoms don't improve quickly.

Rainout & Makeup Games

  • Field and weather status updates are communicated directly to registered coaches as soon as decisions are made.
  • Makeup game policy and any schedule compression is announced tournament-by-tournament, based on the specific weather delay.
  • Entry fee refund policy for weather cancellations is outlined at registration — contact us directly with questions about a specific event.

Emergency Contacts & First Aid

  • Tournament staff on-site at every venue can direct you to the nearest first aid resources and, if needed, contact emergency services.
  • In a medical emergency, call 911 first — then notify the nearest tournament staff member or umpire.
A Note

About this policy

This page reflects standard, widely used youth sports safety practices. It is a starting template, not a substitute for a venue-specific emergency action plan reviewed by your insurance provider or legal counsel — worth finalizing that before relying on it as an official policy.