Well done Paul. I'd have gone one step further and called tonights off too.

I'd have gone 2 steps further, called of all of this weekends games on Wednesday when it was obvious that both nights was going to be too hot on the same weekend that School Nationals is on.

Any other sports allow kids to participate in these conditions? I don't think so.

Nose Nuggets, The game is for kids and we are adults who need to protect them. In all aspects of society rules are in place about excessive heat. That is in schools and work places. You need to examine your motives because as far as Im concerned this is a safety issue and one that will end up in court when it did not have to just because people like you think the whole worlds gone soft.

Someone else,
I will be playing(cricket) tomorrow unless the temp is forecast at 40 or above Sat am. There are, as you can see safety rules in cricket for all grades and Basketball needs to catch up.

what about tonight low of 28 tonight which will be about 38 at the tin shed at hillcrest why are friday night games still on ?????????? maybe the money

#126
The answer my friend is blowin the wind. you can forfeit but thats a 20 point loss. Common sense runs second to ambiguous policy and every stadium has different sets of standards and is solely at the discretion of the stadium manager

#128
Have you ever bowled or batted for any length of time in the heat?
Cricket is cancelled when over 40 degrees and basketball needs to cancelled over 38 degrees where no air cons are used. End of story.

A netball competition I play in rules that if it is over 36 degrees at 6pm - as heard on Mix 102.3 - then games are cancelled.

It appears to work there, why can't it work here? But maybe make the time a little earlier, say 5pm?

current temp according to Bureau of Meteorology is 37C at 7:35

how about the fact that from 5.30pm till 7.30pm the side door was closed because the hot air coming in upset some people.why did the refs not call time outs.Maybe one day Paul A and bsa get reel and produce a heat policy that deals with all of the problems that are out there. Or maybe we need some one who can do the job! at the mowment its a joke!!!!!

lights are also a requirement for bball, pity about 2/3rds of the courts at the port after 9pm

The 4 airconditioned courts at Starplex had only 2 games last night.

I suppose if there had been enough notice 20-30 games could have been rescheduled.

Eagle, I also played at hillcrest last night and had no problem with the temp. We had an earlyish game and IMO it wasn't to bad. The Arena in Geelong was alot worse on one of the days and it was still barable so i think some people have blown this out of proportion.

Wayville was hot. My children were not happy playing the earlier games. Not many extra time outs were called by umps. Later we were at Morphett Vale and it was cooler at their stadium. The umpires called extra timeouts without anyone requesting it. IMO games at Wayville should of been cancelled.

Whats it like in the Dome ? My son has three hours ( two one and a half sessions ) of training for country state on saturday.

True its air conditioned but its rarely on. And its by far the coldest stadium in winter.

I hope so, i havnt travelled with him and his mother.

But if he got too stressed, i'd pull him off. Surely the airconditioners would be left on ??

It isnt called summer season for nothing people ;)

301 Wayville without a doubt feels the extremes of conditions more so then any other venue. As soon as you walk through the foyer into the main stadium you're hit with either extreme cold or extreme heat.

(Trust me being there at 8am on a cold day there is not way any other venue is colder, and I've been to all of them.)

Also the shocking conditions Yogee mentioned in the heat are completely accurate, for a new venue you'd think it would be air conditioned or be built to deal with the conditions.

A simple over 38 degrees and its off as soon as possible please. Everone then knows where they stand instead of the current anybody's guess system.

Problem is a logistics one as well.

I realise the health concerns should definately be of the highest priority but any games that don't get played due to heat are not actually cancelled; they're postponed.

Which means that BSA admin. are forced to play these games on a later date, more then likely a Sunday in February. And if it's hot then what? Games need to be played before finals, and you can bet there will be plenty of parents complaining about a Sunday game. Plus finding referees, stadium staff, cancelling training sessions, booking venues etc etc.

As I said the health and safety issues of course should be the most important but there are plenty of issues to consider when postponing games.

No, the coach is the only person with duty of care for his players. BSA has an overall duty of care with respect to safe playing venues and conditions. If a dispute occurred relative to an argument betwen BSA and stadium manager and UIC as to who had duty of care, BSA's present heat policy would not hold upin court IMO. Foreseeable threat is the guiding principle and its well documented how hot certain stadiums get.
We all need to work towards a simple heat policy that allows no, No ambiquity or else it will be finger pointing and other peoples fault in the case of a tragedy.
What is sad is that it will take a fatality for a preventable tragedy to occur. I love the sport, lets make it safer without all the macho stuff associated with sensible decisions. I applaud, Paul's decision on saturday and hope consenus can be reached in formulating a simple over X degrees is cancelled policy.

Coach Insurance has been an issue for years - ask your club about their level of responsibility to their coaches by protecting them via insurance.
The duty of care is very much a coach issue - they are effectively entrusted with the care of a bunch of kids for the duration of a game.But in the real world, everyone should take on board this duty of care as sometimes a few coaches lose the plot when egos and winning at all costs takes over. Fortunately, we mostly see commonsense but..

Basketball SA Hot Weather Policy
 
In general, basketball stadia should be of standard to provide satisfactory playing conditions throughout the year. To assist in this, Stadium Managers should investigate the inclusion or exhaust fans and other ventilation devices. When scheduling season matches Basketball SA should endeavour to make use of the best available basketball facilities.
 
The following should apply in oppressive weather conditions.
 
Stadium Managers should:
 
* Take steps to maximise airflow and reduce heat build up in stadia,
 
* Make an assessment of playing conditions and advise referees and coaches,
 
* Cancel games if playing conditions are considered unsafe.
 
Stadium Managers shall:
 
* Extend the breaks between each quarter by one minute.
 
Coaches should:
 
* Ascertain whether any players have known medical conditions which may be affected by heat,
 
* Ensure that players take adequate fluid during the game,
 
* Make substitutions as appropriate,
 
* Utilise available time-outs.
 
Referees should:
 
* Be prepared to call additional time-outs.
 
Team Managers should:
 
* Ensure that players take adequate fluid before, during and after the game,
 
* Be alert and react to any signs of distress/potential distress in players,
 
* Ascertain whether any players have known medical conditions which may be affected by weather conditions
 
Under extreme conditions Basketball SA management may determine that scheduled games will be postponed / cancelled. Such a decision will normally be taken and communicated at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled event.
 
Ask yourself what extreme conditions are?
Ask yourself if many or any of these things are done?
Ask yourself is this a clear and precise document that is free from ambiquity?
Are the best venues selected for heat tolerance?
Does the coach know the medical condition of his/her players?
What precise temperature relates to extreme conditions?
Was there an appropriate air flow at Wayville on friday night?
etc , etc, etc.
Time to act!

Basketball SA Hot Weather Policy
 
In general, basketball stadia should be of standard to provide satisfactory playing conditions throughout the year. To assist in this, Stadium Managers should investigate the inclusion or exhaust fans and other ventilation devices. When scheduling season matches Basketball SA should endeavour to make use of the best available basketball facilities.
 
The following should apply in oppressive weather conditions.
 
Stadium Managers should:
 
* Take steps to maximise airflow and reduce heat build up in stadia,
 
* Make an assessment of playing conditions and advise referees and coaches,
 
* Cancel games if playing conditions are considered unsafe.
 
Stadium Managers shall:
 
* Extend the breaks between each quarter by one minute.
 
Coaches should:
 
* Ascertain whether any players have known medical conditions which may be affected by heat,
 
* Ensure that players take adequate fluid during the game,
 
* Make substitutions as appropriate,
 
* Utilise available time-outs.
 
Referees should:
 
* Be prepared to call additional time-outs.
 
Team Managers should:
 
* Ensure that players take adequate fluid before, during and after the game,
 
* Be alert and react to any signs of distress/potential distress in players,
 
* Ascertain whether any players have known medical conditions which may be affected by weather conditions
 
Under extreme conditions Basketball SA management may determine that scheduled games will be postponed / cancelled. Such a decision will normally be taken and communicated at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled event.
 
Ask yourself what extreme conditions are?
Ask yourself if many or any of these things are done?
Ask yourself is this a clear and precise document that is free from ambiquity?
Are the best venues selected for heat tolerance?
Does the coach know the medical condition of his/her players?
What precise temperature relates to extreme conditions?
Was there an appropriate air flow at Wayville on friday night?
etc , etc, etc.
Time to act!

110685,

Ask yourself. Do most stadium managers have an IQ above 50? Do parents? Do coaches?

This policy is the extent of BSA duty of care. Over to parents/coaches/stadium managers to exercise their duty of care. Nuff said. You seem like a starving, rabid dog after a piece of meat in the desert that is only an illusion.

Not all stadiums have a stadium manager at the stadium. Not all kids have their parents at the games. Coaches are not trained at determining when a player is under duress, etc etc etc

110696, I think that piece of meat is still there. Shut your eyes, rub them a little with your paws and you will see its just an illusion.

Commonsense will continue prevail.... I hope :)

What is NOT commonsense is to make a blanket rule that x temperature means all games are cancelled. It depends where the game is played, the time of the game, the age of the players, the humidity, the temprature of the stadium etc. etc.

Stadiums have a UIC, Stadium Manager etc., most parents attend most games and most coaches do have practical training (through many yrs of playing/coaching experience) in whether a game should go ahead or not.

Im sure we are safe!

#700
Are other sports right or wrong to have cancellations based on certain temperatures? Or are they responsible?
You talk about UIC's, Stadium Managers,Coaches and Parents having practical training( I take it you mean experience) in whether games go ahead or not.All of those people besides the parents have a vested interest in playing and therefore judgments can err.
#690
The OHS&W aspect of this is more convulted in that various bodies are involved and each has only a duty of care to its workers.
As to who precisely would be culpable in the event of a tragedy from forseeable dangers, a Pandora's box would be opened.
Coaches are ultimately the providers of Duty of Care to their players for the time they are in charge of them and would be liable IMO for injuries resulting from playing in extreme heat and especially in cases where parents have raised concerns.
BSA would point to its directives, (in its Heat Policy), to subordinates to escape prosecution and Stadium Managers to UIC etc etc.
As you can see each group could blame the other for failing to act. What's clear is that a policy that depend on such a multi layered tier of responsibility usually breaks down.
Its not to hard to monitor each stadium over the summer and test temp and air flows, humidity etc and develop a policy for each stadium. 38 degree days at Wayville are stiffling,
tolerable at Mt Barker and pleasant at Gawler.
I find it disappointing that wanting to place kids safety first is attracting such anger and criticism.
Why not schedule summer games in air cond stadiums as the BSA policy states: make use of the best available basketball facilities when scheduling games.

That extreme common sence approach would mean that Forestville would have a decrease in canteen revenue and that isn't going to happen, unfortunately.

Everybody taking responsibility is the problem now as no one is individually taking that responsibility and blaming other people for it.
BSA is at fault for not scheduling games at appropriate stadiums in defiance of its own policy.
Stadium managers for not having the courage to call games off because of the money.
UIC are at fault for not seeing it as any of their concern.
Coaches are not only at fault but personaly responsible and liable for injuries that occur and were forseeable and for not wanting to upset the apple cart.
But most of all Magpie , people like you are at fault for ridiculing others who place children's safety as the highest priority.
If Im wrong about the push for a real hot weather then it will all fade away and I have made a mistake. If you are wrong some one will end up in hospital or worse, die.

110827, Anon you keep pushing the barrow!
"Coaches are not only at fault but personaly responsible and liable for injuries that occur and were forseeable and for not wanting to upset the apple cart."

What injuries were there? There were NONE. WHY? because people use commonsense. Who has died? Who has ended up in hospital? Saturday games in the peak of the heat were cancelled where stadiums didnt have air conditioners. I, and others, are riduculing you because you clearly have no clue but yet want to keep labouring this point. There is a policy, it is unambiguous and everyone does exercise their duty of care. At the end of the day it is up the players/parents... END OF STORY.

Can you see the impracticalities of what you are suggesting. "no games if temperature is a max of 39 for the day." What about if it is 25 in the evening? What about air conditioned stadiums? What about older age groups? What about cooler stadiums, in cooler, better ventilated stadiums geographic locatons? etc. etc. Im glad people like u dont run our sport.

It only takes 1 problem to have a legal case.

The problem is that BSA do not have the sufficient infrastructure to carry out a properly constructed hot weather policy. ie not all stadiums have a stadium manager at them when games are played! Not all UIC's and Hall Managers are properly trained at OH&S. Not all stadium are able to guage the WBST! The number of participants makes it impossible to call everybody up and organise a forfiet on 1 days notice!

As such, they need one which best suits it's current level of admin. A one temp suits al so that the integrity of the competition is not compromised.

Because we are in a market place. And not providing a good serviec to the paying customers will decrease the demand for the sport in the future. And this is what happened on the weekend.

#926
Read the thread before commenting