Modify Status – What to Do

Key Points

  • A yellow Modify status means that at least one factor—heat, air quality, cold, or rain—is high enough that outdoor practice should change, not just continue as usual.
    “Modify” does not automatically mean cancel, but it does mean:
    “We can practice, but we need to slow down, shorten, or change how we’re practicing.”
When you’ll usually see a Modify status
You’re most likely to see Modify when:
  • Heat index is in our amber zone (hot enough for heat stress risk to rise).
  • AQI is in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range.
  • Wind-chill is in the amber cold-stress range.
  • Rain is steady enough that field conditions or visibility start to degrade.
The main goal under Modify is to protect athletes while keeping meaningful, safer practice options.
If heat is the main issue
When heat index is elevated, consider:
Shorten and slow down
  • Shorten total practice time or split into shorter segments with longer breaks.
  • Reduce the amount of hard conditioning (sprints, gassers, long runs).
  • Shift to walk-throughs, skills, and film review when possible.
More water, more shade
  • Increase water breaks (every 10–15 minutes, or more often in younger groups).
  • Use shade, tents, or indoor spaces for rest periods when available.
  • Encourage athletes to speak up if they feel dizzy, weak, or nauseated.
Adjust equipment
  • Remove unnecessary pads, helmets, or extra layers when safe and allowed.
  • Avoid full-gear scrimmages in the hottest part of the day.
  • Watch for athletes whose faces are very red, who stop sweating, or who look confused—these are red-flag signs.
If air quality is the main issue
When AQI is elevated (especially Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), focus on protecting breathing:
Reduce intensity and duration
  • Shorten intense drills and space them out with more low-intensity activities.
  • Avoid extended “all-out” conditioning runs or scrimmages.
Protect sensitive athletes
  • Identify athletes with asthma, heart or lung conditions, or severe allergies.
  • Move those athletes to lighter duty, more frequent rest, or indoor alternatives.
  • Encourage anyone with breathing trouble to stop and notify a coach immediately.
Consider indoor options
  • If a gym or large indoor space is available, move more of practice inside.
  • Keep doors closed and limit dust or strong chemical odors indoors.
If cold is the main issue
When wind-chill falls into our Modify range:
Dress and warm appropriately
  • Require athletes to wear layers, gloves, hats or ear protection as needed.
  • Avoid standing around for long periods; include frequent active warm-ups.
Shorten exposure
  • Shorten total outdoor practice time.
  • Use indoor spaces for chalk talks, position meetings, and film review.
Watch for early signs of cold stress
  • Numb fingers, difficulty with laces or zippers, uncontrollable shivering, or slurred speech are warning signs.
  • Move any struggling athlete indoors to warm up and do not send them back out until fully recovered (if at all).
If rain is the main issue (without lightning)
A Modify status for rain means footing or visibility may be affected, but we are not in an automatic lightning/Cancel situation.
Under these conditions:
  • Avoid drills that rely on hard cutting, sliding, or jumping on slick surfaces.
  • Avoid tackling to the ground or high-speed collisions on wet turf or grass.
  • Move to ball-handling, technical skills, or walkthroughs in safer parts of the field.
  • Stop and reassess if water starts to pool, footing becomes clearly unsafe, or thunder is heard.
If you see or hear signs of thunderstorms, follow your local lightning policy immediately. In many cases, that will move conditions from Modify to Cancel.
Communicating a Modify day
On a yellow Modify day, a coach or AD might tell athletes and parents:
  • “Practice is still on, but we are changing what we do because of heat/air quality/cold/rain.”
  • “We’re shortening conditioning, adding extra water and shade breaks, and watching athletes closely.”
  • “Athletes with asthma or other health concerns should be extra cautious and can step out at any time.”
Reminder: follow your local policy
Our Modify guidance is built from public recommendations by NWS, NATA, NFHS, and EPA/AirNow, but your district or league policy always comes first. If your written policy is stricter, follow that policy.
Practice-Day Alerts is advisory and cannot see every factor on your field. When in doubt, treat a borderline Modify day more like Cancel and move practice indoors or reschedule.
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