SC high school football practice kicks off in Upstate: Heat index rules, jamboree schedule and more
It's time for high school football.
Practices in South Carolina can begin Friday, although some schools are choosing to start Saturday or Monday.
Regardless, there are South Carolina High School League guidelines to help get players acclimated to the heat.
The first two days of practice are in helmets and shorts. On the following two days, players add shoulder pads and workouts with shields, dummies and sleds are permitted. On the fifth day, practice in full gear is allowed.
All athletes must go through his acclimation period regardless of when they begin practicing with the team.
Teams must alternate long days (up to five hours with at least a two-hour break) and short days (up to three hours). Practice times include warm-ups, stretching and cool-down segments. There must be a rest day after six consecutive practice days.
Beating the heat
Schools are required to use a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Monitoring device, which also measures humidity, wind and solar radiation to determine safety conditions.
A heat index of 95 degrees, for example, would be equal to a WBGT reading of 82. Here are the guidelines:
WBGT reading under 82: Normal activities with three separate breaks of three minutes per hour.
WBGT reading of 82-86.0: Discretion for intense exercise with three rest breaks per hour.
WBGT reading of 87.0-89.9: Players restricted to helmets, shoulder pads and shorts. Maximum practice length is two hours.
WBGT reading of 90.0-92.0: Maximum practice length of one hour with no protective equipment. There must be 20 minutes of rest.
WBGT reading over 92: No outdoor workouts.
Key dates
First day of practice: Friday
First scrimmage: Aug. 4
First regular-season games: Aug. 18
First-round of playoffs: Nov. 3
State championships: Nov. 30, Dec. 1-2
Top preseason jamborees
McDonald's Kickoff Classic
Date: Aug. 7
Where: Dorman High
Tickets: $10
Green Wave Jamboree
Date: Aug. 11
Where: Easley High
Tickets: $8
Schedule: West Oak vs. Liberty, 6 p.m.; Seneca vs. Pickens, 7:15 p.m.; Rabun Gap (Ga.) vs. Easley, 8:30 p.m.
Lake Hartwell Gridiron Classic
Date: Aug. 11
Where: Westside High
Tickets: $10
Teams: Westside, T.L. Hanna, Powdersville, Daniel, Wren, Crescent, Pendleton, Belton-Honea Path, Walhalla, Franklin County (Ga.), Madison County (Ga.), Saint Francis (Ga.), Washington Wilkes (Ga.), Hart County (Ga.)
Centurion Classic
Date: Aug. 12
Where: Broome High
Tickets: $10
Matchups: Landrum vs. RS Central, 9 a.m.; Spartanburg vs. Mallard Creek, 10 a.m.; Broome vs. Union County, 11 a.m.
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Regular-season games
Week 0
Aug. 18
Blue Ridge at Chesnee
Broome at Powdersville
Byrnes at Hough (N.C.)
Carolina at Liberty
Chapman at Woodruff
Christ Church at Gray Collegiate
Crescent at PIckens
Dorman at Greenville
Daniel at Greer
Gaffney at Crest
T.L. Hanna at Boiling Springs
Hillcrest at Laurens
J..L. Mann at Eastside
Palmetto at Woodmont
Pendleton at Dixie
Riverside at Travelers Rest
St. Joseph’s at Fox Creek
South Pointe at Spartanburg
Union County at Newberry
Wade Hampton at Seneca
Week 1
Aug. 25
Abbeville at Powdersville
Berea at Landrum
Boiling Springs at Mauldin
Bynes at Chapman
Chesnee at Broome
Dixie at Crescent
Dorman at North Augusta
Easley at Daniel
Eastside at Pendleton
Fountain Inn at Woodruff
Greenville at T.L. Hanna
Greer at Hillcrest
Jefferson (Ga.) at Wren
Liberty at Blue Ridge
Riverside at J.L. Mann
St. Joseph’s at Blacksburg
Southside at Christ Church
Spartanburg at Dutch Fork
Travelers Rest at Wade Hampton
Union County at Gaffney
Walhalla at Woodmont
Westside at Belton-Honea Path
Todd Shanesy covers high school athletics for the USA Today Network. Suggestions, corrections or story ideas? Please reach out by email to todd.shanesy@shj.com or on Twitter to ToddShanesySHJ.
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: SC high school football practice kicks off: Heat rules, schedules
