If you are at a World Cup game this summer and you see lightning, you might have to hunker in, as you could be there for a while.
According to a report from The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon, there could be long delays if there is lightning in the area:
According to U.S. thunderstorm protocol, a fixture taking place at a stadium must be immediately suspended if lightning or electrical discharge is detected within an eight-mile radius of the venue.
The players are led off the pitch and must take shelter in
their dressing room, while fans are evacuated to safe areas inside the venue.
Once a lightning strike has been detected within eight miles, then a 30-minute countdown clock begins.
And if this time passes without any further strikes, then the match can resume. However, if there is another lightning strike during that 30-minute window, then the clock is reset to zero, and it will continue to be reset until 30 minutes pass without a detected strike.
Although FIFA is not responsible for U.S. thunderstorm protocol, nor can they override it, this could lead to World Cup fixtures being delayed for hours.
For Americans who attend sporting events or participate in sports, you have probably dealt with this in the past. For people traveling to the United States, this could result in some significant downtime you might not be used to. Per CurrentResults.com, a weather facts site, there are several host cities that could be susceptible to lightning delays during the World Cup:
- Miami
- Kansas City
- Monterrey
- Philadelphia
- New York/New Jersey
- Boston
Atlanta and Houston would be among the top locations on the list, but games will be played indoor in those cities.
This is just something to keep in mind should you hold tickets for games in any of these cities.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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