The start of football preseason practice is typically synonymous with an overwhelming and unrelenting heat.

Sometimes, just walking around during the middle of the day can be such a laborious chore that it leaves us drenched sweat.

However, while most of us endure the heat by taking refuge inside, youth and high school football players across the nation are set to returning to the field, and their bodies must be prepared.

The heat and humidity are not going to stop just because these young athletes are practicing. That’s why it is important to teach coaches and players just how serious heat acclimatization can be.

Old-school coaches often chide players who complain about the heat without understanding the potentially dangerous, even lethal consequences. Famed Alabama head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant exemplifies this hard-nosed approach:

"I make my practices real hard because if a player is a quitter, I want him to quit in practice, not in a game." -Paul Bear Bryant

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) August 2, 2013

Many of us played for coaches who instilled this type of philosophy, and as players respected them greatly, so we “toughened” up.

But as sports and science progress, it is a heat acclimatization program and proper hydration that are recognized as the best way to keep players safe.

Dr. Douglas Casa, CEO of the Korey Stringer Institute and member of the USA Football Medical Advisory Committee, stresses the same message as temperatures and humidity rise:

“Eighty-five percent of all football related head stroke deaths happen during the first three days of practice,” Casa has said on many occasions. “And all of them are preventable.”

 USA Football and the Korey Stringer Institute created a simple model to guide youth football coaches through early season practices while dealing with heat and humidity. USA Football, KSI and the National Federation of State High School Associations combined to do the same for high school.

SEE ALSO: See the USA Football heat and hydration home page

Here are the high points to remember.

Youth football guidelines

Youth football practices should never exceed two hours during the initial five days of practice. During the preseason, teams should only practice a maximum of four times per week. Further, teams should never practice more than once per day – no two-a-days.

Practice Days 1-2:

• Teams should only practice once per day with helmets only. No pads.
• Practice should not exceed two hours and only include drills run against air and soft surfaces, such as bags. No player-to-player contact.
• Walkthroughs, defined as time a team spends reviewing plays, should never exceed one hour.

Practice Days 3-5:

• Players can wear helmets and shoulder pads.
• Teams to begin integrating control contact, in addition to air and bags. There is still no full contact allowed.

Practice Days 5-6:

• Teams can begin to integrate full equipment.
• Practices can include full contact. However, coaches should limit full contact, which includes thud- and live-speed drills – as defined by USA Football’s Levels of Contact –  to 30 minutes per day. 

High school football guidelines

Coaches should utilize a two-week period to gradually increase the length of practice and the amount of time equipment can be worn.

Also, a walkthrough is defined as the time a team dedicates to reviewing plays and field position, should never exceed one hour.

Practice Days 1-2:

• Helmets only. No pads.
• Practices should not exceed two hours and only drills run against air and soft padded bags. No player-to-player contact.
• If a coach does a walkthrough, then the maximum amount of time spent on the walkthrough should be one hour. Additionally, the walkthrough should be separated from practice time by three continuous hours.

Practice Days 3-5:

• Practice can be extended to three hours maximum.
• Players can begin to practice in helmets and shoulder pads

Practice Days 6-14:

• Teams can begin to practice twice per day, but only every other day.
• Players can begin to integrate full equipment into practice.
• Practice can be extended to three hours unless it is a double-session practice day. Teams should only practice a total of five hours on double-session practice days. 
• Any walkthrough should be separated from regular practice time by three continuous hours.
• Practices can include full contact. However, coaches should limit full contact, which includes thud- and live-speed drills – as defined by USA Football’s Levels of Contact –  to 30 minutes per day. 

Also important to remember:

• Never deny water. Set water breaks every 20 minutes and have unlimited access to water during activity. Players should be able to drink as much as they want and for the entire break period if they wish. Increase the frequency of water breaks as the temperature and humidity rise.
• Coaches must use good judgment. The proposed amount of practice time is the maximum amount of time players should be exposed to the heat during their acclimatization period. Coaches should shorten practice times and intensity based on conditions.
• Practice is defined as the amount of time spent on the football field. The times listed include warm-ups, stretching, break times, cool down and conditioning.
• Heat acclimatization days are continuous. If you team only practices a few days a week, this may force a coach to a little bit longer to acclimatize players to the heat. Days off do not count toward acclimatization days.

Be ready to react. Know the signs of heat illness, and every program should have an emergency action plan in place in the case of emergency.

As Washington Post reporter Sally Jenkins, who covered the death of Minnesota Vikings Korey Stringer as a result of heat stroke, wrote: “No pro football player should die of heat stroke any more than cholera in this day and age if the most basic attention is paid and precautions are taken.”

The same sentiment holds true for all amateur football players. If coaches follow the simple suggestions for heat acclimatization, heat stroke can be prevented.

SEE ALSO: Treating emergency heat stoke

SEE ALSO: Hydration starts before practice even begins