But perhaps you should worry... because it will
happen here if referees continue to take idiotic
risks in allowing soccer games to continue when
there is lightning in the area.
There are many stories each year about people
who get killed by lightning. There was one recently
at Pigeon Lake, less than an hour away from
Edmonton. There are more in the links below, if
you care to read.
Lightning Kills. Sometimes many people. Imagine
yourself located at the Red X in the picture to the
right. You would likely not live to tell the tale, and if
you did, it would not be a pretty tale to tell. Look at
the pictures below, if you are in any doubt!
If you think a game of soccer, any game, is worth
losing your life for, or even worse, someone
else's life..... think again.... try really hard....
Think!....
Any lightning safety plan should incorporate the 30/30 Rule. The 30/30 Rule states that
people should seek shelter if the "Flash-To-Bang" delay (length of time in seconds between
a lightning flash and its subsequent thunder), is 30 seconds or less, and that they remain
under cover until 30 minutes after the final clap of thunder.
A 30 second lead time is necessary prior to a storm's arrival because of the possibility of
distant strikes. A 30 minute wait after the last thunder is heard is necessary because the
trailing storm clouds still carry a lingering charge. This charge can and does occasionally
produce lightning on the back edge of a storm, several minutes after the rain has ended.
Studies have shown most people struck by lightning are struck not at the height of a
thunderstorm, but before and after the storm has peaked. This shows many people are
unaware of how far lightning can strike from its parent thunderstorm. DO NOT wait for the
rain to start before seeking shelter, and DO NOT leave shelter just because the rain has
ended.
Source - National Weather Service - Lightning Safety Page
Lightning Kills Teen at Soccer Field
Lightning Kills Football Team
Lightning Kills One, Injures Many
Lightning Kills 6 Teens in Mexico
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© Edmonton & District Soccer Referees
Association, 2008
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