Last updated July 24, 2026
Suspend the game or practice immediately, move everyone to a safe structure, and wait at least 30 minutes after the last flash or the last thunder before anyone returns to the field. Any lightning or thunder during that wait resets the clock to a full 30 minutes.
There is no leeway in this rule. It is not a judgment call, and it is not negotiable.
| Trigger | What you do | Clock |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning is seen | Suspend play. Evacuate players, coaches, parents and spectators to available safe structures or shelters. | 30 minutes from the last flash |
| Thunder is heard | Suspend play. Evacuate players, coaches, parents and spectators to available safe structures or shelters. | 30 minutes from the last thunder |
| Lightning is imminent or a storm is approaching | Evacuate. Do not wait for the first strike. | Begins when lightning is seen or thunder is heard |
| Any lightning or thunder during the wait | Stay sheltered. Do not resume. | Clock resets. A new 30 minute count begins |
Thirty minutes is not a formality. Given average rates of thunderstorm travel, 30 minutes puts the storm roughly 10 to 12 miles away, which significantly reduces the risk of local lightning flashes.
Weather and other updates come by text or call from (833) 491-4721.
That number cannot receive texts or calls back. Do not reply to it and do not call it. It is outbound only. Save it in your phone so the alert does not land as an unknown number, and make sure your team parents have it too.
Coaches, athletic trainers, athletes, administrators and contest officials are all expected to be educated on the signs of thunderstorm development.
The average distance between successive lightning flashes is approximately two to three miles. Anytime lightning can be seen or heard, the risk is already present. You are already inside the storm's range when you notice it.
Be aware of potential thunderstorms by monitoring local weather forecasts the day before and the morning of the competition, and by scanning the sky for signs of potential thunderstorm activity.
Weather can also be monitored using small, portable weather radios from the National Weather Service. The NWS uses a system of severe storm watches and warnings.
Any thunderstorm poses a risk of injury or death even if it does not meet the criteria for severe weather. Anytime thunderstorms are in the forecast, even at only a 20 percent chance, event organizers shall be at a heightened level of awareness to the potential danger of lightning.
If lightning is imminent or a thunderstorm is approaching, all personnel, athletes and spectators shall evacuate to available safe structures or shelters. A list of the closest safe structures should be announced and displayed on placards at all athletic venues.
Know where that shelter is before first pitch. Cars count as shelter. Dugouts, metal bleachers, fences, light poles and open fields do not.
Competition or practice shall be suspended once lightning has been recognized or thunder is heard. It is required to wait at least 30 minutes after the last flash of lightning is witnessed or thunder is heard prior to resuming practice or competition. Any subsequent lightning or thunder after the beginning of the 30-minute count shall reset the clock, and another count shall begin.
Recognition triggers the suspension. Any coach, athletic trainer, athlete, administrator or contest official who sees lightning or hears thunder stops play. No one has to agree with them, and no one may overrule them to keep playing. Postponements, cancellations and site closures are communicated by the league through (833) 491-4721.
Safety of the players, coaches, parents and spectators is of the utmost importance and there is absolutely no leeway in these rules. No deviations from this rule are permitted, and violations will result in suspension from COYBL for the remainder of the year.
All rain-outs of division games take precedence over non-division games. When you are rebuilding a schedule around lost dates, the division game gets the field, the date and the umpires first. A non-division game moves out of the way.
As soon as a game is called, get it marked as postponed on your team page. Other teams read your schedule to understand why no pitching is posted for a date that shows a game. A game left sitting as played with no pitch counts entered looks like a team that did not report, and it puts pitching eligibility questions on everyone who plays you next.
Contact your age group director. Age group director contact information is on the Contact Us page. Report it the same day, not at the end of the week.
There is no self-service rain-out button on the site yet. Until there is, the age group director is the channel. Do not assume the league knows the field was closed because a park posted it.
Doug Hare P.O. Box 1425, Pataskala, Ohio 43062-1425 Phone: 614-778-1391 Email: doughare@coybl.org