How hot is too hot to play, and what changes for indoor hockey?

Question

Accepted Answer

Hockey Australia's Extreme Weather Guidelines (version 1.2, updated 15 December 2022) are guidelines, not fixed rules.

Outdoors, by ambient temperature and humidity:

31 to 35 degrees Celsius with humidity over 50%: high to very high risk. Limit intensity, take more breaks and limit duration to less than 60 minutes.
36 degrees and above with humidity over 30%: extreme risk. Postpone to cooler conditions or a cooler part of the day, or cancel.
The document lists extreme weather as an ambient temperature over 36 degrees, a wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT, shade) over 30, wind over 40 km/h, or more than 80 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Indoor-only competitions use the WBGT (shade) only:

Above 26: finish the current period, then extend quarter-time breaks from 1 to 2 minutes. Half time can be extended by 2 minutes if the tournament director or competition body decides it is necessary. Training sessions are broken up with drink breaks and run no longer than 60 minutes.
Above 34 (seniors and open age) or 30 (juniors and masters): matches in progress are suspended at the end of the current period, and no new matches begin until the reading drops below those levels.

Readings come from a handheld temperature and humidity reader beside the court, or the closest Bureau of Meteorology WBGT (shade) station. The tournament director or competition organisers tell team managers about fixture changes.