Field Closure Information

Sherwood Park Programming:

Includes:

• Phoenix FC Tier 4 Practices and Games
• Phoenix FC Tiers 1-3 Practices within Sherwood Park
• Phoenix FC Adult Mixed League Games

Weekdays

• At 4:00 PM, check the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) for Strathcona County .

• If programs are cancelled for the evening, you will get an email from the Phoenix FC office.

• If you don’t get an email, teams must go to the field. Referees will decide at game time if the game will go ahead.

• For practices, coaches decide whether to continue after 4:00 PM if the office hasn’t already cancelled.

  • If the AQHI is 6 or lower, practices can go ahead. Coaches can still choose to cancel if they feel it's unsafe or players can choose to not attend based on their individual health conditions

  • If the AQHI rises to 7 or higher while you're already on the field, all games and practices must stop right away.

  • Always use the current AQHI shown on the website, no matter when it was last updated.

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Weekends

• Exactly 1 hour before your scheduled kickoff (based on the time on your phone or watch), teams, referees, and referee assignors must check the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) for the field where the game will be played. Always use the most recent “Calculated at” time that is no less than 2 hours before kickoff.
  • Look for the AQHI value shown next to “Calculated at” on the website.
  • This is the AQHI reading you will use to determine if the game can go ahead.

• Example:
  If your game is at 6:00 PM and you check at 5:00 PM, the site may show “Calculated at 4:00 PM.”
  In that case, you will use the 4:00 PM AQHI reading to make your decision.

What to do based on the AQHI:

• If the AQHI is 7 or higher, the game or practice is cancelled.

  • Teams and referees do not need to go to the field.

• If the AQHI is 6 or lower, everyone must arrive at the field ready to play.

  • Only the referee can cancel the game at the field at the game time.

• At kickoff, the referee will check the current AQHI:

  • If the AQHI is 7 or higher, the referee will cancel the game on the field.

  • If the AQHI rises to 7 or higher while you're already on the field, all games must stop right away.

• For practices, if the AQHI is 6 or lower, coaches may still decide to cancel.

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Important Reminders

AQHI stations don’t always update every hour. You might see:

• “Calculated at 3:00 PM”
• “Calculated at 2:00 PM”
• Or even “Calculated at 10:00 AM”

Always use the most recent “Calculated at” time that is no less than 2 hours before kickoff.

Coaches should take a time stamp picture to have just in case of any disputes

If the AQHI is listed as being...

• Low Risk (1-3): Continue as normal, no restrictions to outdoor activity.

• Moderate Risk (4-6): Some restrictions to outdoor activity.

  • Recommend a decrease in intensity and duration of training sessions, and increased water breaks.

• High Risk (7-10+): Game is automatically cancelled.

  • See the procedure above.

Health Information:

Exposed individuals who are otherwise healthy may have the following symptoms when exposed to wildfire smoke:

• Eye, nose, and throat irritation
• Increased mucus production in the nose or throat
• Cough
• Wheezing
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, especially during exercise

Individuals with respiratory conditions (such as COPD and asthma), and individuals with existing cardiovascular conditions (such as angina, previous heart attack and congestive heart failure), may notice a worsening of symptoms, due to the poor air quality conditions. These individuals should monitor for worsening of symptoms and take the precautions recommended by their physicians if a worsening of symptoms occurs.

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EMSA Programming:

Includes:

• Phoenix FC Tiers 1-3 Games

Procedure:

Air Quality Index (AQI) Procedure

List of Individual Fields along with Links to their AQI Reporting Station

WEEKDAYS: 

1. Exactly at 4:00pm actual clock time (time on your phone or watch), teams/referees/referee assignors will have to check the AQI status for the field they are playing at.
2. Whatever time it says the AQI was last “calculated at” is the AQI status you will be using.  It more than likely will say “Calculated at 3:00pm”.  However, not all stations are updated every hour.  For example, some may say “Calculated at 2:00pm” or “Calculated at 10:00am”, you will use that last time it was calculated to determine the AQI.   At 4:00pm actual clock time, the site will not be updated to say “Calculated at 4:00pm” so we will not be looking for the AQI that is “calculated at 4:00pm”.
3. If the AQI reading for your field is 6 or below, regardless of the projected forecast and regardless if it changes between the time, you looked at 4:00pm and your game start time, your team/refs MUST show up at the field.  So, if the reading was a 6 or below at 4:00pm actual clock time and then you check back at 4:30pm/5:00pm and the AQI has gone up to a 7 or higher, you still MUST report to your field as the AQI was 6 or below at the time you initially checked (4:00pm clock time).  Only the referee can cancel the game at this point on the field at game time.
4. When you arrive for your game, the referee will check the AQI status at kick off time and if the AQI is 7 or higher the game will be cancelled at the field.
5. If when you check the AQI status at 4:00pm actual clock time and the AQI status for your field is 7 or higher than all games will be cancelled for the night on that field and no teams or refs need to show to the field. 

WEEKENDS for games where both teams are from the city and surrounding areas: 

1. Exactly 1 hour prior to your game start time teams/referees/referee assignors will have to check the AQI status for the field they are playing at.
2. Whatever time it says the AQI was last “calculated at” is the AQI status you will be using.
3. If the AQI reading for your field is 6 or below, regardless of the projected forecast and regardless if it changes between the time, you looked and your game start time, your team/refs MUST show up at the field.  Only the referee can cancel the game at this point on the field at game time.
4. When you arrive for your game, the referee will check the AQI status at kick off time and if the AQI is 7 or higher the game will be cancelled at the field.

If when you check the AQI status at 4:00pm actual clock time and the AQI status for your field is 7 or higher than all games will be cancelled for the night on that field and no teams or refs need to show to the field.

For games being played IN EDMONTON:

• See list of fields above

Substation link here.

For games being played IN SHERWOOD PARK:

• Use Strathcona County AQHI reading

For games being played IN SPRUCE GROVE:

• Use St. Albert AQHI reading

Exposed individuals who are otherwise healthy may have the following symptoms when exposed to wildfire smoke:

• Eye, nose, and throat irritation
• Increased mucus production in the nose or throat
• Cough
• Wheezing
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, especially during exercise

Individuals with respiratory conditions (such as COPD and asthma), and individuals with existing cardiovascular conditions (such as angina, previous heart attack and congestive heart failure), may notice a worsening of symptoms, due to the poor air quality conditions. These individuals should monitor for worsening of symptoms and take the precautions recommended by their physicians if a worsening of symptoms occurs.

Additional EMSA Notes:

• Calculate AQHI readings 3 hours prior to games being played in Red Deer, or for those teams travelling from Red Deer to the city (or surrounding areas) regardless of the last calculated time.
• Games being played at the Edmonton Scottish Dome or the Red Deer Dome are not affected by the AQHI as both locations are played indoors on artificial turf. Games at these locations will proceed regardless of outside air quality.

Sherwood Park Programming:

Includes:

• Phoenix FC Tier 4 Practices and Games
• Phoenix FC Tiers 1-3 Practices within Sherwood Park

Procedure:

Weekdays:

• At 4:00pm - we will check the Strathcona County Field Status here.
• We will notify teams and families via our RAMP emailing system if programs are cancelled for the evening. Please note that we will try to accommodate as many teams as possible onto our indoor field.

Weekends:

• Strathcona County Field Conditions are updated by 9am on weekends. 
• Check the Strathcona County Field Status here.

If the field status is listed as being...

• Red (Closed) - The field is closed and programming is cancelled.
• Green (Open) - The field is deemed to be playable. Please dress for the weather and arrive ready to play.

EMSA Programming:

https://emsamain.com/seasoninfo/outdoorseason/rain-out-lines/

Lightning Safety and Severe Weather:

Phoenix FC keeps in accordance with the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) protocols with regards to Lightning and Severe Weather.

When to pause or delay the game?

As soon as you hear thunder, you must stop playing and seek shelter to eliminate the risk of being struck by lightning.

Where to go during a storm?

If a fully-sheltered building is available, this should be your first choice. If this isn't possible, a vehicle is a safe second option. If caught outdoors, take shelter in a low lying area and avoid trees or tall objects.

When to restart the game?

You may resume the game 30 minutes after the last sound of thunder.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Match Officials have the final say over delaying or restarting a match due to severe weather.

WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS! 

Continuing matches or resuming too quickly after a storm can result in serious injury or loss of life!

Courtesy Around Soccer Fields:

Please follow the guidelines below to allow an enjoyable season experience for all our members and spectators! #spreadjoy!

1. Litter - If you bring food items to the soccer field, please clean up after yourself and put litter in the appropriate bin. 

2. Smoking - Please refrain from smoking and vaping while watching the soccer game. If you need to smoke, please do so in your vehicle or parking lot. Please refrain from chewing tobacco at the field.

3. Nuts/Sun Flower Seeds - Please avoid bringing these items to the soccer fields due to potential allergy risks and risk of injury from falling on discarded shells. Shells from nuts are considered litter.

Please follow the links for information on Sherwood Park bylaws.