Tarpon FC respects the danger and risks posed by lightning.  To ensure everyone’s safety, all personnel, athletes, and spectators must adhere to the following policies when on Club grounds or when involved with a Club related activity: 

• Monitor:  A responsible person (Coach, Asst Coach, Team Manager ect..) should be designated to monitor weather conditions. Local weather forecasts - from The Weather Channel, NOAA Weather Radio, or local TV stations - should be observed 24 hours prior to athletic events.  During an athletic event a designated person should be using tools such as the Weather Bug and Weather Channel phone applications can be used to help determine threatening weather.  If these tools are not available use the “30-30 Rule” offers easy to follow lightning safety guidance. When you see lightning, count the time until you hear thunder. If that time is 30 seconds or less, the thunderstorm is close enough to be dangerous. Seek shelter. If you can't see the lightning, just hearing the thunder is a good back-up rule. If you hear thunder, head to safety!  Wait at least 30 minutes after the lightning flash before leaving shelter.

• Return to Play:  "Thirty-minute rule"  - Once lightning has been recognized within 10 miles of event, all personnel, athletes and spectators shall evacuate the playing fields and shall seek shelter immediately.   Activity shall not resume — and everyone shall remain under the protection of shelter — until 30 minutes after the closest lightning strike is detected outside the 10 mile radius.  Any subsequent lightning strike within the 10 mile radius after the beginning of the 30-minute count shall reset the clock, and another count shall begin before activity may resume on the playing fields.  Please note that many times with lightning event cancellation is an likely result.