To ensure the safety of all participants, GSSL games will be canceled, delayed, or postponed when environmental conditions present undue risk. The GSSL weather cancellation policy applies to conditions including snow or ice, excessively hot or cold temperatures, electrical or other storm conditions, and air quality. The policy follows best practices gathered from U.S. Soccer, FIFA, local parks departments, and the National Weather Service.

The GSSL does not decide when fields are closed. All fields should be assumed to be open unless the Facility Owner lists a field as closed on their website or field closure phone line (see the Facility Owner contact list below). If GSSL matches are cancelled due to inclement weather, a notice will be sent to team managers via email or phone and posted on the GSSL website at least 90 minutes before kickoff, if possible. Players and managers must realize that in some cases the GSSL is notified of a field closure by the venue authority after the 90 minute notice time has already passed.

There are many weather conditions such as snow or ice accumulation or electrical storms that may be local to specific fields. In these cases the referee and team managers will determine if a game should proceed.

If the Facility Owner has not closed your field but you question whether conditions are safe to allow play to proceed or safe to allow your team to travel to the game site, please work directly with your opposing manager to make the best decision for your individual teams. Both managers must agree to cancel the game; one manager refusing to play is considered to have forfeited the game.

If you arrive at the field and question whether the field condition or weather would allow the game to be played, please work with the referee and opposing manager to agree whether to cancel the game. If agreement cannot be reached, the referee will make the decision whether to cancel the game or proceed with playing.

If your game is canceled, please reach out directly to GSSL for a credit. Due to lack of open dates and available fields, the GSSL normally will not reschedule games cancelled due to inclement weather, but the GSSL will issue a proportional credit toward the next season’s registration fee.

Lightning and Thunder

• Suspend play immediately if lightning is seen or thunder is heard.
• Resume play 30 minutes after the last observed lightning or thunder.
• A referee may abandon the match if delays exceed 45 minutes or if the storm persists.

Air Quality (Wildfire Smoke & Pollution)

The GSSL uses the U.S. EPA Air Quality Index (AQI). AQI will be monitored via AirNow.gov no later than 3 pm on weekdays and no later than 3 pm Saturday for games scheduled on Sunday.

• AQI ≤ 100 – Match proceeds as scheduled.
• AQI 101–150 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups) – Match may proceed; the two opposing managers together or the referee may cancel the match at their discretion based on field specific conditions.
• AQI ≥ 151 (Unhealthy) – Match is automatically canceled or postponed.

Extreme Heat

GSSL uses the temperature. The temperature will be monitored via the Seattle station of the US Weather Bureau.

• Temperature ≥ 90°F – Mandatory water breaks.
• Temperature ≥ 95°F – GSSL may cancel or postpone the match.
• Since the temperature can vary from location to location, the two opposing managers together or the referee need to make the final decision whether the field temperature is safe.

Extreme cold

The GSSL uses the U.S. Soccer Cold Weather Guidelines. Conditions will be monitored via the Seattle station of the US Weather Bureau.

• Air Temp ≥ 40°F – No restriction.
• Air Temp 30–39°F – Encourage cold-weather gear (gloves, base layers, hats).
• Air Temp 20–29°F – The two opposing managers may agree to play shortened halves and/or allow warm-up breaks.
• Air Temp < 20°F or wind chill < 18°F – Match canceled or postponed.
• Since temperature and wind chill can vary from location to location, the two opposing managers together or the referee need to make the final decision whether the field temperature is safe. 

Snow and Ice

Snow and ice conditions may vary greatly depending on the field location. The GSSL closely monitors field closures issued by the field owners and will notify teams as soon as possible if a field is closed. If a team manager has not been informed that their scheduled field is closed, the manager should contact the opposing team manager to determine whether to attempt to play the game. Both managers must agree to cancel the game; one manager refusing to play is considered to have forfeited the game.

• If a field has not been closed but the field surface is frozen, covered in ice, or has snow accumulation >1 inch, the match may be cancelled by the two opposing managers’ agreement or the referee’s discretion.
• Even light snow that obscures field markings or creates slip hazards may lead to cancellation by the two opposing managers’ agreement or the referee's discretion.