Does Louisiana’s weather make it the best place to play football?

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) —The weather not only delays football games, but can also help or hurt the players depending on the conditions. Different weather conditions, such as wind, hot versus cold temperatures, and dry versus humid conditions, can all affect how a team fares by the end of a game.

First and foremost, the wind plays the biggest role in a game. When winds exceed 15 to 20 mph, it can lead to erratic ball movement or friction against the ball when thrown or kicked. Due to the wind, many teams will adjust their plays in favor of shorter passes.

Temperatures play a big role in how a team plays as well. Not only can external temperatures have an effect on the health of the players, but they can also compress or expand the football itself. Hot air is less dense than cold air, so the atmosphere feels thinner in warmer climates than in colder ones. With hot air, the molecules in the air can move around faster and easier than those of cold air, so when a football passes through, those molecules will be pushed further and faster than those of cold air. This allows for the football to travel farther in warmer temperatures.

Humidity is much of the same as temperature. Humid air is less dense than dry air, so for the same reasons as above, in more humid conditions, it is likely that a ball will travel easier and farther than it normally would in dry conditions.

So, while it might be good for the football itself to play in a hot, humid environment like Louisiana, our bodies are not equipped for that type of stress. Football players exert so much energy while playing and are covered in uniforms and pads that they overheat easily.

Hot temperatures and humid conditions can lead to heat illness very quickly, which is one of the main concerns with playing in the south, especially for teams that are not used to this type of weather.

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