\u201cWhen we look at the three-minute hydration breaks, we\u2019re really looking at this as a way to mitigate anything that could potentially lead to an incident or an emergency,\u201d said Joshua L. DeVincenzo with Columbia University\u2019s National Center for Disaster Preparedness. <\/p>\n
FIFA\u2019s mandatory breaks, regardless of temperatures<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Signage for a hydration break is displayed during the World Cup Group F soccer match between the Netherlands and Japan in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo\/Sam Hodde)<\/p>\n Signage for a hydration break is displayed during the World Cup Group F soccer match between the Netherlands and Japan in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo\/Sam Hodde)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n FIFA said the mandatory breaks are to \u201censure equal conditions for all teams, in all matches,\u201d and the rules draw upon the experiences of past tournaments, including the FIFA Club World Cup<\/a> in the U.S. last summer when temperatures soared.<\/p>\n Some coaches said the breaks make sense when temperatures are extreme, but they questioned whether they were necessary at every match. The pauses have also been criticized for interrupting the spectacle for fans, with broadcasters cutting to commercials.<\/p>\n Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said they\u2019re making the most of the hydration breaks. <\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t get on the field but the players can come near you while drinking water and we can give them instructions,\u201d he said. \u201cWe take advantage to try to correct something during the game, it\u2019s something good for the coaches.\u201d<\/p>\n Even highly-trained, elite athletes can get heat stress<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ghana manager Carlos Queiroz speaks with his players during a hydration break during the World Cup Group L soccer match between Ghana and Panama in Toronto, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (Chris Young\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n Ghana manager Carlos Queiroz speaks with his players during a hydration break during the World Cup Group L soccer match between Ghana and Panama in Toronto, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (Chris Young\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Athletes pushing themselves physically in hot and humid conditions risk getting what\u2019s called exertional heat illness. It happens when the body gets too hot and is accompanied by significant strain on the heart, nerves, muscles and central nervous systems. <\/p>\n Symptoms include muscle cramps, extreme fatigue, impaired performance, headache, irritability, nausea, dizziness, cramping and dehydration.<\/p>\n When internal body temperature exceeds 105 F (40.5 C), athletes might feel confused, aggressive or lose consciousness, said Yuri Hosokawa with the Faculty of Sport Sciences in Japan\u2019s Waseda University, in an email, \u201call of which are characteristic signs of exertional heat stroke and require immediate medical attention.\u201d She co-signed a letter to FIFA in May urging stricter heat guidelines for player safety, including that cooling breaks be at least six minutes. <\/p>\n Exertional heat stroke is among the leading causes of death in athletes.<\/p>\n Dehydration also exacerbates the risk. Athletes in the heat can sweat 1 to 2 liters (50 to 67 ounces) an hour, and most drink less liquids than they expel. Losing as little as 2% of one\u2019s body weight to dehydration<\/a> can impair physical performance. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente talks with players during a hydration break in the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo\/Jacob Kupferman)<\/p>\n Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente talks with players during a hydration break in the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo\/Jacob Kupferman)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Ryan Calsbeek, professor of biological sciences at Dartmouth College, said the human body performs better when it\u2019s warmer, but there\u2019s a critical threshold above which that improvement in performance not only stops, but precipitously drops off.<\/p>\n \u201cYour body starts to really fall apart, you lose the ability to cool off fast enough,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd the physiological mechanisms just break down.\u201d That happens when the wet bulb globe temperature<\/a>, which includes temperature, humidity, cloud cover and wind, reads above about 95 F (35 C), though some people will be more heat tolerant.<\/p>\n The increased confusion from extreme heat could impact an athlete\u2019s ability to make strategic decisions, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s these marginal differences in performance that I think can determine the outcome of a match,\u201d Calsbeek said. \u201cIf you have individuals that do better in extreme conditions, whether it\u2019s extreme heat or high altitude or whatever the case may be, those small differences could play a critical, pivotal role in determining the outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n Hydration breaks should be longer, some experts say<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Portugal\u2019s Bernardo Silva takes a bottle of water during a hydration break during the World Cup Group K soccer match between Portugal and Congo in Houston, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ashley Landis)<\/p>\n Portugal\u2019s Bernardo Silva takes a bottle of water during a hydration break during the World Cup Group K soccer match between Portugal and Congo in Houston, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ashley Landis)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n The three-minute mandatory hydration breaks are meant to protect players, and referees, from extreme heat illness and help them maintain their physical performance. <\/p>\n Players can cool off and replenish lost water and salt from sweating.<\/p>\n That could mean putting wet, cold towels on parts of a player\u2019s body. If done well, that could reduce their body temperature by about 0.22 F (0.12 C) per minute, said Douglas Casa, CEO of the University of Connecticut\u2019s Korey Stringer Institute who also co-signed the letter.<\/p>\n \u201cSome people can tolerate a little more fluids comfortably and then do intense exercise. Some people can\u2019t because it sloshes around in their stomach and they don\u2019t feel super comfortable, so they might not drink as much in such a short period of time,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Referees takes a hydration break during the World Cup Group L soccer match between England and Croatia in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo\/Julio Cortez)<\/p>\n Referees takes a hydration break during the World Cup Group L soccer match between England and Croatia in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo\/Julio Cortez)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n In a 2024 study, researchers found that three minutes lowered athletes\u2019 core temperature by about 0.72 F (0.4 C) during simulated soccer running in a heat chamber. But this happened in ideal conditions where they drank 350 to 400 milliliters of cold water and draped a cold towel on their shoulders. <\/p>\n Draping ice towels over a player\u2019s shoulders can be helpful, but only if they rehydrate as well, said Julien P\u00e9riard in an email, a study co-author and director of the University of Canberra Research Institute for Sport and Exercise who also signed the letter.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why it\u2019s important the three minutes be well planned, but \u201ceven in ideal settings, the breaks can slightly help but will not eliminate the risk of heat illness in response to a rise in core temperature,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Casa said time dictates the volume of impact, whether from fluid or cooling.<\/p>\n How much time a player needs to recover also varies. \u201cDepending on your body, you might need more or less time. But those kinds of breaks are crucial so that your body isn\u2019t just being forced to keep trying to play catch up… to keep trying to cool you down without any kind of rest or a break,\u201d said Bharat Venkat, director of the Heat Lab at the University of California, Los Angeles. <\/p>\n As our planet gets hotter, mandating hydration breaks and changing where, when and how sports are played will be necessary. <\/p>\n \u201cNo matter what sport you play, there\u2019s going to be adjustments that have to be made in the face of climate change,<\/a> \u201d he said.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Tales Azzoni contributed from Guadalajara, Mexico. <\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n![\"Signage](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781815512_77_.jpeg\")
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