Hall County schools superintendent Will Schofield told high school sports programs that it's just too hot to practice during the afternoon right now.
And high school football coaches seem to agree.
Schofield alerted all Hall County coaches that practice this week would be banned between noon and 6 p.m. due to extreme heat and temperatures that are near 100 degrees.
"I feel like it almost needs to be between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m., because it feels hotter later in the afternoon and early evening," East Hall coach Bryan Gray said.
The high temperature in Gainesville on Wednesday was 97.
The current policy already in place requires practice not to exceed 90 minutes if the heat index is between 100-104. If the heat index is 105 or higher, outdoor practice is prohibited.
The move to cut practice during the hottest hours is an extra precaution to ensure player safety, especially after two high school players in the state have already died this summer, one from Fitzgerald and another from Locust Grove.
Each school is responsible for structuring its own practice schedule with the new stipulation.
At North Hall, coach Bob Christmas has one practice early in the day, then another in the evening, as long as the temperatures have cooled off enough.
According to Christmas, his philosophy on practicing in the heat has always been to give players a break every 10-15 minutes. They also have mist machines and plenty of water sources on hand to keep players hydrated.
"Giving players plenty of breaks in the heat is something I've always felt very strongly about," Christmas said.
Gray said that too much practice in the heat eventually becomes counter productive.
"Players get lazy and lethargic when it's too hot," Gray said. "Then they start repeating negative habits."
Gray and Christmas say the real challenge to finding practice time if it remains too hot comes next week when school starts: Schools are used to practicing after school and early-evening practices then become less convenient.
"But we have to be safe," Gray said. "If it saves one kid's life, then it's worth it."