South Korea footballers urge safety after extreme heat statistics

South Korean professional footballers pressed stronger protections against extreme heat ⁠after a survey by the Korea Pro-Footballers Association (KPFA) demonstrated plenty of players hit by dehydration, dizziness and temporary lapses in consciousness during competition.

Key points

• While 56.6% had severe dehydration and 13% suffered lapses in consciousness, almost two-thirds (64.7%) complained of dizziness during matches or training.
• "Playing under the scorching sun on artificial turf that ‌traps and radiates heat is essentially forcing athletes into a furnace, " KPFA Women's President Ji So-yun remarked.
• Almost 90% backed changes to existing match operations during extreme heat.
• "Just as professional baseball proactively cancels games for the heat, football needs to stop mechanically following a rigid schedule and ‌actually ‌prioritise player health and safety."
• The KPFA remarked the findings should additionally prompt a broader discussion on South Korea's football calendar, with plenty of players supporting a switch to an autumn-spring schedule.

It discovered 86.2% of respondents suffered significant physical strain while playing in the heat, among ⁠536 players from South Korea's K League and WK League surveyed during a summer when pitch temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

"The fact that over 70 players experienced dizziness, dehydration, and even temporary loss of consciousness is a ‌glaring red flag, " KPFA President Lee Keun-ho, a former national team player, remarked in an official note.

For context, the union called on the Korea Football Association (KFA), K League and WK League to introduce mandatory heat protocols, saying the current safeguards do not sufficiently protect players.

Meanwhile, the KFA informed the Reuters news agency that player health and safety remained its "absolute top priority" and that it fully acknowledged the worries raised by the players' union.

While additionally noting some logistical challenges, the governing body remarked it was taking steps to reduce heat-related risks, including adjusting match schedules and enforcing cooling-break protocols during ⁠games.

"While we face certain practical constraints, including ⁠stadium availability and tight scheduling limitations, KFA is continuously monitoring conditions to make every possible effort to prevent any heat-related incidents, " South Korea's governing body remarked in an official note on Friday.

Almost half the respondents remarked they were dissatisfied with the current cooling-break system that usually ⁠gives players a break of just more than three minutes once temperatures reach a specified threshold.

Almost 90% backed changes to existing match operations during extreme heat. While others backed postponing or cancelling ⁠matches when heat advisories are in effect, more ⁠than half favoured afterwards kickoff times.

Notably, the union remarked women players often face further challenges, with a number of matches scheduled during the hottest part of the day on artificial surfaces and at venues without adequate air-conditioned changing facilities.

Meanwhile, the KPFA remarked the findings should additionally prompt a broader discussion on South Korea's football calendar, with plenty of players supporting a switch to an autumn-spring schedule.

In short, south Korea footballers urge safety after extreme heat statistics is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.