• Clubs/Team Coaches/managers have a duty to ensure that U18 players’ welfare is considered when it comes to extreme weather, heat or cold, and on that basis, a club may provide advice around clothing: caps, long-sleeved shirts, base-layers, training jackets/coats and track-suits/hoodies etc.
• Additionally, there are specific IFAB/FA rules around the wearing of base-layers /gloves etc, within the competition.
• As long as a child is wearing the minimum correct kit that The FA rules require, the parent/carer is responsible for ensuring that their child is appropriately dressed for the conditions, whether playing/training or on the side-lines.
• However, within a training session/game, a coach/manager is able to substitute/remove players if they are not adequately dressed for the conditions or are visibly cold/wet and unhappy/distressed, as this may potentially impact their health/well-being.
• A club would be well within their right to provide advice and guidance for parents/carers, and ultimately if there is a club rule around the wearing of long sleeve tops which has been ratified by the club’s committee and has been communicated to parents prior to their child’s registration or renewal, then this is a club matter and any parental concerns around this should be formally made to the committee if no reasonable changes have been made due to the weather.
• Parents/Carers will know their child best, and therefore, I would advise clubs to make parents aware of the need to ensure that their child has adequate/appropriate clothing /equipment for the presenting or foreseen weather conditions and leave the decision to them –  with the understanding that club officials have the right to refuse or remove any child from activity if they arrive for training/matchday and they are not appropriate dressed for the session and/or weather conditions.
• Communicating with the officials; inspect the ground prior to the game to assess the playing conditions. There is a higher chance of accidents and injuries due to cold weather.
• Decide with enough time prior to the fixture to prevent unnecessary travelling for everyone involved.
• Listen to your players and parents/guardians’ concerns about the weather conditions – it is a good chance to make sure you are updated with the players’ medical conditions which the cold weather can impact.

Event organisers (Clubs and Leagues) are to monitor the weather conditions before and throughout the event, tournament, training and matches and act accordingly. This should be considered if this is to cancel the event/fixtures in the best interest of health and welfare. The recommendation to start accessing any cancellation of events/fixtures should be done in line with the weather guidance, for the anticipation of the temperature reaching freezing point or below 2 degrees.