How many NFL games have been canceled due to weather?
Only once since 1933 has a game ever been flat out canceled (and never rescheduled) due to weather -- the 1935 Boston Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles game due to rain and heavy snow. A little rain never hurt fans or footballers.
Why are so many spring games canceled?
At a Glance It's not even college football season, but spring games are being canceled due to inclement weather. This is due to the threats of severe thunderstorms and near-blizzard conditions in parts of the Midwest.
What was the first NFL game to be canceled before kickoff?
An August 19, 1995 preseason game between the San Diego Chargers and the Houston Oilers was the first game in NFL history to be canceled before kickoff after an NFL official determined that the Astrodome's artificial turf endangered the players. [1]
What are some of the most inclement weather events in football?
Some of football's most memorable games have been played in the most inclement of weather -- floods, blizzards, and polar-vortex-worthy cold included. Let's take a look at these, along with how their extreme weather conditions affected the field, players, and even the ball itself. Does Weather Ever Cancel Football Games?
What was the worst weather in the NFL?
How long can a delay last in a game?
Why were the Saints games postponed?
What was the weather like in the 1967 NFL game?
Why did the baseball schedule change?
Why was the Chargers game moved to Phoenix?
Why was the Buffalo Bills game moved to Detroit?
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Who has the authority to cancel a game?
According to the official NFL playing rules, only the Commissioner, Roger Goodell, has the authority to cancel, postpone, delay, or terminate games, including games affected by inclement weather. Only once since 1933 has a game ever been flat out canceled (and never rescheduled) due to weather -- the 1935 Boston Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles game ...
What was the coldest game in the NFL?
One of football's coldest games was the "Ice Bowl" -- the 1967 NFL Championship game between the Packers and the Cowboys. During the game, temperatures at Lambeau Field dropped to -13 °F and wind chills to -40 °F.
What is the threat of ice on the field?
Sleet and freezing rain on the field poses a similar threat to players as ice does to pedestrians and drivers on roadways and sidewalks: A total loss of traction.
What was the soggiest game in NFL history?
Some of the soggiest games in NFL history include: The "1979 Monsoon Game" - Rainfall flowed down the Tampa Stadium steps like a waterfall during that year's first division championship game of the Bucs vs. Chiefs. The "Mud Bowl" - In October 1998, the Seattle Seahawks played the Kansas City Chiefs during one of Kansas City's worst floods on record.
How much pressure does a football deflate?
A football (which is customarily inflated indoors) can deflate by roughly 0.2 PSI for every 10-degree drop in temperature it experiences after being transferred outdoors. It's the same reason why your vehicle's tires deflate when it's cold. (Who can forget 2015's Patriots vs. Colts AFC Championship game, aka "Deflategate"?)
How much snow fell in Denver in 1984?
The "Bronco Blizzard" - Up to 15 inches of snow fell across the Denver area during this October 1984 Broncos vs. Packers game.
What was the name of the storm that dumped 1.5 inches of rain on Heinz Field in 2007?
The 2007 "Muddy Night Football" - A storm system dumped 1.5 inches of rain on Pittsburgh's Heinz Field just before a Steelers vs. Dolphins game. Footing was so terrible, the only points scored was a Steelers field goal late in the third quarter. It was the lowest scoring game ever played on Monday Night Football.
Why is there a delay in football games?
The top offender for a delay of game is lightning, so more often than not, players and coaches have to make do with the bad conditions.
Why did the refs stop using whistles in the 1967 Ice Bowl?
Need some examples? The 1967 Ice Bowl game saw five players get treated for frostbite after the game, and the refs stopped using their whistles because the metal was freezing to their lips.
What game saw fog?
The 1988 NFC divisional playoff game between the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles saw a dense fog take over during the second quarter. That cut down visibility to just about 15-20 yards for the rest of the game.
Does cold weather affect reaction times?
Cold weather will also cause the body to burn glucose about 5 times faster, leaving players with less energy. Reaction times can drop by 45%.
Does rain affect football?
Plus, rain and snow can make the football slippery, which can negatively impact a quarterback’s ability to throw the ball. Not only does wet weather make it tough for the quarterback, but it won’t make it easy on the offense to catch the ball or maintain possession of it either.
When did NFL teams cancel games?
Cancelling games was far more common in the 1920s and early 1930s, in the founding years of the league. When a team did not want to play a game, they could cancel without any punishment or penalty. Several years after league schedules were standardized in 1933, cancellations were effectively banned, and teams would have to forfeit the game or postpone if a cancellation was due to issues outside the team's control. There have been no forfeits in the league's history; a 1921 game between the Rochester Jeffersons and the Washington Senators is occasionally listed as a forfeit, but because of the lax cancellation rules of the time and uncertainty over which team (if either) was at fault for the game not being played, the game is listed in modern records as a cancellation. The last unpunished cancellation of a regular season NFL game is believed to have been a November 17, 1935 contest between the Boston Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles, which was canceled for severe rain and snow.
What was the first NFL game to be canceled before kickoff?
1995 preseason game in Houston. An August 19, 1995 preseason game between the San Diego Chargers and the Houston Oilers was the first game in NFL history to be canceled before kickoff after an NFL official determined that the Astrodome's artificial turf endangered the players.
How many days did the NFL strike in 1982?
1982 players' strike. In 1982, players began a 57-day strike following the completion of Week 2 of the regular season. As a result of the impasse, games were simply canceled until a settlement was reached (ultimately, Weeks 3 to 10). Upon reaching that settlement, the NFL announced that Weeks 11 to 16 would be played as scheduled, ...
Why did the NFL move the game on October 27?
Because of the soot and particulate matter in the air from the fire two days earlier , the NFL was forced to move the Monday Night Football game on October 27 between the San Diego Chargers and the Miami Dolphins to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.
Why was the 2011 Hall of Fame game cancelled?
Louis Rams had been canceled, for an ongoing lockout that had been in place since March of that year.
Why was the 1974 All Star Game cancelled?
The 1974 College All-Star Game, an exhibition game that pitted the most recent Super Bowl champion ( Miami Dolphins) against a team composed entirely of rookies, was canceled as a result of a players’ strike. The strike was resolved before any further games were canceled; the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, along with the rest of the 1974 NFL season, went on as scheduled, although at least one game was held with the Denver Broncos using a squad of rookie replacement players.
When did the Philadelphia Eagles play the Washington Redskins?
In 1979, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins switched the dates of their two games with the Eagles hosting the Redskins on October 7 (instead of October 21) and the Redskins hosting the Eagles on October 21 (instead of October 7). This was due to the visit of Pope John Paul II to Washington on October 7.
What was the worst weather in the NFL?
The December 1967 NFL Championship Game up in Green Bay was probably the worst for all concerned due to the −15 °F/−26 °C temperatures [ 1] - one fan died of exposure in the stands during the game, whilst others (including several cheerleaders) had to be rushed to hospital suffering from hypothermia and the officials couldn’t use whistles because their lips froze to the metal. The 1982 “Freezer Bowl” AFC title game in Cincinnati wasn’t that far behind in temper
How long can a delay last in a game?
I believe that, technically, a game delay can last six days. Then the options become cancel or re-schedule. Of course, in reality, a delay would probably not last more than 3–4 hours unless the reason for delay would soon be gone. If it became apparent that a delay was going to last substantially more than 3–4 hours, the Referee would contact the league commissioner for his input. IIRC, the commissioner has the power to make the final decision. Game delays are not taken lightly. On the one hand, the league does not want to cancel a game (throws off tie-breakers, division titles, and wild-card positions). And re-scheduling is almost impossible unless both teams have the same bye week (even then, the labor agreement might not allow a game during a team’s bye week). But by playing again after a 1–2 hour delay can be a health concern. We say, in Tampa, that a player had to helped off the field during warmups, after a long game-delay. The muscles cool down during the delay and yet they are not rested enough to safely go back to full strength at the drop of a hat.
Why were the Saints games postponed?
It’s actually more common than you’d think - there have been several postponements or rescheduling episodes in Miami (1992, 2004, 2005 & 2017) & Houston (2008) due to approaching hurricanes, whilst in 2005 Hurricane Katrina forced the Saints to move five home games out of state altogether and play the other three in Baton Rouge due to the damage caused to the Superdome in New Orleans. The Vikings also had a December 2010 game against the Giants moved back a day because of heavy snow in the Twin Cities causing airport closures and then damage to the Metrodome roof (the game ended up being played in Detroit), whilst similar blizzard conditions saw the late December Sunday night meeting between the Vikings and Philadelphia postponed for 48 hours (becoming the first Tuesday contest played in 60+ years). and in 2014, the Bills had to move their scheduled November 23 game against the Jets to Detroit on the following day because of heavy snow.
What was the weather like in the 1967 NFL game?
The December 1967 NFL Championship Game up in Green Bay was probably the worst for all concerned due to the −15 °F/−26 °C temperatures [ 1] - one fan died of exposure in the stands during the game, whilst others (including several cheerleaders) had to be rushed to hospital suffering from hypothermia and the officials couldn’t use whistles because their lips froze to the metal. The 1982 “Freezer Bowl” AFC title game in Cincinnati wasn’t that far behind in temperature terms (−9 °F/−22.8 °C air temp) and was perhaps even more extreme thanks to sustained 27mph winds that produced a wind chill of −59 °F/ −50.6 °C (using the formula in place at the time). The visiting Chargers had played the week before in tropical heat in Miami (88 °F/31.1 °C) and not surprisingly lost 27–7. [ 2]
Why did the baseball schedule change?
The main non-weather reason for schedule changes have been the occasions where teams shared stadia with baseball clubs involved in playoff series [ 1] , though one obvious example came in 2001 as a result of the 9/11 attacks in New York City - all week 2 games were postponed that season and played later in the year.
Why was the Chargers game moved to Phoenix?
In 2003 a Chargers game was moved to Phoenix because forest fires had caused the stadium to be used as an evacuation site.
Why was the Buffalo Bills game moved to Detroit?
A Buffalo Bills game was also moved to Detroit (Bills vs. Jets) because of a snowstorm in Buffalo in November of 2014.
