South Korean professional soccer players have called for stronger measures to protect them from extreme heat, following a study by the Korea Professional Soccer Players’ Association (KPFA), which showed that many players experienced dehydration, dizziness, and temporary loss of consciousness during matches.
The survey found that 86.2% of respondents experienced significant physical strain while playing in high-temperature conditions. The study included 536 players from the K League and the WK League during a summer when the temperature on the field exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.
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Nearly two-thirds (64.7%) reported dizziness during matches or training sessions, while 56.6% experienced severe dehydration and 13% experienced temporary loss of consciousness.
“The fact that more than 70 players experienced dizziness, dehydration, and even temporary loss of consciousness is a clear warning sign,” said KPFA President and former international soccer player Lee Kun-ho in a statement.
The Association called on the Korea Football Association (KFA), the K League, and the WK League to establish mandatory protocols for dealing with extreme heat, arguing that existing measures do not adequately protect players.
Nearly half of those surveyed expressed dissatisfaction with the current system of cooling breaks, which typically last just over three minutes when the temperature reaches a specified threshold.
Nearly 90% supported changes to how races are conducted in extreme heat. More than half preferred postponing the start time of races to a later hour, while others advocated for postponing or canceling them when high-temperature warnings are in effect.
The Association noted that female soccer players often face additional challenges, as some matches are scheduled during the hottest hours of the day, on artificial turf fields and at facilities that lack adequately air-conditioned locker rooms.
“Competing under the scorching sun, on artificial turf that traps and radiates heat, essentially means we’re forcing athletes to play inside an oven,” said Ji So-yeon, president of the women’s division of the KPFA.
“Just as professional baseball preemptively cancels games due to the heat, soccer, too, must stop mechanically following a rigid schedule and truly prioritize the health and safety of the players.”
KPFA reported that the findings should also lead to a broader discussion about the soccer schedule in South Korea, with some players advocating for a shift to a fall-to-spring season schedule.
*photo source: AP
