A Brazilian court on Friday stepped into the issue of World Cup matches being played in high temperatures, ordering FIFA to implement mandatory water breaks for players.
The Associated Press is reporting that a labor court in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia has issued a temporary injunction requiring water breaks near the 30th minute of each half when temperatures reach 32 degrees Celsius.
In a statement, the court said the ruling was decided upon after almost two hours of failed negotiations between FIFA and local prosecutors.
But the governing body said it has already recommended water breaks during punishing weather conditions, telling AP that the labor court just confirmed its guidelines. It added that so far, no World Cup game has been played with temperatures higher than 28 degrees Celsius.
Prosecutors were pushing for a 30 degree Celsius limit but the judge, Rogerio Neiva Pinheiro, ruled in favor of the higher FIFA limit since there was no evidence that the small difference would pose a risk on the players' health. The judge also ruled that FIFA should pay about $90,000 for each match in which the ruling is not implemented.
While winter is slowly starting in Brazil, the weather remains hot in many of the 12 host cities in the country. The humid weather has become an issue particularly in the jungle city of Manaus, where humidity has affected the performances of the players. This was evident during the England versus Italy game when both fans and players complained of the heat.
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