Nishinomiya, Apr 20 (News On Japan) - The Japan High School Baseball Federation has announced the adoption of a split schedule for the Summer National High School Baseball Championship at Koshien Stadium as a measure against the heat.
The new "two-part system," which will split games between morning and evening sessions, will be implemented on select days of the tournament.
In recent years, the summer tournament has seen instances of players suffering from symptoms of heatstroke, including cramping. Since last year, a "cooling break" has been instituted, allowing a 10-minute hydration period after the fifth inning as part of ongoing efforts to mitigate the effects of the heat.
Starting this year, to avoid the hottest midday hours, the federation will introduce the two-part system, distributing games between morning and evening sessions. This system will be in place for the first three days of the tournament, with three games scheduled each day.
Additionally, as part of the heat prevention strategy, the start times for the semi-finals and finals will be moved earlier.
Source: TBS
