A recent incident in Thailand, where a football player died after being struck by lightning during a regional cup match, has brought renewed attention to safety protocols during thunderstorms. The player, Safwan Awae, was playing in the Golok Cup regional tournament at Santiphap Stadium in Sungai Golok on August 4 when a lightning bolt struck the field. He had signed with Thai League 3 side Yala FC just six days prior to the incident.
Emergency services transported Awae to the hospital, but he succumbed to severe injuries. Police chief Thun Sirikhunt confirmed that medical efforts to save him were unsuccessful. In addition to Awae‘s death, 12 other individuals sustained burn injuries, including Malaysian footballer Alif Ezzahan Zulkifli. The match was immediately abandoned following the incident.
The 30-minute lightning rule
The incident highlights the critical importance of lightning safety rules in football. A widely adopted standard, known as the 30-30 rule, is endorsed by FIFA and used by various football associations globally. This rule mandates that if thunder is heard within 30 seconds of a lightning flash, indicating the storm is approximately six miles or closer, play must be suspended immediately, and everyone must leave the pitch.
Once a suspension is initiated, a mandatory 30-minute countdown begins. However, this countdown resets every time another lightning strike occurs within that waiting period. This means that a persistent storm can significantly prolong delays, potentially holding play for hours rather than just half an hour.
At the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, these protocols were a lived reality. A group-stage match between France and Iraq in Philadelphia was delayed for nearly two hours. Similarly, Mexico‘s last-32 match against Ecuador at the Azteca Stadium started an hour late due to lightning. The protocols for the 2026 World Cup were based on guidelines from the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which FIFA was bound to follow on American soil. Any lightning detected within eight miles of the stadium automatically triggered a halt.
During such suspensions, players and coaching staff return to the dressing rooms. Fans are directed from open stands to covered concourses to await an all-clear. In stadiums without roofs, both the pitch and all seating areas must be fully evacuated.
Kylian Mbappe described the delay during the France-Iraq match as “a very long evening,” noting the emotional and mental toll of staying focused for an extended period in the dressing room. France manager Didier Deschamps, however, joked that his squad “played cards” while waiting for the storm to pass.
Prolonged breaks also present physical challenges for players who are warmed up and match-ready, as they can stiffen up. During the Chelsea-Benfica delay at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which lasted four hours and 38 minutes from kickoff to final whistle, players from both teams used exercise bikes and passed balls in the changing room to maintain their readiness.
Previous incidents and safety concerns
The death of Safwan Awae is not an isolated incident. Other footballers have also died from lightning strikes during matches. An Indonesian player, Septian Raharja, was killed by lightning during a friendly match. A Brazilian player, Caio Henrique De Lima Goncalves, died during a cup match. Additionally, Peruvian defender Jose Hugo de la Cruz Meza was struck and killed while leaving a pitch to escape heavy rain.
These fatalities, particularly in lower-level matches where advanced lightning detection systems, evacuation plans, and formal protocols are often absent, highlight a significant disparity in safety measures between elite and amateur football. While events like the World Cup benefit from technology such as NOAA monitoring the skies, regional competitions may lack such systems.
The 30-minute lightning rule is in place to prevent such tragedies. The incident in Thailand serves as a stark reminder of the consequences when these safety protocols are not implemented.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
