# Can lightning strike a player on the field in a sports stadium... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 26, 2014, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lightning-strike-a-player-on-the-field-in-a-sports-stadium/684600 "2014-03-26T13:39:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2014, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lightning-strike-a-player-on-the-field-in-a-sports-stadium/684600/41 "2014-03-28T14:58:26Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > That is a ridiculous standard of evidence. > > I have not found a single verifiable instance of a lottery winner who purchased their ticket while shopping for a quart of milk, a six-pack of beer, 2 loaves of rye bread, and 3 apples. > > Therefore, obviously, it is impossible to win the lottery if you purchase a ticket while grocery shopping. > > No, wait…let’s think about that again. > > As repeatedly mentioned (and demonstrated) above, there are a number of problems with your implication, at which you have chosen to wave your hands as if they were of no import. In the case of a sporting event, they are not irrelevant at all, even in this particular case: > > 1. The presence of tall objects will only, at best, slightly mitigate the risk of a lightning strike. The proximity of tall objects does NOT eliminate those risks (see above for several examples of this). Lightning can and has struck the ground next to tall objects. Whether or not they are “light towers” or not is immaterial. > > 2. Direct lightning strikes are not the only danger during a lightning storm. Mere proximity to a lightning strike can be hazardous, with (again see above for several examples of this) chances of injury due to the electricity, hearing damage from thunder, or concussive damage from the strike. > > 3. Even in “safe” environments, like indoors (again, see above for examples), lightning strikes can and have been known to kill people. > > The bottom line, as repeatedly stated in this thread, is that the risk of lightning is not eliminated in a stadium like this. It’s not materially safer than a stadium without such towers. The players’ concerns were as legitimate in this stadium as in any other stadium. Clear skies? Well, they’d be wrong. But audible thunder and lightning in the area? Yes, there’s an enhanced risk of injury. So, why choose to ignore those enhanced risks? It makes no sense. Even if indoors is not absolutely safe (nothing really is), it’s much, much better than on an open pitch. > > So, why harp repeatedly on the fact that a verifiable case of a specific lightning circumstance can’t be found? I haven’t found a single verifiable case of a lottery winner who was exactly 53 years old, 2 months, and 15 days old, male, 6 foot tall, and hopping on one foot while purchasing their ticket. That doesn’t make those factors relevant to winning the lottery, no matter if I have a crackpot theory that says they affect the result. Your explanation has not offered any evidence that a player’s safety is “much much better” somewhere else within the venue, than on the pitch. Only that if the lightning strikes, there is no safe place where one can have a high assurance of being unaffected by it. Unless you can offer statistical or scientific evidence that a player on the pitch is more likely to be struck than one huddling inside the structure near electrical wiring and steel support beams and high-conductivity materials and amenities, let the game go on., ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lightning-strike-a-player-on-the-field-in-a-sports-stadium/684600/42 "2014-03-28T15:08:40Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Your explanation has not offered any evidence that a player’s safety is “much much better” somewhere else within the venue, than on the pitch. You’re comfortable making this determination for other people? Do we have a firm number X%? No. If that’s not sufficient for you, then you can establish that as the rule for your league or for yourself. Besides, what you consider safe or not for other people veers into GD territory. At any rate, many sports organizations have already set safety rules for the presence of lightning or thunder. So, again, in response to the original question and the only real GQ response, the players were not being unreasonable in asking to take their own safety into consideration as this is a usual and customary practice in most if not all professional sports, and this practice is based on a known elevated risk of injury, even if the precise amount of risk elevation is not known to the Nth decimal place. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lightning-strike-a-player-on-the-field-in-a-sports-stadium/684600/43 "2014-03-28T15:56:43Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > You’re comfortable making this determination for other people? > > Do we have a firm number X%? No. If that’s not sufficient for you, then you can establish that as the rule for your league or for yourself. Besides, what you consider safe or not for other people veers into GD territory. > > At any rate, many sports organizations have already set safety rules for the presence of lightning or thunder. So, again, in response to the original question and the only real GQ response, the players were not being unreasonable in asking to take their own safety into consideration as this is a usual and customary practice in most if not all professional sports, and this practice is based on a known elevated risk of injury, even if the precise amount of risk elevation is not known to the Nth decimal place. I read your explanation (not that of other people) and I found no evidence within it that one part of the venue is safer than another. That standing on the pitch is more dangerous than standing next to an electric vending machine in the concourse. Maybe it is, but you haven’t defended the proposition. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lightning-strike-a-player-on-the-field-in-a-sports-stadium/684600/44 "2014-03-29T01:54:20Z")
[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/storms/2005-10-06-lightning-football-player\_x.htm](http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/storms/2005-10-06-lightning-football-player_x.htm) In Florida and most other states, high school football games happen at night, so this field was certainly surrounded by light towers. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lightning-strike-a-player-on-the-field-in-a-sports-stadium/684600/45 "2014-03-29T02:24:49Z")
[http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pub/?n=/ltg/ncaa\_ltg.php](http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pub/?n=/ltg/ncaa_ltg.php) Note the times in these examples. > [@](#): > > From the Lightning Statistics section of the Colorado Lightning Resource Page: > > 02 June 2005, 1701 mst (1801 mdt), Pueblo county, In Pueblo: Lighting struck a 13 year old female while scrimmaging for a softball game at Pueblo East High School . The girl was critically injured and transported to Denver . (Case Study) > > 19 July 2006, 1700 mst (1800 mdt); El Paso county: A male little league coach was struck by lightning in Fremont park. Fremont park is located 6 miles north-northeast of Colorado Springs (Case Study) > 19 July 2006, 1630 mst (1730 mdt); Teller county: A 17 year old young man who was playing soccer in Woodland Park was struck and killed by lightning (Case Study). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lightning-strike-a-player-on-the-field-in-a-sports-stadium/684600.md?page=2)