by: Nick Geddes 39 minutes ago NickGeddesNews
Sunday’s Week 1 contest between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers has entered a weather delay with 8:32 remaining in the second quarter. Jacksonville, leading 10-3, will have possession of the football when the game resumes.
The weather forecast calls for rain throughout the afternoon in Jacksonville, but the key factor here is lightning. The NFL has a strict lightning policy. If a lightning strike is detected within an eight-mile radius of the stadium, play is suspended, and a 30-minute “no play” timer begins. Every new lightning strike resets the clock back to 30 minutes.
This exact scenario played out in Thursday’s regular season opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. That game was suspended for over an hour due to weather.