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For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, every match at the 2026 tournament includes mandatory three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half.
Introduced as a player welfare measure amid concerns about extreme summer temperatures across North America, the breaks have quickly become a much discussed development in the tournament. Coaches, players, broadcasters, sports scientists, and fans are all weighing in on the impact the stoppages have on player safety, game flow, strategy, and even commercial opportunities.
The conversation has intensified as several matches have been played in challenging heat conditions and prominent coaches have publicly questioned whether the mandatory breaks alter the rhythm of the sport. At the same time, medical experts continue to emphasize the risks posed by heat stress and dehydration during elite athletic competition, particularly in tournaments spanning multiple climates and venues.
Experts like UConn's Douglas Casa have been front and center when the media call for insight and perspective.
The three-minute mandatory hydration breaks are meant to protect players, and referees, from extreme heat illness and help them maintain their physical performance. In that time, players can cool off and replenish lost water and salt from sweating, but how effective it is depends on how aggressive the cooling methods are. That could mean putting wet, cold towels on the exposed parts of a player's body, such as the neck, head, back and arms. If done well, that could reduce their body temperature by about 0.22 F (0.12 C) per minute, said Douglas Casa, CEO of the University of Connecticut's Korey Stringer Institute who also co-signed the letter to FIFA. "Some people can tolerate a little more fluids comfortably and then do intense exercise. Some people can't because it sloshes around in their stomach and they don't feel super comfortable, so they might not drink as much in such a short period of time," he added. The time, he said, dictates the volume of impact, whether from fluid or cooling, and "that's why we're suggesting doing something like five or six minutes, because it just makes such a big impact when you're dealing with a change of that magnitude." June 18 - NPR Douglas Casa is a professor of kinesiology and chief executive officer of UConn’s Korey Stringer Institute. He is a leading authority on research, advocacy, and education about exertional heat stroke View his profile While the standardized breaks represent a major step forward for player welfare, some leading heat illness experts argue the new policy does not go far enough. Dr. Douglas Casa, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut and chief executive officer of the Korey Stringer Institute, expressed skepticism regarding the efficacy of such brief intervals. Dr. Casa warned that prolonged, high-intensity physical exertion causes a rapid spike in core body temperature, which dramatically degrades athletic performance and increases the risk of exertional heat illness. He noted that a mere three minutes from whistle to whistle provides insufficient time for optimal physiological cooling and active rehydration, recommending instead that tournament officials expand the mandatory breaks to five or six minutes. Faced with these demanding environmental conditions, several competing national teams are taking proactive measures to gain a competitive edge. Multiple countries have expanded their technical staffs to include specialized sports scientists tasked exclusively with designing aggressive heat-acclimatization and thermal-management strategies. According to Dr. Casa, these data-driven preparation strategies will likely play a monumental role in determining player durability and ultimately crowning the world champion. June 09 - NBC News Covering? We can help. Douglas Casa, who leads UConn's renowned Korey Stringer Institute, is available to discuss:
The science behind hydration and cooling breaks in elite sport Heat illness risks facing World Cup athletes Whether mandatory breaks are sufficient to protect players How extreme weather is changing sports medicine and event management The balance between player safety, competition, and fan expectations Check out the video below featuring Doug Casa explaining what happens when the human body gets too hot.
Media interested in speaking with Doug Casa can contact the UConn media relations team to arrange an interview.
As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, a major new podcast series is drawing renewed attention to the Reconstruction era and its lasting impact on American democracy.
Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise, hosted by Malcolm Gladwell and featuring former President Barack Obama, examines the turbulent decades following the Civil War and the ongoing struggle to define citizenship, equality, and political participation in the United States.
Among the historians featured in the series is Manisha Sinha, a leading scholar of the Civil War, abolition, and Reconstruction. Her participation brings decades of research and scholarship to a national audience at a time when Americans are revisiting the people, events, and ideas that shaped the nation.
Manisha Sinha is the James L. and Shirley A. Draper Chair in American History at UConn and past president of the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic. She is an expert in American political history, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. View her profile Sinha is the author of The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic: Reconstruction, 1860–1920, a widely acclaimed examination of Reconstruction that challenges conventional timelines and interpretations of the era. Her work argues that Reconstruction was not confined to the years immediately following the Civil War, but instead represented a broader struggle over democracy, citizenship, civil rights, and political inclusion that continued well into the twentieth century.
In interviews discussing her research, Sinha has emphasized the transformative nature of Reconstruction and its importance in understanding the development of modern America. Her scholarship explores how debates over voting rights, constitutional protections, racial equality, and citizenship during Reconstruction continue to influence public life today.
As interest in Reconstruction grows through America 250 programming and broader public discussions about democracy and civil rights, Sinha's expertise offers valuable historical context for understanding the era's enduring significance.
Connect with an Expert Manisha Sinha is available to discuss:
The history and legacy of Reconstruction Why Reconstruction remains relevant today The concept of America's "Second Republic" The evolution of citizenship and voting rights in the United States The relationship between Reconstruction, civil rights, and democratic reform Historical perspectives connected to America 250 commemorations How historians are rethinking the traditional timeline of Reconstruction For journalists and audiences seeking deeper insight into one of the most important periods in American history, Sinha offers expert analysis on the debates, achievements, and unresolved questions that continue to shape the nation more than 150 years later.
A surge in tick activity across Connecticut is renewing concerns about Lyme disease, prompting experts to examine the environmental factors driving tick populations, the challenges of prevention, and the future role of vaccines.
Recently reported by CT Community News and CTNewsJunkie, researchers are seeing unusually high numbers of ticks infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, with infection rates reaching levels typically not observed until peak season. Experts point to a combination of environmental conditions, including a snowy winter that insulated overwintering ticks, milder seasonal temperatures, and continued residential expansion into wooded areas where ticks thrive.
According to Dr. David Banach, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist at UConn Health, the increase in Lyme disease cases is influenced by multiple factors. While improved reporting may account for some of the rise, environmental conditions continue to play a significant role in the number of infections seen by clinicians each year.
“Lyme disease is chronically underreported.” Dr. David Banach Dr. David Banach is an infectious diseases physician who leads UConn Health's Infection Prevention Program and serves as hospital epidemiologist.
View his profile The article also explores ongoing efforts to develop new Lyme disease vaccines. Dr. Paulo Verardi, head of UConn's Department of Virology and Vaccinology, notes that vaccines could become an important tool in reducing disease risk, but cautions that vaccination alone will not solve the broader challenge posed by expanding tick populations and changing environmental conditions. Effective control, he argues, will require a combination of public education, land management, and efforts to reduce tick abundance.
“To really control tickborne diseases, there needs to be more land management, public education and a drop in the overall tick population.” Dr. Paulo Verardi Dr. Paulo Verardi is a virologist who specializes in vaccine research and development. He is a Department Head and Associate Professor at UConn and a member of the Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research.
View his profile As Lyme disease continues to spread across North America, understanding the intersection of climate, ecology, public health, and vaccine development is becoming increasingly important. Researchers are working to better understand why tick populations are expanding, how disease risk is changing, and what strategies can best protect people who live, work, and spend time outdoors.
Covering Lyme or other tickborne diseases? We can help. To learn more about Lyme disease, tick-borne illnesses, vaccine development, infectious disease trends, and public health preparedness, connect with experts such as Dr. David Banach and Dr. Paulo Verardi, whose research and expertise help explain the growing challenges posed by tick-borne diseases.
