Pro football players' association calls on top league to switch to fall-spring schedule

Seoul, Aug. 13 (Yonhap) -- The Korea Pro-Footballer's Association (KPFA) has urged the K League to transition to a fall-spring schedule to better safeguard its players against the severe summer heat. The current spring-fall calendar leaves athletes vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, and adopting a fall-spring schedule would also help the league maintain its global competitiveness, according to the KPFA.

The K League currently operates from late February or early March until November, with playoffs in December. South Korea is currently experiencing a devastating heat wave, which led the Korea Baseball Organization to cancel almost an entire week of games last week. The K League attempted to mitigate the heat by pushing back kickoff times from 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. last weekend.

The KPFA's request for a calendar change extends beyond player safety, as it highlights that the top Asian club tournament, the Asian Football Confederation Champions League Elite, has already adopted the fall-spring schedule for the 2023-2024 season, and Japan's top-flight J1 League has switched to this arrangement this month. K League clubs have been reluctant to switch due to concerns that winter weather, particularly cold snaps and snowy conditions, could deter fans and make it difficult to maintain pitches in good shape.

KPFA President Lee Keun-ho suggested that the league could mitigate these issues by setting up more heating devices at stadiums, installing hybrid grass for pitches, and investing in long-term improvements.