{
  "id": 734526,
  "title": "Pro football players' association calls on top league to switch to fall-spring schedule",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/pro-football-players-association-calls-on-top-league-to-switch-to-734526",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-13T05:37:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/sports/20260813/pro-football-players-association-calls-on-top-league-to-switch-to-fall-spring-schedule"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Korea Pro-Footballer's Association (KPFA) has urged the leading domestic league to switch to a fall-spring schedule in order to safeguard its athletes from the dangers of summer heat, according to a statement released on Thursday. The KPFA emphasized that the current spring-fall calendar leaves players vulnerable to extreme temperatures and climate change, and that adopting the fall-spring schedule would help maintain the league's position as an Asia leader and ensure global competitiveness. The K League, currently operating on a spring-fall calendar, begins in late February or early March and concludes in November, with promotion-relegation playoffs taking place in December. Discussions regarding a calendar change have been ongoing for years, as most other top football leagues around the world follow the fall-spring schedule. For instance, in Europe, the typical season starts in late August and ends in late May.",
  "summary": "The advocacy group for professional football players on Thursday called on the top domestic league to switch to the fall-spring schedule to better protect its athletes during summer. In a statement, the Korea Pro-Footballer's Association (KPFA) said the K League must do away with the current spring-fall calendar because it leaves players exposed to severe summer heat. \"The K League must…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "Pro football players' association calls on top league to switch to fall-spring schedule",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/pro-football-players-association-calls-on-top-league-to-switch-to-735427",
        "published": "2026-08-13T05:07:37.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Pro football players' association calls on top league to switch to fall-spring schedule",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/pro-football-players-association-calls-on-top-league-to-switch-to",
        "published": "2026-08-13T05:22:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}