Hydration breaks could be among the new features of the ISSA schoolboy football competitions this season, but they will not be mandatory, says competitions officer Ewan Scott. With the El Niño climatic impact in full effect, ISSA president Keith Wellington noted at Wednesday’s launch that hydration breaks – similar to those used at the recent World Cup – are likely to become part of the reality of schoolboy football this year to safeguard student‑athletes. However, he could not confirm whether they would be compulsory.