Rutledge said a three-hour break could actually force players into the heat, since some teams start practice early as 6:30 a.m. to avoid the hottest parts of the day. He also stood by the current guidelines that Texas coaches follow.

"Our coaches take it seriously, and do a good job with it," Rutledge said.

In Kentucky, the death of football player Max Gilpin prompted state lawmakers to enact tougher safety laws for prep players. Kentucky high school coaches must now pass an athlete safety course that is expected to go online later this month.

Gilpin's coach, David Jason Stinson, has pleaded not guilty to reckless homicide and is scheduled for trial in August.

Curbing severe cases of heat illness was a prominent topic at the athletic trainers' convention in San Antonio. Also Thursday, a Georgia-based company unveiled a tiny heat sensor that can be placed inside a football helmet to monitor a player's body temperature.

Jay Buckalew, founder of Hothead Technologies Inc., said the system warns coaches and athletic trainers when an athlete is becoming dangerously overheated. But at about $99 a helmet, the price is likely to be prohibitive to many school districts.