Sports set to return, with rules changing

Some of Ontario’s amateur sporting bodies have preliminary plans in place for a return to sports, while others are awaiting further guidelines from the federal and provincial governments before informing their teams how local sports will make their respective comebacks from the pandemic.

With the Ontario government opening golf courses and lifting restrictions on gatherings in some public spaces, local sports associations are beginning to finalize the rules and conditions for thousands of young athletes. That includes details on sanitizing clubhouses and equipment, and restrictions on how the games are played.

For instance, members of tennis clubs are being told there will be singles matches only, players will have to enter the courts from opposite ends and not change ends, they must bring their own balls and serve with those balls only, and they must practise racquet-only retrieval of balls.

The game itself, though, will remain largely unchanged, and that’s something Jacques Konig, the president of the Toronto Soccer Association, is hoping for his sport, too.

“If there are, say, no throw-ins from the sidelines, just kick-ins, then does that mean players can’t head the ball?” he said. “I don’t think you can say there can’t be any contact at all.”

Konig said the TSA will abide by any government restrictions. “We haven’t done anything yet because it’s unknown … but I’m hoping we don’t change the nature of the game.”

The sport’s priority is to increase its membership. The TSA experienced a drop in registrations of close to 90 per cent this spring, with concerns the season would be shortened dramatically or cancelled outright because of the pandemic.

Now that the government has announced recreational and outdoor fields can open next week, the TSA is hopeful it can be playing games by July 1. Clubs are discussing breaks for financially distressed families and considering reusing uniforms in an attempt to cut costs.

“What we are trying to do is have a measure of buy-in and co-operation so that we can be ready when our games return,” Konig said.

Hockey Canada released a statement Thursday saying its “working on a multi-faceted return-to-hockey plan that will only happen when governments and health authorities deem it safe to do so.

“This plan includes everything from health and safety regulations to communications, seasonal structure, customer engagement and national teams,” the statement read, adding the return would occur at different times across the country. “And the game will look different, that much we do know. We ask for patience as we continue to work toward ensuring hockey plays its role in bringing the sports community back.”

The Ontario Baseball Association, in a May 6 memo to its members, said it is hoping for a return update from the provincial government by the end of the month. The OBA anticipates a phased-in return, with limited numbers of players being allowed in practice situations to start. New rules will include: limited contact (no high fives or fist bumps); no spitting and no chewing of gum or sunflower seeds; no sharing of equipment; and the use of personal protective equipment if it is mandated by the provincial government.

Ontario Basketball is also working on a return to games but will not release its protocols until they are finalized.