Sports opening, here are the rules
Full-scale practices open up Friday for teams throughout the state
At long last, youth and high school sports are back in California. Well, most of them. In a lot of the state, at least.
The California Department of Public Health on Friday released updated guidelines that loosened the restrictions on outdoor sports. That should pave the way for football, soccer, baseball, softball and many more sports to return to play for the first time since last spring. But with new rules come new questions, so we are here to walk you through the latest on prep sports in California.
First off, read the reaction and the backstory to the news, and why this was the highest-profile win in the heralded careers of two Bay Area coaches. Also, check out what Santa Clara County officials said Friday and what this means for Little League.
QWhich sports were impacted by the new guidelines?
AOutdoor, high-contact sports are the primary beneficiary. Originally relegated into the orange reopening tier, which required an adjusted case rate below 4 per 100,000 residents, sports like football can now be played anywhere with a case rate below 14 per 100,000.
That impacts football, soccer, lacrosse, rugby and water polo, though outdoor basketball and hockey would also be eligible under the new rules. Indoor sports were unchanged, still entirely within the orange and yellow tiers. While Gov. Gavin Newsom said a group continued to work on the indoor sports issue, a source close to CDPH said they lacked the evidence to support their safety.
In total, the approved sports for any county with a case rate below 14 include:
Outdoor low-contact sports:
• Archery
• Badminton (singles)
• Biking
• Bocce
• Corn hole
• Cross country
• Dance (no contact)
• Disc golf
• Equestrian events (including rodeos) that involve only a single rider at a time
• Fencing
• Golf
• Ice and roller skating (no contact)
• Lawn bowling
• Martial arts (no contact)
• Physical training programs (e.g., yoga, Zumba, Tai chi)
• Pickleball (singles)
• Rowing/crew (with 1 person)
• Running
• Shuffleboard
• Skeet shooting
• Skiing and snowboarding
• Snowshoeing
• Swimming and diving
• Tennis (singles)
• Track and field
• Walking and hiking Outdoor moderate-contact sports
• Badminton (doubles)
• Baseball
• Cheerleading
• Dodgeball
• Field hockey
• Gymnastics
• Kickball
• Lacrosse (girls/ women)
• Pickleball (doubles)
• Softball
• Tennis (doubles)
• Volleyball
Outdoor high-contact sports
• Basketball
• Football
• Ice hockey
• Lacrosse (boys/men)
• Rowing/crew (with 2 or more people)
• Rugby
• Soccer
• Water polo
Q
Where can the newly approved sports begin to play?
AStarting Friday, approved sports can begin practice and competition in 27 of California’s 58 counties, mostly concentrated around the Bay Area and in Northern California. High-contact, outdoor sports can only be played in counties with an adjusted case rate below 14 per 100,000 residents. However, local health authorities may still implement tougher restrictions.
HHS released a list of approved counties and their respective rates: Sierra 0, Plumas 3.8, Modoc 4.5, Mariposa 4.8, Trinity 6.4, Yolo 7, Del Norte 7.3, Humboldt 7.5, San Francisco 7.9, Marin 8.8, San Mateo 9.1, Santa Clara 10.1, Santa Cruz 10.4, Lassen 10.5, Calaveras 10.6, Napa 10.7, Nevada 10.9, Amador 11.1, Tuolumne 11.7, El Dorado 11.8, Imperial 11.9, Placer 12, Siskiyou 12, Butte 12.2, Alameda 12.4, San Luis Obispo 13.7, Sonoma 13.9.
Sixteen others reported case rates below 20, according to HHS: Shasta 14.4, Contra Costa 15.3, Solano 15.5, San Diego
15.6, Orange 16, Lake 16.5, Madera 16.9, Los Angeles 17.6, Glenn 18, Mono 18.4, Sutter 18.4, Sacramento 18.7, San Bernardino 19, Yuba 19.3, Fresno 19.8, Tehama 19.9.
That leaves another 15 counties that still must reduce their case rates from beyond 20.
Q
I heard something about required testing. What’s that about? A
For certain sports that are “likely to be played unmasked, with close, face-to-face contact exceeding 15 minutes,” coaches and athletes age 13 and up will be required to take a weekly PCR or
antigen test if their county’s case rate is between 7 and 14. That includes football, rugby and water polo. For all other sports, weekly testing is recommended but not required.
Newsom said that the tests would be provided by the state at no extra cost.
Q
How about face coverings — even during competition?
AYes, and no. Masks must be worn by everyone — athletes, coaches, officials, observers — at all times when not in competition. They are recommended to be worn “during practice, conditioning and during competition, even during heavy exertion as tolerated.”
Our Elliott Almond recently asked scientists about the most effective masks for sports.
Q
Did you say observers? Are spectators allowed?
A
On a limited basis. Members of the immediate household of a youth sports participant are permitted to attend practices and competitions “for the strict purpose of age appropriate supervision,” the guidelines say, though the number of observers should be limited. All attendees are required to wear a face covering at all times and maintain 6 feet of physical distance.
Q
What are the rules for practices and other non-competition activities?
APractice and conditioning are recommended to be held outside with as much distance as possible. Other team activities, like film sessions or dinners, are prohibited from being held indoors
“if engaged in competition given evidence that transmission is more likely to occur in these indoor higher risk settings,” the guidelines say.
Practices should be limited to members of a single team, according to the guidelines, and large teams could even split groups into stable training and conditioning cohorts.
Q
Are we allowed to travel to or host tournaments?
ATeams are barred from traveling beyond state lines because “several multistate outbreaks have been reported around the nation, including California residents,” the guidelines say. Within the state, schools may only compete against schools from adjacent counties, meaning, for example, a school from San Jose cannot face an opponent from San Francisco. For two teams in adjacent counties to play, said sport must be eligible in each county. Additionally, a travel advisory from CDPH remains in place and restricts any nonessential travel to within 120 miles.
That means travel to out-of-state tournaments and other competitions is off limits. At home, tournaments may only take place in a limited number of sports, with approval from the local health officer: track and field; crosscountry; golf; skiing/snowboarding; tennis; swimming/diving/surfing; biking and equestrian events.
No team is allowed to play more than one contest in a day, and teams should attempt to avoid staying anywhere overnight.
Traveling by bus or van to and from practice or competition “may pose a greater risk,” the guidelines say. In those situations, universal masking and physical distancing is recommended, with windows open the full duration of the trip unless not feasible. Transport by private cars should be limited to members of the same household.