CIF interprets court ruling about return of athletics

The likelihood that indoor and outdoor sports will return to California this spring seems to keep growing.

After the Californian Department of Public Health announced its updated youth sports guidance, the CIF released its interpretation of the ruling Friday afternoon, with the organization given at preliminary idea of what testing protocols would consist of.

For outdoor sports, the release stated: “With respect to testing, CIF member schools must conduct weekly antigen or PCR testing in the sports of water polo and football when the adjusted case rate of the county in between 14 and seven (positive COVID-19 cases) per 100,000 residents.”

Testing is likely to be a bit more strenuous in indoor sports basketball, volleyball and wrestling, which got the go-ahead to proceed at the state level on Thursday.

“Indoor sports and high risk outdoors sports in counties that still have an adjusted case rate of greater than 14 per 100,000 must conduct either daily antigen testing or periodic PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing until the county reaches the appropriate tier to begin the indoor sport or the adjusted case rate of 14 or less per 100,000 for outdoor sports,” the release stated.

The release also states that “The CIF is awaiting clarification from the CDPH regarding the definition of ‘periodic’ PCR testing.

Prior to the state ruling, volleyball could only compete in the third-least restrictive orange COVID tier, while basketball and wrestling had to be in the least restrictive yellow.

Despite dropping below the 14 per 100,000 case rate threshold this week, Kern County remains in the most restrictive purple tier.