OHSAA releases guidance

DeWine: No decision on start of fall season yet; practice set for Aug. 1

The Ohio High School Athletic Association still intends to begin fall sports practice on Aug. 1, but the sports season promises to look a lot different than previous years, the evidence being recommendations submitted to the member schools in a memo on July 22.

Less than 10 days before practices are scheduled to begin for the 2020 fall sports season, the OHSAA presented a list of recommendations that are aimed at combating the novel coronavirus that already eliminated the winter tournament season, as well as the entire spring sports season.

Temperature checks, masks and social distancing are among the common threads in the document that outlined how fall sports could be played this season.

“This document (consists of) recommendations on how our member schools can consider approaching the many components of ‘opening up’ sports with the objective of commencing the fall sports seasons on August 1, 2020,” the memo reads at the beginning. “The OHSAA fully intends to support its member schools and the student-athletes who desire to compete in interscholastic athletics and will continue to assess all areas as more information becomes available.”

“We need to get a little closer before we can make any kind of decision in regard to that.” — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine

The memo points out that the existing guidance permits non-contact sport practices and competitive play, and contact sport practices and intra-team scrimmages but NOT inter-team (i.e., other schools/teams) scrimmages or competitive play at this time. As of July 22, the Ohio Department of Health was in the process of developing guidance for contact sport inter-team competitive play, and OHSAA will share it with member schools when complete.

Earlier in the day, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine led off a July 22 news conference by mandating that as of 6 p.m. on July 23, wearing masks in public was mandatory. And at that time, DeWine said no decision had been made yet in regard to high school sports in Ohio.

“We need to get a little closer before we can make any kind of decision in regard to that,” DeWine said.

Less than two hours later, the OHSAA released its recommendations.

The OHSAA asked schools to:

• Maintain physical distancing while not on the field or court of play;

• Require face-coverings while not on the field or court of play;

• Reduce or greatly eliminate unnecessary travel;

• Reduce or eliminate sharing of common equipment, and

• Reduce or eliminate contact frequency with student-athletes from schools and non-interscholastic programs outside of each school’s league/conference or normal competition sphere.

The OHSAA segmented the memo into sections, including:

Pre-participating screening

Each school is encouraged to develop and implement pre-participating screening, including temperature checks and symptom assessment for COVID-19.

Guidlines are set up if participants fail their screening (including a temperature at or above 100.4 degrees).

Contest day operations

Again, temperature checks (accepted temperature of 100.4 or less) and symptom checks would apply.

Players, coaches, officials and game-day event staff are included.

Masks should be worn while traveling to and from venues and on the sidelines for players not in the competition.

Local school administrators, in consultation with local health departments, should determine whether cheerleaders, mascots and dance team members should/can participate.

Spectators

The OHSAA is leaving it up to local, state and federal recommendations in terms of fans and stadium capacity restrictions, which could evolve over time.

All spectators can expect to have temperatures checked with 100.4 degrees being the deciding mark.

Additionally, the OHSAA recommends:

• Spectators should wear a facemask/covering at all times possible.

• Spectators should be restricted from direct competition areas and from visiting with student-athletes and personnel before, during and after events.

• Spectators should not congregate in hallways, common traffic areas or gymnasiums.

School administrators are asked to place an ‘X’ on stadium and arena seats to represent 360-degree physical distancing requirements.

For more detailed information, including sport-by-sport recommendations for football, cross country, field hockey, golf, soccer, tennis and volleyball, see links at www.NewsHerald.com

DORAL CHENOWETH — THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, shown April 16, says no decision has been made on the fall high school sports season.