Voluntary individual workouts begin today

Toronto FC will begin voluntary individual player outdoor workouts Monday at the club’s north Toronto training facility.

That move mirrors the Toronto Raptors, who are opening up the OVO Athletic Centre for similar one-player workouts.

The news came after Friday’s announcement by the Ontario government easing restrictions on pro sports teams. Players are allowed limited access to their training facilities providing they follow their league’s “established health and safety protocols” in response to COVID-19. MLS and NBA have established strict guidelines for these workouts. While the NBA now allows four players at a time in practice facilities, the Raptors will only have one player at a time in the building. Players will have to wear masks at all times except when on court. Staff members will wear gloves and masks at all times when in the building.

In the MLS, the field can be divided into a maximum of four quadrants. Only one player per quadrant is allowed, with no equipment sharing or playing (passing, shooting) between players.

TFC players and staff will have to arrive and leave at staggered times, with designated parking spaces to maintain maximum distance between vehicles.

Players will have to wear personal protective equipment from the parking lot to the training field and back. Staff will also have to wear “appropriate personal protective equipment” during training while maintaining a minimum distance of 10 feet (3.1 metres) from players at all times.

Head coach Greg Vanney says he and his coaching staff won’t be directly involved in the workouts, whose details will likely be texted to players the night before. Trainers will the rules are followed.

The individual player workout protocol does not allow access to all club facilities, with locker rooms and certain other areas still off-limits.