Team sports to start returning from SATURDAY with cricket first – but car shares to the match and post-game clubhouse drinks are still off-limits
- Sports governing bodies must submit ‘detailed safety plans’ before returning
- Supporters can attend and different households are allowed to participate
- New guidelines advise players and spectators to walk or cycle to any matches
- Clubhouse bars will be reopened in line with guidance with groups limited to six
Team sports will start returning from Saturday with cricket first – but car shares to the match and post-game clubhouse drinks are still off-limits.
Sports governing bodies must submit ‘detailed safety plans’ before returning this summer, in rules laid out by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Supporters can attend matches in small groups and must socially distance, with different households allowed to participate in training and fixtures.
Sports governing bodies must submit ‘detailed safety plans’ before returning this summer, in rules laid out by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
In each sport’s action plan, it is required to set out how it will operate, its mitigation measures and any necessary adjustments.
New guidelines issued today include players and spectators walking or cycling to the match if possible, minimising their use of public transport and car-sharing with people from different households.
Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston, above, said ‘stringent measures’ are being put in place
Club toilets will be open before, during and for half an hour after the match, with thorough cleaning measures, and clubhouse bars will be reopened in line with government guidance on hospitality, with groups limited to six people.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has already submitted its proposals, allowing the recreational sport to return.
The measures are provisional and can be suspended if there is a local or national virus outbreak.
Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said: ‘This is fantastic news for the millions of people who miss playing sport with their friends and teammates.
‘This guidance sets out how community sport can be done safely, so many more sports can get going again.
‘Sports Governing Bodies are now putting stringent measures in place so that the millions of people that play, officiate and volunteer can keep safe while enjoying all the benefits that grassroots sport brings.’
A full list of the measures announced today for recreational sports teams returning this summer
Organisers should collect players’ information at training and matches to help track and trace efforts.
Players and spectators must self-assess for any Covid-19 symptoms – if anyone they live with has symptoms they should not train, play or attend matches.
Participants and supporters should avoid taking public transport or car-sharing with people from different households when attending matches, and instead walk or cycle if possible.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has already submitted its proposals, allowing the recreational sport to return on Saturday
Players should arrive already changed into their sports gear, if possible, to limit time spend in changing rooms.
Everyone must socially distance during warm-ups, breaks and avoid equipment if possible. They must also avoid handshakes or huddles.
Sports with a single ball used by multiple players – such as football, basketball and cricket – need to reduce risks of transmission by, for example, cleaning the equipment.
Club toilets can be opened before, during and for 30 minutes after the match, and must be cleaned regularly.
Clubhouses and bars can re-open in line with government guidance, but groups are limited to six people.
Source: Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport