Guidance

 

1. APPLICATION AND ENFORCEMENT

1. Application
   All youth and amateur adult sports facilities, organizations and leagues must review this document and follow all mandated terms for operation below. Every athletic facility and sport organization is responsible for enforcing these requirements.
2.  Enforcement

Fines or closure may be imposed upon facilities and organizations that do not abide by these requirements. Failure to comply with plans submitted to, and approved by, DPH will result in rescission of plan approval and further enforcement.

2. SUBMISSION AND APPROVAL OF PLANS

1. Tournaments are not permitted until plans for the tournaments are approved by DPH. Tournament facilities shall submit plans to HSPcontact@delaware.gov for review. Plans must include a method to collect contact information for all players, staff, coaches, officials and spectators, as well as team rosters and game schedules to assist with contact tracing in the event of a COVID-19 infection.
2. Facilities, leagues or organizers that will host indoor sports, including leagues and tournaments, must have a plan approved by DPH. Plans must include a method to collect contact information for all players, staff, coaches, officials and spectators, as well as team rosters and game schedules to assist with contact tracing in the event of a COVID-19 infection. Plans shall be submitted by facilities to HSPContact@delaware.gov.

3. DELAWARE INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION.

1. The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association’s face covering requirements for student athletes pertaining to interscholastic sports set forth at subsections 5.6.1.1.1 (baseball), 5.6.1.2.2 (basketball), 5.6.1.3.1 (cross country), 5.6.1.4.1 (field hockey), 5.6.1.5.1 (Unified flag football), 5.6.1.6.2 (football), 5.6.1.7.1 (golf), 5.6.1.8.2 (boys’ lacrosse), 5.6.1.9.1 (girls’ lacrosse), 5.6.1.10.1 (soccer), 5.6.1.11.1 (softball), 5.6.1.12.1 (swimming and diving), 5.6.1.13.1 (tennis), 5.6.1.14.1 (track and field), 5.6.1.15.1 (volleyball), and 5.6.1.16.2 (wrestling) of 14 Del. Admin. C. § 1011 are suspended.
2. The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association’s artificial noisemaker requirement for officials set forth in subsection 4.5.3.11 of 14 Del. Admin. C. § 1011 is suspended.
3. The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association’s social distancing requirements for student athletes set forth in subsection 4.5.3.4, 5.6.1.1.2, 5.6.1.4.2, 5.6.1.5.2, 5.6.1.9.2, 5.6.1.10.2, 5.6.1.11.2, 5.6.1.13.2, 5.6.1.14.2, 5.6.1.15.2 of 14 Del. Admin. C. § 1011 are suspended.
4. The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association’s social distancing requirements for student athletes and coaches set forth in subsection 4.5.3.4 of 14 Del. Admin. C. § 1011 are suspended.
5. The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association’s social distancing requirements for officials set forth in subsection 4.5.3.11 of 14 Del. Admin. C. § 1011 are suspended.
6. The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association’s requirement prohibiting student athletes from gathering in enclosed spaces, such as dugouts, set forth in subsection 4.5.3.6 of 14 Del. Admin. C. § 1011 is suspended.
7. The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association’s requirement for member schools in subsection 4.5.3.17 of 14 Del. Admin. C. § 1011 is suspended.

4. HANDWASHING, SANITIZING, CLEANING, and DISINFECTING

1. Players, staff, coaches, officials, and all participants in sports must wash hands or sanitize hands, per CDC and DPH guidelines, before and after practice and games. Washing or sanitizing during games and practices with shared equipment or facilities is strongly encouraged, especially when balls or equipment are touched by more than one person.
2. Hand sanitizer or hand washing stations must be readily available for all players, staff, coaches, officials, spectators, and all participants throughout the business location, including at each entry and exit. Hand sanitizer must be composed of at least sixty percent (60%) ethanol or seventy percent (70%) isopropanol.

7. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1. 1. All facilities, organizers, and leagues must identify a safety and hygiene manager who is responsible for coordinating and enforcing COVID-19 protocols. All coaches, staff, officials, and families should know who this person is and how to contact them. Any plans submitted to DPH must identify this individual.
   2. Coaches, staff, officials, parents, and players must be informed and routinely reminded of team infection control measures and COVID-19 protocols.
   3. Coaches, staff, officials, parents, and players must be informed about the expectation to stay home when sick, to contact the team safety and hygiene manager if they test positive for COVID-19, and to inform DPH about possible exposures.
   4. A health self-assessment must be completed by each athlete, coach, and staff prior to engaging in any athletic activity in a facility, organization, or league.
   5. Teams and leagues must have written arrival and departure procedures that, at a minimum address
      1. 1. A procedure for health assessment for all athletes, coaches, and staff; and
         2. A protocol to address a person who develops symptoms during activity.

      vi. In addition to the recommendations applying to all cases of COVID spread and consistent with the authority provided by Delaware law and this State of Emergency, the Division of Public Health is authorized to issue cease and desist orders to any team with high or increasing levels of COVID-19 cases or for a failure to comply with any provision of the Declaration of a State of Emergency, including up to a ban on all future practices, games, matches, competitions or similar activities.

    

   Read Youth and Amateur Adult Sports in the current State of Emergency Order