Fall COVID guidelines released
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.
After a successful summer sports season, in which a reported 95 percent of teams finished, the Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union and Iowa High School Athletic Association are gearing up for the start of fall sports on August 10, the first day of practice.
Both governing bodies have released guidelines on how the season should be conducted as the state continues to traverse through COVID-19.
Volleyball
General guidelines for volleyball are similar to softball and baseball.
Before each game, schools are asked to read a public address announcement to encourage social distancing.
The IGHSAU requestions that anyone feeling sick or that has been exposed to someone sick to not attend or participate in competitions or practices.
The IGHSAU strongly encourages all participants and spectators to practice social distancing and to wear face coverings whenever possible.
During matches, there will be no spectator seating in the first two rows, pre and post game handshakes are prohibited, teams will NOT be switching benches between sets unless there is a clear and distinct disadvantage in which the officials will determine if a disadvantage is present.
Coaches and players and other bench personnel are encouraged to wear face coverings, all players are allowed to stand near the bench to help with social distancing.
Full guidelines may be viewed at https://ighsau.org/news/volleyball-covid-19-fall-guidance/.
Cross Country
Cross Country has similar, but also different, guidelines than volleyball.
There should be no hugging, shaking hands or first bumps, while cross country meets may also consider using staggered, wave or interval starts.
The course can be modified to six feet at its narrowest point and the starting grids may also skip boxes and widened.
Hand sanitizer should be plentiful at all contests and practices, cloth face coverins are permitted and individuals should provide their own water bottles.
There should be no mass piling of team clothing and student-athletes should remain upright and walk through the chute with the understanding that there will be times that a participant may need medical attention.
Full guidelines can be viewed here: https://ighsau.org/news/cross-country-covid-19-fall-guidance/.
Football
The 2020 football season will have slightly different guidelines than other sports, but for spectators remains the same.
Players are encouraged to cover up as much of their bare skin as possible using long sleeved dry weave shirts and tights.
This year will see an officials’ timeout taken every four minutes of game clock time in order for teams to properly sanitize and hydrate during the contest. This timeout is to be two minutes in length. In addition, the intermission between quarters will also be two minutes in order to santize and hydrate.
Full guidelines can be found here: https://www.iahsaa.org/covid-19-fall-football/
