Sports
OC High School Sports Schedule For 2020-21: CIF-SS
Athletes, coaches, and parents received word Monday on how sports will differ in the 2020/21 school year.
MISSION VIEJO, CA — On Monday, the CIF and CIF Southern Section announced a new two-season sports calendar for the coming 2020-21 academic year.
All high school sports ground to a halt in March, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Over the months that followed, schools went virtual. Proms and graduations canceled. Jerseys and gear leftover from unfinished seasons were returned to high school locker rooms as coaches and players wondered what the future of high school sports would look like in the coming year.
With Monday's release, now coaches and schools can get to planning the coming season and this year's distance learning.
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Read: CIF Delays School Sports: See Your Section's Modified Schedule
Forget the "typical" season for your sport. Forget anything typical at all for the next 12 months. Questions remain regarding the overlap of referees, many of which are over 55-years-old, and cover multiple sports. There are bound to be some hiccups as the seasons are organized.
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With coronavirus pandemic still in full swing, Monday brought some answers though many questions remain. The CIF calendar presents a list of "last dates" for State playoffs and championships.
Fall sports' first game in Orange County and the Southern Section would take place:
- Boys & Girls Cross-Country: Saturday, December 26, 2020
- Field Hockey: Friday, December 18, 2020
- 11-man Football: Friday, January 8, 2021
- 8-man Football: Friday, January 8, 2021
- Gymnastics: Monday, January 4, 2021
- Traditional Competitive Cheer: No date yet
- Boys Volleyball: Sat. December 12, 2020
- Girls Volleyball: Sat. December 19, 2020
- Boys Water Polo: Monday, December 21, 2020
- Girls Water Polo: Monday, December 28, 2020
Fall State Championships (Regional Finals; State Finals):
- Volleyball (Boys & Girls): March 13, 2021; March 20, 2021
- Water Polo (Boys & Girls): March 13, 2021; March 20, 2021
- Cross Country: March 20, 2021; March 27, 2021
- Trad. Competitive Cheer: Determined by Section April 17, 2021
- Football: April 10, 2021 ; April 17, 2021
- Field Hockey: Determined by Section **
- Gymnastics: Determined by Section **
- Skiing & Snowboarding: Determined by Section **
Spring sports' first game in Orange County and the Southern Section would take place:
- Tennis: Monday February 22, 2021
- Track & Field: Saturday, March 20, 2021
- Boys & Girls Wrestling: Friday, March 5, 2021
- Boys & Girls Lacrosse: Friday, March 12, 2021
- Boys & Girls Soccer: Saturday, February 27, 2021
- Softball: Friday, March 19, 2021
- Boys & Girls Swimming/Diving: Saturday, March 13, 2021
- Boys Team Tennis: Monday, March 1, 2021
- Badminton: Saturday, March 6, 2021
- Baseball: Friday, March 19, 2021
- Boys & Girls Basketball: Friday, March 12, 2021
- Competitive Sport Cheer: Saturday, March 27, 2021
- Boys & Girls Golf: Saturday, March 27, 2021
Spring State Playoffs (Regional Finals ; State Finals) :
- Badminton: May 22, 2021 ; May 29, 2021
- Soccer: May 29, 2021; June 5, 2021
- Swimming & Diving: May 29, 2021; June 5, 2021
- Tennis (Boys & Girls): May 29, 2021 ; June 5, 2021
- Wrestling: June 5, 2021 ; June 12, 2021
- Basketball: June 12, 2021 ; June 19, 2021
- Golf (Boys & Girls): June 12, 2021 ; June 23, 2021
- Baseball: June 19, 2021 ; June 26, 2021
- Softball: June 19, 2021 ; June 26, 2021
- Track & Field: June 19, 2021 ; June 26, 2021
- ^Competitive Sport Cheer Determined by Section **
- Lacrosse Determined by Section **
It has been a long road to get this far, and both CIF, that governs high school sports in California, and school districts are only sure of one thing: that nothing is certain or set in stone amid a pandemic.
CIF Commissioner Ron Nocetti shared a press release of the anticipated playoff dates that quickly circulated to districts across Orange County.
Though speculations reigned on how the CIF would handle the monumental task of handling youth sports amid a pandemic, they managed to throw in a few surprises.
The schedule entails two delayed sports seasons,following the community college model. Longer seasons will enable full game schedules.
A bigger surprise was the "temporary" suspension of the outside competition bylaw "in all sports for the 2020/21 school year."
According to Nocetti, the CIF calendar reflects the season for each CIF sport and the last date for Section Championships and Regional/State Championships in those sports where a Regional/State Championship is currently offered.
"It is anticipated that most Section start dates will commence in December 2020 or January 2021," Nocetti wrote.
The CIF says they are monitoring directives and guidelines released from the Governor's office, the California Department of Education, the California Department of Education, the California Department of Public Health, and local county health department agencies.
Read also:
CIF Delays School Sports: See Your Section's Modified Schedule
Most CA Schools Won't Reopen This Fall
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