NJSIAA Lifts Mask Requirement For Outdoor High School Sports

NEW JERSEY — Athletes, coaches and spectators at outdoor high school sports no longer have to wear masks at those events as the COVID-19 pandemic eases in New Jersey, the NJSIAA announced Tuesday.

The change in the mask policy by the New Jersey Interstate Athletic Association comes in response to the change announced by Gov. Phil Murphy to the state's mask requirements in the pandemic, the association said in a tweet.

Masks are no longer required outdoors in New Jersey for people whether they are vaccinated or not, even when they cannot socially distance 6 feet apart, though people who are not vaccinated are still urged to wear them out of an abundance of caution, Murphy said Friday.

"Effective immediately, NJSIAA will no longer require spectators, coaches, officials, student-athletes and all participants involved in outdoor events to wear masks. However, member schools are permitted to impose stricter mask requirements at their discretion," the NJSIAA said.

Masks at indoor sporting events are still required, the NJSIAA said.

Murphy also has lifted the ban on outdoor interstate sports competitions, and outdoor gathering limits will no longer be in effect beginning Wednesday.

Those changes take effect just in time for the high school baseball and softball state tournaments, which begin just after Memorial Day this year, as part of the effort to ensure spring athletes who lost their 2020 seasons are able to have full sports seasons this year.

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