High School Sports In PA Can Resume, With Safety Plan In Place

HARRISBURG, PA — Public and private K-12 schools under the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association and the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association in both the yellow and green phase can resume voluntary sports-related workouts, the governor announced Wednesday.

The announcement was part of the release of updated guidance on high school and recreational sports.

Before the activities resume, however, schools must develop an athletic health and safety plan in alignment with the Department of Education's Preliminary Guidance for Phased Reopening of Schools guidance. The plan must be approved by the school board and posted on the school’s website.

Recreational and amateur sports teams that are not affiliated with a K-12 school can hold in-person activities only if in the green phase, the guidance clarifies. This includes basketball, hockey, field hockey, football, soccer, swimming, baseball, softball, lacrosse, gymnastics and kickball. Youth sports organizations should follow CDC guidelines, the governor said.

Gatherings of all participants, including players, athletic staff, officials and spectators are limited to 25 in the yellow phase and 250, or 50 percent capacity, in the green phase.

Some new rules will be in place, including:

• Coaches and other adults should wear face coverings and screen athletes for symptoms before practices and games.
• All participants must follow safe hygiene and social distancing practices, avoid unnecessary physical contact, and clean and disinfect equipment and facilities.
• Teams are encouraged to stagger drop-off and pick-up times at outdoor locations and designate entrances and exits to facilities.

Additionally, parents and other spectators should practice social distancing, wear face coverings and not enter the field or bench areas.

College sports sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), including intramural and club sports, can resume in-person activity after developing an athletic health and safety plan in alignment with PDE’s Postsecondary Education Institutions and Adult Education Programs guidance.

Professional sports can resume immediately. Teams or leagues in the yellow phase, or if more than 250 people are on site in the green phase, must have a COVID-19 safety plan approved by the Department of Health.