Football NSW COVID-19 Update – 21st August 2020

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Football NSW continues to work closely with NSW Health and the NSW Office of Sport and its clubs and associations to ensure that football is operating in accordance with the NSW Government’s Public Health Orders and recommendations.

Before participating this weekend, if you live in, or have visited, any of the locations and local government areas listed on the NSW Health website in the past two weeks, NSW Health is asking that you monitor for symptoms and get tested if you have even the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms such as a runny nose or scratchy throat. For football, this does not mean that games cannot take place in these areas, it means that if people have been to these areas in the past two weeks and develop symptoms, they should get tested.

To help ensure that the appropriate safeguards are in place when participating, all players, parents, officials and spectators are required to adhere to the following:

Football NSW COVID-19 Safe Protocols

The latest NSW Health advice reaffirms the importance of minimising the number of spectators at all matches, recommending that all community sport:

  • Cease activities that result in the mixing of participants and staff from different regions, for example by ceasing zone, regional or state championships or competition;
  • Cease any activities that result in overnight stays (e.g. multi-day training camps) due to increased risk of COVID-19 transmission in residential-type settings with shared facilities;
  • Cease face-to-face social activities relating to community sports (e.g. award ceremonies, end-of-season social gatherings, post-training group dinners);
  • Avoid carpools or bus travel with people from different household groups where possible; and
  • Limit spectators to one parent only, where the child requires parental supervision during the sporting activity.

What this means for football competitions is:

  • All Senior Football NSW competitions will continue as scheduled.
  • All Junior and Youth Football NSW Competitions (U18 and below) will continue as scheduled with the exception of Southern Branch Inc, Southern Branch FC, Western NSW FC and Newcastle teams.
  • Local association football will continue as scheduled.
  • All fixtures must remain compliant with their relevant Covid-19 Safety Plan all participants must encourage to comply with all elements of the plan.

Therefore to ensure that the appropriate safeguards are in place, all players, parents, officials and spectators are required to adhere to the following:

  • Only 1 parent/guardian is to accompany players aged under 18 years to junior/youth football
  • Limit the number of family members, partners and other spectators that attend all other football matches
  • (Check with your club as additional spectator limits may apply to association competitions)
  • Avoid car pooling and bus travel with people from different households where possible
  • Cease activities that result in overnight stays
  • Cease face-to-face social activities, for example post-training or post-match group dinners or awards functions
  • Wash and/or sanitize hands before and after attending all training and games
  • Players arrive dressed and ready to train or play
  • Limit the use of changerooms. If changerooms are in use please adhere to the 4m2 per person rule in accordance with the public health order and minimise time spent in the change rooms.
  • Players must comply with the 1.5m social distancing rule (except during games)
  • No shaking hands, team huddles, high fives,  or hugging other players, match officials, team officials or spectators.
  • No player walkouts prior to matches
  • Do not share drink bottles
  • Do not share containers of food, including oranges. Players should bring their own food and snacks.
  • Avoid bringing anyone who is elderly or may be at high or increased risk of illness
  • Do not attend football if you have flu like symptoms or are feeling unwell
  • Spectators must observe the 1.5m social distancing rule at all times unless from the same household
  • All participants and spectators must cover their coughs and sneezes
  • Players and spectators must not socialize or assemble in groups before, during or after football
  • Once training and games are finished depart the venue as soon as possible
  • Get tested for COVID-19 if you feel unwell or develop cold or flu like symptoms

The following should also be noted in relation to outdoor sport participation:

  • an outdoor environment poses less risk of community transmission than an indoor environment
  • casual contact (face to face contact with a person for less than 15 minutes) poses less risk of community transmission compared to that of close contact (face to face contact with a person for 15 minutes or more).

Therefore, compliance with the transmission prevention protocols, including social distancing 1.5 metres, good hygiene practices, limiting the number of adults present, not shaking hands and not attending if you are feeling unwell or have cold/flu like symptoms by all participants, parents and spectators is what is effective in minimising the risk of community transmission.

We ask that all participants continue to adhere to the protocols that have been put in place and we assure you that everything that can be done, is being done to keep football safe.