Covid 19 Club Information
Guidance
Coronavirus (COVID-19): grassroots sports guidance for the public and sport providers
What this guidance covers
Sport and physical activity play a hugely important role in our lives. However, to uphold wider public health objectives, limits have been placed on some activities and settings in order to limit social contact and reduce transmission.
Staying active is a vital weapon against COVID-19, which is why people will always be able to, and encouraged to, exercise even during periods of tough restrictions. People should try to ensure they exercise regularly in a way that suits them, as physical activity plays a vital role in both our physical and mental wellbeing.
This guidance sets out information for the public and sport providers on how to participate in grassroots sport and physical activity during COVID-19 restrictions. Sport providers should use this guidance to inform how they provide grassroots sport and physical activity, alongside specific guidance for their sport set out by their national governing body. There is also more detailed advice for national governing bodies and other organisations on how to develop their own sport-specific guidance, which includes the team sport framework, contact combat sport framework, and guidance on delivering sport participation events (such as races and organised walking groups).
Understanding “organised sport”
Where the rules mention ‘organised’ sport, this means sport which is formally organised by a qualified instructor, club, national governing body, company or charity and follows sport-specific guidance. If the sport is not organised by one of these groups (for example, some friends having a kickabout) or the sport’s NGB guidance is not being followed (for example, a football club ignoring the FA’s safety measures), this is considered to be informal or self-organised sport.
Taking part in organised sport sometimes means that other restrictions such as legal gathering limits don’t apply when taking part during the activity. This is because the organising body must consider the risks and set out ways to mitigate them so people can participate safely. Informal or self-organised sport is not covered by any exemptions, so can only take place within the legal gathering limits which otherwise apply indoors and outdoors.
2. Participation in sport and physical activity: key points
Social contact and gathering limits
People can meet others from different households outdoors, though gatherings of more than 30 people remain illegal (unless an exemption applies).
Indoors, unless an exemption applies, people may only meet in groups of up to 6 people, or as a group of 2 households. A group made up of 2 households can include more than 6 people, but only where all members of the group are from the same 2 households (and each household can include an existing support bubble, if eligible).
Organised outdoor sport
Adults and children can take part in outdoor sport with any number of participants, where it is formally organised (for example, by a national governing body, business or charity) and follows COVID-secure guidance. This applies to organised outdoor (individual and team) sports, outdoor exercise classes, organised sports participation events and outdoor licensed physical activity.
Children can take part in outdoor childcare and supervised activities with any number of participants, including sport and physical activity (such as community sport clubs).
When not taking part in organised sport (such as before and after matches), people must adhere to the rules on social contact. People can meet outdoors in groups of up to 30 people.
Team sports which require participants to be in frequent close proximity to each other (such as rugby league, rugby union, netball) should adapt both training and game-play to reduce the level of contact so far as reasonably possible and take steps to minimise risk. Your NGB or sport provider should set out any adaptations required for safe provision in their guidance, or you can contact them through their website for more information.
Approved contact combat sports can resume outdoors at phase 2 of the contact combat sports framework for children, and phase 1 for adults. You can find more information on contact combat sport phases in the guidance for safe provision of grassroots sport.
Where sport is not formally organised, it can only take place within the rules on social contact – in groups of up to 30 people. Gathering in groups of more than 30 people (including for informal or self-organised sport) is illegal, unless an exemption applies (such as supervised activity for children).
Organised sport participation events
Organised sport participation events such as races and organised walks can take place outdoors and are exempt from legal gathering limits. However they must follow the measures for organised sport participation events set out in the guidance on safe provision of grassroots sport. Further guidance is available in the event guidance for local authorities, which includes information on assessing applications (where an application needs to be made) and the factors that should be considered.
Outdoor sport facilities
Outdoor sport facilities can open to the public. This applies to all outdoor sport facilities, including outdoor gyms, swimming pools, courts, pitches, golf courses (including mini-golf), water sports venues, climbing walls, driving and shooting ranges, riding arenas at riding centres, and archery venues. Outdoor skating rinks and outdoor trampolining parks can also open to the public.
Changing rooms can open but their use should be minimised. Changing rooms are areas of increased risk, so people should shower and change at home where possible. If participants do need to use changing rooms, they must adhere to legal gathering limits, and should be advised to minimise time spent inside and maintain social distancing from those they do not live with or share a support bubble with. Adults and children can take part in outdoor sport with any number of participants, where it is formally organised (for example, by a national governing body, business or charity) and follows COVID-secure guidance. This applies to organised outdoor (individual and team) sports, outdoor exercise classes, organised sports participation events and outdoor licensed physical activity.
When not taking part in organised sport, people using sport facilities must adhere to the legal gathering limits. People can meet outdoors in groups of up to 30. In indoor areas, people can gather in groups of up to 6 people, or as 2 households/bubbles.
Spectators
Outdoor grassroots sport events can take place for up to 1,000 people or 50% of a site or venue’s capacity (whichever is lower).
These capacity caps apply to participants in the event (and relevant coaches and officials) as well as spectators. They do not apply to staff working or volunteering at the venue.
For organised sports participation events, the capacity cap applies to spectators only (i.e. participants and officials are not counted towards the total).
Spectators must adhere to legal gathering limits. Outdoors, spectators can gather in groups of up to 30. Indoors, unless an exemption applies, spectators may only gather in groups of up to 6 people, or as a group of two households. A group made up of 2 households can include more than 6 people, but only where all members of the group are from the same 2 households (and each household can include an existing support bubble, if eligible).
How to participate safely
Check for COVID-19 symptoms and health conditions
Before attending any sporting activities, all participants, officials, volunteers and spectators must self-assess for COVID-19 symptoms:
A high temperature
A new, continuous cough
A loss of, or change to, their sense of smell or taste
If you have one or more of these symptoms you should not attend any sporting activity, and must follow NHS and PHE guidance on self-isolation.
People with health conditions that put them at increased risk should consider the risks of participating in group activities like sport and physical activity.
Check if your sport is safe to play, and if there are modifications
Before participating in any sporting activity, you should check whether your sport is safe to play. Every sport’s national governing body should have published guidance on how to participate safely. You should ensure you are following the national governing body’s latest guidance, and follow any measures put in place by the sport provider or event organiser, even where this means modifications to the game.
Team sports: you can only participate within the legal gathering limits (outdoors, in a group of up to 30 people; indoors, in a group of up to 6 people or a group of 2 households/support bubbles). A group made up of 2 households can include more than 6 people, but only where all members of the group are from the same two households (or support/childcare bubbles, where eligible). Social distancing must be maintained between people who do not live together or share a bubble.
Spectators are permitted at grassroots sport events, but capacity caps should be applied.
Outdoor grassroots sport events can take place for up to 1,000 people or 50% of a site or venue’s capacity (whichever is lower).
These capacity caps apply to participants in the event (and relevant coaches and officials) as well as spectators. They do not apply to staff working or volunteering at the venue.
Spectators must adhere to legal gathering limits. Outdoors, spectators can gather in groups of up to 30. Indoors, unless an exemption applies, spectators can only gather in groups of up to 6 people, or as a group of two households. A group made up of 2 households can include more than 6 people, but only where all members of the group are from the same 2 households (and each household can include an existing support bubble, if eligible).
What you should do:
It is important that spectators adhere to the legal gathering limits. In addition to being legal requirements punishable by fines, those violating the measures are endangering public safety and undermining the case for safe sport to be allowed to continue to take place.
If spectators do not follow these legal requirements, you (or the sport provider) can ask them to leave or not to attend again. Where there are serious or consistent issues with spectators, the sport’s national governing body may consider sanctions including suspending the relevant sport provider from running any leagues, matches, training sessions or other events or activities until this has been addressed.
Spectators should minimise shouting or raising their voices. There is an additional risk of infection where people are shouting or singing in close proximity to others (particularly indoors or when face-to face).
Match officials, medics and coaches
Match officials, medics and coaches should observe the relevant guidance in the same way as participants. Where legal gathering limits apply, people participating in a work or volunteering capacity (such as match officials, medics and coaches) are exempt and therefore not included in the number of participants. However they must remain socially distanced from players where possible during play. Should match officials not be able to remain socially distanced due to their role in the sport, the sport’s national governing body or local provider should conduct a risk assessment to see if other mitigations may be necessary.
Match officials will be empowered to ensure that COVID-secure measures are adhered to, and to enforce this through appropriate sanctions set out by the sport’s national governing body or event organiser.
