MHSAA Releases Comprehensive Guidelines for Return of Fall Sports
On Thursday, the Mississippi High School Activities Association posted guidelines that will be used to help member schools help return to athletic and extracurricular events.
The MHSAA released a small “purpose statement” with the guideline.
“By implementing well understood concepts, many of which will be familiar as part of return to workouts guidelines issued for Summer 2020, we aim to reintroduce sports and extra-curricular activities and competition to public school in the safest manner possible. Our overall goal is allowing students to enjoy the benefits of MHSAA activities without allowing our teams to be a source of rapid spread of COVID 19 or danger to our communities. To achieve this, 5 broad strategies will be adopted across all sports, with rule changes specific or unique to each sport to be addressed separately.
Strategy 1
Educate and prepare students, coaches and administrators about the issues related to COVID 19 and sports participation.
Strategy 2
Use effective and consistent cleaning regimens and masking policies to reduce the overall risk of transmission
Strategy 3
Use aggressive screening to remove infected and exposed students from participation before exposing others
Strategy 4
Implement strategies to reduce exposure to potentially asymptomatic individuals through proximity
Strategy 5
Implement a consistent isolation, contact reporting, quarantine, and return to play policy among all member schools.”
The guidelines tackle the protocols for every part of the return, including sanitizing, handling of positive COVID-19 cases, and quarantines for those exposed.
All indoor and outdoor facilities must have health tips and symptoms related to the coronavirus posted at all times. Coaches, players, and administrators must also be educated about COVID-19 and be provided with personal protection equipment, or PPE.
Officials, coaches, administrators, and non-competing athletes must be masked at all times. Competing athletes must also be given the option to wear a mask while playing or working out.
Social distancing must be practiced at all points, and rigorous screening must also be adhered to by schools and programs.
To read all of these guidelines, click the link below.
