Winter MA School Sports Will Get A Shot With Modifications

MASSACHUSETTS — New state guidance allows for interscholastic athletics this winter in most sports with what will likely be significant rules modifications because of the coronavirus health crisis.

Under the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental affairs guidelines released on Friday, all towns in step two of phase three of reopening will be allowed to play "higher risk" sports, such as basketball and ice hockey, games against schools from other towns under modifications to be determined.

Sports that are deemed to require a high degree of contact indoors — such as wrestling, competitive cheer and pairs figure skating — will be allowed only in-team practices among cohorts of less than 10.

Tournaments will not be allowed in any "higher risk" sports. All competitors in those sports will be required to wear masks.

Gyms and rinks will be allowed up to 50 percent of capacity for fans as long as those fans can maintain social distancing.

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association issued a statement after the guidance was released stating its COVID-19 Task Force will charge the sport-specific committees with the creation of rules modifications for high schools designed to cut down on incidental contact and increase distancing.

The sport-specific committee and sports medicine committees will then make recommendations back to the Task Force on modifications necessary, and whether the sport will be "viable" if played under those modifications. The Task Force will then make its recommendations to the MIAA Board of Directors for a vote.

This is expected to all take place within the next two weeks with the winter season set to begin on Nov. 30.

In fall sports, rules modifications included having all soccer players were masks, and the elimination of headers, throw-ins as well as the defensive "wall" in front of a goalie on a direct kick. Volleyball players were not allowed to contest balls at the net. Field hockey was played 7-v-7 with penalty corners eliminated.

The state changed its metrics on Friday on how it designates which cities and towns are considered at "high risk" for community coronavirus spread — allowing many communities that would otherwise not be allowed to move to step two of phase 3 of reopening to do so, thus making the schools in those communities eligible to contest higher risk sports such as basketball and hockey.

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