*Highlighted text pertinent to BYSA*.

Starting June 1st, we can travel in and out of the state freely but until then we have to get COVID tested within three days of returning to the state- even if we leave for a one-day game. We can hold tournaments with large gatherings starting June 18 and must follow whatever the current guidelines are at that time. 

With changes May 1 in the State’s COVID guidance that included advancing to Step 2 of the Vermont Forward Plan, the transition of recreational sports programs to “universal guidance” and an updated masking policy that requires masks outdoors only when you are in a crowd or with other households where you can’t maintain a 6-foot distance, there have been a number of questions about how these apply to both recreational and school-based sports programs. I hope the following will be helpful:

• Athletes participating in school-based sports
  • The most recent version of A Strong and Healthy Year Guidance, published by the Agency of Education states the following: All staff and students are required to wear facial coverings while in the building. They must also wear them when outside of the building if adequate physical distancing of at least six (6) feet cannot be maintained.
  • Consistent with the Strong and Healthy guidance, athletes participating in low contact and no contact school-based spring sports (i.e., tennis, track and field, baseball and softball) are no longer required to wear masks so long as six feet of physical distance can be maintained.
    • Baseball and softball players must wear masks while sitting in the dugout
  • Athletes participating in sports involving moderate contact or close proximity (i.e., boys and girls lacrosse, ultimate frisbee) must continue to wear masks at all times during practice and game play.
  • All athletes must wear masks when being bused to a game or meet, in any indoor setting (i.e., locker room or training room), or participating in team-based meeting with six feet of physical distance cannot be consistently maintained.
• Athletes participating in recreational sports
  • Similar to school-based sports, athletes participating in low contact and no contact outdoor recreational sports (i.e., cross country running, golf, tennis, equestrian, bass fishing tournaments, sideline cheer, single sculling, skiing and snowboarding, track and field, disc golf, swimming, baseball and softball) are no longer required to wear masks so long as six feet of physical distance can be maintained.
    • Baseball and softball players must wear masks while sitting in the dugout
  • Athletes participating in outdoor sports involving moderate or high contact or close proximity (i.e., basketball, soccer, softball, baseball, lacrosse, field hockey, ultimate frisbee, football, rugby, crew with two or more rowers) must continue to wear masks at all times during practice and game play.
  • Athletes participating in indoor sports must continue to wear masks at all times during practice and game play.
  • Athletes utilizing indoor facilities (i.e., locker room or training room) must wear a mask while indoors.
• Spectators (school-based and recreational sports events)
  • Outdoor sports events
    • Consistent with the Vermont Forward Plan, 300 unvaccinated people, plus any number of vaccinated individuals, can attend outdoor sports events as spectators.
    • Spectators are not required to wear masks at outdoor sports events so long as six feet of physical distance can be maintained from anyone outside your household.
  • Indoor sports events
    • Consistent with the Vermont Forward Plan, one unvaccinated person per 100 square feet up to 150 unvaccinated people (whichever is less), plus any number of vaccinated people, can attend indoor sports events as spectators.
    • Spectators must wear a mask at all times while attending an indoor sports event.
  • If an event has no way of determining if an individual is vaccinated, assume all are unvaccinated for capacity limit.