10.2 Covid Safety Guidelines

10.2.1 Fields / Venue

10.2.1.1 A minimum of one sign will be posted at every field.  Each sign will state the following:

• If you have one of the following symptoms: cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headaches, sore throat, and new loss of taste or smell, you must immediately leave the playing field and surrounding area.
• All spectators must maintain a 6 foot social distance from all people outside of your immediate family.
• All spectators must stay at least 6 feet away from the backstop.
• No spectators in areas designated as bench areas for players.
• No chewing gum, sunflower seeds or food is permitted in or around the field.
• No spitting.
• No loitering in the common areas or parking lot after games.

10.2.2 Player Bench Area

10.2.2.1 Player bench areas will be expanded to include bleachers or other areas outside of typical dugout area.

10.2.2.2 All players must remain within the designated bench areas during the game.

10.2.2.3 Each player will have a defined seat in the dugout or near the dugout that is a minimum of 6 feet away from their teammate. It can be marked with tape, paint or flat disks.  Players will NOT be allowed to interchange seats.

10.2.3  Player Equipment - Each player is is required to provide the following:

10.2.3.1 Bat

10.2.3.2 Water bottle with name

10.2.3.3 Helmet

10.2.3.4 Face mask (recommended, but not mandatory)

10.2.3.5 Personal hand sanitizer

10.2.3.6 Only one catcher per set of catcher’s gear per game.

10.2.4  Safety Coordinator

10.2.4.1 Each team would need to designate a parent as a safety coordinator whose role is as follows:

• Encourage players to sanitize their hands after returning from the field of play or periodically throughout the game.
• Insure all players are maintaining social distancing within the bench area.
• Assist in sanitizing dugout/bench area upon conclusion of game.

10.2.5 Sanitization

10.2.5.1 For fields that have multiple consecutive games, game must be scheduled sufficiently apart to allow sanitization of parts of the dugout area.

• Wipe down the bench area with a sanitizing agent. 
• Wipe down any backstop or fencing that may have been touched by players or coaches.

10.2.6 Practice

10.2.6.1 Mandatory minimum of two coaches or a coach and a volunteer parent in order to hold a practice.

10.2.6.2 No drills run in a line more than two deep (player and alternating player).  Alternating player must be at least six feet away from the player running the drill.

10.2.7 Pre Game, In Game and Post Game Activities

10.2.7.1 Team huddles are prohibited.

10.2.7.2 Player/coach handshakes and high fives are prohibited.

10.2.7.4 Only one coach per team is permitted for a pregame meeting with the umpire at home plate. Coaches and umpires must stay a minimum of 6 feet from each other.

10.2.7.5 We recommend that all players must wear masks when not on the field of play.

10.2.7.6 It is recommended that coaches and safety coordinators wear masks at all times.

10.2.7.7 In the event of an injury, only one coach may attend to the injured player. Other coaches must stay at least six feet away unless the injuries dictates closer involvement by more than one coach.

10.2.7.8 No post game snacks or beverages are to be distributed by any parent of any team.

10.2.7.9 Each coach must maintain a list of all participants from their team for every game. The list must also include the date and time that the game is played.  This includes all players and coaches.

10.2.7.10 There is to be no sharing of equipment. In the event sharing may be necessary, it will be at the discretion of the Safety Coordinator and Head Coach as to whether the equipment can be properly sanitized.