COVID-19 Return to Play & Train Guidelines – 22 June 2020

This guide has been established to support Clubs and Associations under the current Victorian Government COVID-19 restrictions to return to playing cricket in a phased approach.

All Cricket Clubs and Associations have an obligation to strictly adhere to the following protocols at every training session and match, with the focus to be ‘Get there Safely, Conduct Training and Leave Safely’.

EFFECTIVE FROM 22 JUNE 2020

As of Monday 22nd June 2020, competitions for Non-contact sports (including cricket) will be able to resume for all age groups.

PERSONAL HYGIENE & EQUIPMENT

• Stay away if you or someone close has been unwell in the lead-up to returning to training or playing. If you are sick and think you have symptoms of COVID-19, seek medical advice and visit the Federal Government’s Department of Health website for further information and advice.
• Regular handwashing (20 seconds minimum with soap) and use of hand sanitizer is strongly encouraged.
• Cough/sneeze into the crook of your elbow or a tissue and avoid touching your nose/eyes/mouth.
• Shaking hands and celebrations involving contact with another person (including high-fives) are not to be undertaken.
• No shining of any cricket ball with saliva and/or sweat.
• Sharing of personal equipment and other incidentals (e.g. water bottles, towels) between players is prohibited. If clubs use baseball gloves for fielding drills, players are asked to bring their own gloves and avoid sharing with others where possible.
• Clubs are directed to clean all door handles, taps, towel dispensers/hand dryers and toilet seats if used at a session/match prior to the next scheduled session/match taking place.
• Change Rooms will now be able to be reopened at grounds (subject to Local Government approval), with the existing distancing requirement to be met. Existing processes of attendance to training/matches in appropriate apparel and showering away from the venue is still strongly encouraged.
• Ensure plenty of bins are provided and place all used tissues in bin immediately after use.
• Cricket Balls must be cleaned with alcohol-based wipes before and after training. Sharing use of balls during training should be avoided unless absolutely necessary (e.g. fielding).
• Players and Officials are directed to only bring food for their own personal consumption (no share plates unless each item is individually packaged) to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission via contact surface.

TRAVEL, COMPLIANCE & COMMUNICATIONS

• Clubs are instructed to host any necessary communications (e.g. meetings, planning sessions, Meet the Coach sessions) through an online platform or hold these sessions over the phone as much as possible (despite communal areas at venues now being being reopened subject to current spacing guidelines of 1 person per 4m²).
• Clubs are strongly encouraged to host training at their home ground location (should access to training nets be required) and can now engage in practice and/or competition matches, providing that strict adherence to the current required practices are made.
• Attendees at all training sessions and matches are to have their Name and Contact details recorded by the club, with communications to players made prior to each session including access points and meeting locations.
• Clubs and Associations should strongly encourage all members to download the COVID-Safe App, record members that have downloaded the app and have at least one club member undertake the Australian Government’s online COVID-19 Infection Control Training. Those people who undertake the training should be recognised as the club’s COVID-19 officer(s) to help monitor club compliance. Cricket Victoria is addressing contact tracing in its plan through recommending that all club participants download the COVIDSAFE app to their devices.
• Further updates will be communicated to Clubs and Associations through the CV Club and Association Newsletter, Cricket Victoria website and Cricket Victoria social media platforms.
• Sport and Recreation Victoria’s (SRV) webpage also has more detailed information and a list of frequently asked questions to assist clubs and participants.
• Cricket Australia (CA) also has further information on COVID-19 management for Cricket Clubs and Associations.

PLAYING CONDITIONS

• Groups of up to 20 people plus officials can participate in outdoor, non-contact competition (competitive matches). This means a max of 10 vs 10 matches (not 11 vs 11) at this stage until restrictions are further lifted by the State Government.
  N.B. multiple groups of 20 people plus officials can participate at the same venue on the condition that:
  – Each group is fully separated at all times (e.g. one group per oval – no mixing between groups); and
  – The facility can easily cater for multiple groups (e.g. multiple grounds, minimal congregation will occur at entrances, exits, near toilets etc.).
• Communal facilities, such as change rooms, can now be reopened (subject to Local Government approval) for indoor and outdoor sport venues.
• Players, Officials, Volunteers and Spectators are directed to maintain 1.5 metres social distance from others as much as possible.
• Clubs are instructed to avoid warm-up activities where tackling or potential heavy physical contact is likely.
• Players to attend matches by themselves with own means of transport (unless they reside in the same residence e.g. Parent/Child or Siblings). For Junior Players, parents/guardians are directed to keep a safe distance away from the playing group (e.g. stay in the car or be at least 1.5 metres away (preferably greater) from the playing group when active). Spectators are recommended to also observe the current distance requirements between everyone at the venue where possible.
• Umpires (if available) and Players are instructed to make sure that the weather conditions are suitable for undertaking cricket activities (e.g. not playing during a lightning storm).
• Plan on having breaks of at least 10 to 15 minutes between teams and groups playing at the same venue to minimise crossover.
• Players and Officials are directed to only bring food for their own personal consumption (no share plates unless each item is individually packaged) to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission via contact surface.
• If a player tests positive to COVID-19, that person and all people that have been in contact with that person need to self-isolate for 2 weeks and undertake testing. It will be up to the relevant competition as to how they determine match results involving a team or teams that are impacted as a result of a positive COVID-19 test.
• Ensure that at the coin toss, umpires are providing their own coin and tossing it themselves with the nominated ‘home’ captain calling.
• Avoid using team sheets, instead nominate teams in advance in MyCricket
• Scorers are to bring their own writing tools if scoring in a scorebook
• Those using an iPad to score should ensure it is wiped down with disinfectant
• If playing uniforms are normally shared, each player takes their uniform home to wash
• Do not share cricket protective equipment between players if they cannot be easily cleaned and sanitised before being used by another player. This particularly includes helmets, batting and wicketkeeping gloves, and batting wicketkeeping leg guards.
• Umpires are asked to wear rubber gloves on the field to handle the ball when applicable and change at the completion of each innings.
• Do not share groin protectors.
• Bats can be shared between players as they will be handled whilst using batting gloves.
• Players and Officials are directed to only bring food for their own personal consumption (no share plates unless each item is individually packaged) to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission via contact surface.

TRAINING CONDITIONS

• Groups of up to 20 people plus a coach can participate in outdoor, non-contact training.
  N.B. multiple groups of 20 people plus a coach can participate at the same cricket ground on the condition that:
  – Each group is fully separated at all times (e.g. one group in the nets and the other on the oval – no mixing between groups); and
  – The facility can easily cater for multiple groups (e.g. minimal congregation will occur at entrances, exits, near toilets etc.).
• Indoor sport and recreation activities can resume and open, maximum 20 people per space or zone, with up to 10 people per group class. There are no limits on the number of people per group if all participants are 18 years old or younger.
• Players, Officials, Volunteers and Spectators are directed to maintain 1.5 metres social distance from others as much as possible.
• Clubs are instructed to avoid warm-up activities where tackling or potential heavy physical contact is likely.
• Players to attend training by themselves with own means of transport (unless they reside in the same residence e.g. Parent/Child or Siblings). For Junior Players, parents/guardians are directed to keep a safe distance away from the training area (e.g. stay in the car or be at least 1.5 metres away (preferably greater) from the training group when active). Spectators are recommended to also observe the current distance requirements between everyone at the venue where possible.
• Clubs and Associations are instructed to make sure that the weather conditions are suitable for undertaking cricket activities (e.g. avoiding slippery practice conditions after rain, not training during a lightning storm).
• Plan on having breaks of at least 10 to 15 minutes between teams and groups training at the same venue to minimise crossover.
• If a person tests positive to COVID-19, that person and all people that have been in contact with that person need to self-isolate for 2 weeks and undertake testing.