Ice hockey and basketball teams across the Commonwealth were handed a new piece of hope for the upcoming winter season Friday afternoon, as the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) released its latest updated guidelines for youth and amateur sports. While the guidelines still classify basketball and ice hockey as “High Risk” sports, the decision has been made to allow those sports to hold inter-team competitions and games with the right safety protocols put in place.
Essentially, ice hockey and basketball will likely see updated rules similar to fall sports like soccer, field hockey, volleyball and cross country. Masks will be mandatory, social distancing will be employed where possible and there will likely be temporary rule changes to help keep players, coaches and officials safe.
In addition, the new guidelines allow for “High Risk” sports that are played outdoors — including football and rugby — to hold competitions as well. Football is currently slated to be played in the “Fall Sports II” season that runs from late February to late April.
Unfortunately, sports that have sustained contact such as wrestling — which is also classified as “High Risk” — will not be allowed to compete in the winter season. There is still a possibility for such sports to be played in the “Fall Sports II” season.
The next step in the process will be for the various individual MIAA Sport Committees to meet and work out safety protocols that can then be approved by the MIAA Sports Medicine Committee and the MIAA Board of Directors so that these sports can be played in the winter and “Fall Sports II” seasons.
The winter season is currently set to begin on Nov. 30.
