Netball Scotland COVID-19 Phase 3 Update
13th July 2020
On Thursday the 9th of July the First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon announced that Scotland will move to Phase 3 of the Scottish Government’s route map out of lockdown regulations which will see the gradual easing of some key restrictions.
Based on the latest guidance set out by the Scottish Government, Netball Scotland has worked with sportscotland and the Scottish Government to develop an overview of practical guidelines for Members and Clubs to follow so that they can be clear on what this latest Phase means for our sport and, most importantly, to continue to protect the health and wellbeing of our Members and local communities at this critical time.
We would like to advise that today’s announcement (13th July) regarding young people in Scotland being able to participate in organised outdoor sports DOES NOT apply to netball.
Find our Return to Netball Guidance document here!
We will shortly be launching our Return to Netball Hub on the Netball Scotland website providing information and guidance for Clubs and Members. We will upload more information to this Hub in the coming weeks.
Phase 3 key changes and updates:
- You are now able to meet with up to 5 other households, 1 being your own, outside, up to a maximum of 15 people, and maintaining a physical distance of 2 meters at all times.
Netball Activity Remains Suspended:
While organised outdoor contact sports can resume for children and young people providing all activity is consistent with current Scottish Government guidance on health, physical distancing and hygiene from 13th July 2020, Netball Scotland have taken the decision that, for the time being, all netballing activities in Scotland – including small sided games, formalised training, match play and competitions – remain suspended as the health and wellbeing of our Members remains our number one priority.
This decision will be reviewed in line with the latest Government advice and alongside the normal timeline of our Season commencement.
In the meantime, we encourage you to take part in outdoor individual netball fitness activity with no more than 15 people from 5 other households (1 to be your own). Netball fitness activity consists of individual activities that focus on building fitness and developing your ball handling skills. It can include wall work and ball familiarisation drills. However, participants should not share equipment with anyone outside of their household and should keep a minimum of 2m apart at all times.
You can find ideas for individual activities on the Netball Scotland website here!
General Guidance:
- Face coverings are now mandatory in retail and public transport settings.
- If you are showing any signs of COVID-19, including a cough, fever or loss of smell or taste you must self-isolate and must not meet up with people outside of your household. Click here to read more about the symptoms and what to do if you have them.
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before leaving home and again when you return. Carry an alcohol-based hand sanitiser for use outside your home. Find guidance on this here.
- Avoid touching surfaces such as court gates, fences, benches, and netball posts where possible. If you do, sanitise your hands before handling your equipment and do not touch your face.
- Do not share equipment, including balls, with anyone outside of your household and ensure to sanitise your equipment thoroughly before and after use.
We have created an infographic guidance booklet detailing the relevant guidance Clubs and Members should adhere to for phase 3 view this here!
Next Steps:
Netball is higher risk than many other team sports. As we are predominantly an indoor sport and players are in close contact, often with face to face marking, this means that there are more health and safety complexities to consider for all of our Clubs and Members, and subsequently the return for our sport differs from other outdoor contact sports such as cricket, football or rugby. We are working hard on developing a safe and appropriate Return to Netball Plan for all of our Clubs and Members, working closely with sportscotland, Local Authorities and Trusts, and other key Partners to ensure that we all can get back onto court in the new season.
We want to take this moment to thank our Members for understanding the intricacies of our Return to Netball and for helping us plan our return to sport strategy by participating in our Return To Netball Survey – the response was incredible and has provided us with critical insight and a clear direction of travel.
For more information on the survey, or to share your feedback with us click here!
