October 13, 2020
Joel Muniz/via Unsplash
Non-contact practices for medium and high-risk sports have been permitted indoors since July across New Jersey.
Indoor sports that have been defined by New Jersey as medium or high risk for COVID-19 transmission can resume contact workouts and competitions across the state.
These activities include basketball, hockey, cheerleading, dance, rugby, boxing, judo, karate, taekwondo, and wrestling, according to the executive order signed by Gov. Phil Murphy.
Practices and competitions can take place within a 25% capacity limit of the room. There must be no more than 25 people or no less than 10 persons involved.
If the number of necessary players, coaches, and referees for practices or competitions exceeds 25 participants, the event may proceed if no unnecessary individuals — such as spectators — are present.
The number of people at practices and competitions still cannot exceed 25% of the room's capacity or 150 individuals.
All facilities and participants must follow a number of health and safety protocols, such as COVID-19 screenings for all players, coaches, and staff, limits on equipment sharing, and requirements for disinfecting and sanitizing high-touch surfaces and equipment.
All sports under the jurisdiction of the NJSIAA or the NCAA must follow those organizations’ rules.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for our student-athletes, support staff, and school communities,” Murphy said. "After consulting stakeholders and medical experts, we have concluded that, with proper public health and safety protocols in place, indoor sports may now resume in a way that protects players, coaches, and staff.”
The state has greenlit youth sports to resume across New Jersey through a multi-step process amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Non-contact low-risk sports, such as golf and tennis, were permitted to resume outdoors in June as long as they followed social distancing measures. Low-risk sports have been permitted to resume practices and competitions indoors too.
Medium and high-risk sports were initially restricted to modified, non-contact workouts in both indoor and outdoor settings. Programs and leagues had to ensure that participants could remain at least six feet apart. Traditional practices and games resumed outdoors for medium-risk sports, like baseball, basketball, softball and soccer, in July.
Sports considered high-risk for COVID-19 transmission, such as football, were permitted in July to hold contact drills, practices and competitions outdoors.
Non-contact practices for medium and high-risk sports have already been permitted to resume indoors.
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