All High School Sports Can Be Played In Phase 4: IDPH - Patch.com

ILLINOIS — For some regions of the state, it looks like "game on." Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health announced Friday that all regions in Phase 4 of coronavirus mitigations can return to playing all high school sports immediately.

As of Friday, Region 3 (southwest Illinois), Region 5 (Southern) and Region 6 (East 6) qualify for full resumption of athletics, per new IDPH guidance. During a coronavirus briefing, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, of the IDPH, said these new allowances include basketball, considered a higher-risk sport for the coronavirus.

"Since the pandemic began, I have received countless emails and phone calls from players, parents, coaches and many others about youth sports. There have been organized protests about this issue," Ezike said. "I hear, I see, and I feel the passion around youth sports. I take very seriously the value that recreational outlets offer the physical and the mental health of our children."

In the Phase 4 regions, lower-risk winter sports like bowling, girls gymnastics, girls badminton, boys swimming and diving, dance and cheerleading can compete at Level 4 of the new sports safety guidance. Level 4 includes the allowance of tournaments, out-of-conference/league play, out-of-state play and championship games.

For higher-risk winter sports like basketball, Phase 4 regions can compete at Level 3 of the new sports safety guidance, which includes intra-conference or intra-EMS-region or intra-league play/meets only.

Football, a higher-risk sport that saw its fall season paused, and wrestling, a higher-risk winter sport, were both moved to the spring season by the Illinois High School Association.

The IHSA's board of directors will set season dates for the remainder of the school year when they meet again Wednesday.

For Tier 1 regions (next in line for Phase 4), lower-risk sports can also be competed at Level 4 of the new sports safety guidelines, medium-risk sports can compete at Level 3, and higher-risk sports can compete at Level 2. The latter states intra-team scrimmages are allowed with parental consent for minors, but no competitive play.

For Tier 2 regions (next in line from Tier 1), lower-risk sports can be competed at Level 3, medium-risk can be competed at Level 2, and higher-risk sports can be competed at Level 1. The latter includes no-contact practices and trainings only. All regions of the state had moved out of Tier 3, the strictest of the tiers for coronavirus mitigations, as of Friday.

"We have to think about the amount of virus circulating in the communities. We have to continue thinking about the test positivity, people in the ICU with COVID-19, as well as other metrics," Ezike said.

In response to the news, the IHSA said all low-risk winter sports must conduct practices on seven days prior to their first contest. Basketball teams must conduct 12 days of practice prior to their first contest, according to a release. Fall, spring, and summer sports can begin contact days on Monday based on the allowances of your EMS Region and local school district approval.

The IHSA also said masks must be worn in practice and competition. Social distancing should be adhered to for bench players and game personnel. Schools must follow the mitigations and guidelines established by the IHSA.

The new sports safety guidance was issued by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the IDPH, and the Illinois State Board of Education. It pertains to all youth and adult recreational sports, including, but not limited to, school-based sports (high school and elementary school), travel clubs, private leagues and clubs, recreational leagues and centers, and park district sports programs. This guidance does not pertain to professional sports leagues or college division level sports.

"The issue here is very much our children here are carrying it home to their parents, their grandparents after interacting very closely sometimes without a lot of padding when interacting with one another," Pritzker said. "Things have changed as a result of the work people have done across the state following the mitigations, so there are many more people playing sports today versus yesterday."

According to the IHSA, football contact days that are permitted in some regions beginning Monday will be limited to the provisions of an IHSA bylaw. The IHSA is asking participating programs to follow these guidelines that would have a build-up acclimatization to maximum equipment of helmet and shoulder pads with no live contact or tackling to the ground during the contact day period.

With regard to spectators, the IHSA said in the release there is no differentiation in numbers of spectators allowed regardless of whether the sport is indoors or outdoors. The numbers allowed do not include players, coaches, officials and other necessary game personnel as the spectators are in addition to them.