DELTA LACROSSE ASSOCIATION
Return to Play - Phase 3
Action plan and protocol for Delta Lacrosse Association
This document has been produced with careful consideration towards the BC Lacrosse Association governing bodies’ Return to Lacrosse Guidelines. It is our intent to provide this information to our provincial governing body and municipal authorities as we await the BC Ministry of Health’s decision on the sport of Lacrosse.
It is also our intent that when the time does come for us to move forward with actions to return, we will ensure the following steps are taken with our organization and its’ members beforehand;
- All protocol, regulations and requirements for return to play are published on our clubs’ website together with full mail-out to all members through email.
- Mandatory Zoom meetings to present protocol to executive, volunteers, and coaches where all must attend if they are wishing to return to the Association under new circumstances.
- Mandatory signed waivers from all members, volunteers, and coaches that wish to return, agreeing to abide by all regulations and new protocols for participation.
The Delta Lacrosse Association recognizes and abides by the Return to Sport guideline for BC (https://www.viasport.ca/sites/default/files/ReturntoSportGuidelines.pdf?utm_source=PSO+Connector&utm_campaign=7cb0c71525-Sportscape_2019_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9305c55a53-7cb0c71525-384327325.) and the Return to Lacrosse guideline (http://www.bclacrosse.com/return-to-lacrosse.php) released on August 27th, 2020 by Viasport British Columbia and the BC Lacrosse Association. This document is at this time being used to demonstrate Delta Lacrosse Association’s keenness to show that we are willing, ready and able to start the planning process for a safe and responsible return to Lacrosse.
ARRIVAL AT THE TURF
Players will be required to put on equipment in their vehicles in the parking lot of the turf prior to entering the field. The 4 coaches will set up into halves on the field.
There will be social distancing markers (small cones and/or chalk lines set by coach/volunteer) where Players will be required to line up prior to entering the field. There will be 40 markers (20 at each clearly marked entrance of the field) on the ground set at 2 metres apart, allowing one marker per player. (Maximum number of people allowed on the field, excluding facility workers will be 44: 40 players and 4 coaches; divided into 2 groups of 20 players and 2 coach).
The field will be divided into halves. Players will be advised prior to arrival as to which entrance they are to line up at.
Players will pass through a check in point just outside the chain link fence of all entry points where they will verbally check-in for the session, have their temperature taken with a touchless scanner (operated by coaches/volunteers) and be given directions to their designated spot on the side lines of the field. Designated spots on the side lines of the field will be 2 metres apart and clearly marked for placement of player’s belongings. (Water bottles, emergency medications, tissues).
Parents must wait until their player has passed the check in point and has been give the clear before they can leave the vicinity of the field. Parents will not be permitted past the check in point. Parents are welcome to stay but are required to stay 2 metres apart at all times. Parents who choose not to follow this requirement will be asked to leave and wait in their vehicle. If parents choose to leave parents must leave a contact number where they can be reached during the time the player is on the field.
For field map click HERE
OPEN GATES
The gates to the field will remain open during all entries and exits of the players and coaches. All 4 gates will remain open at all times.
These open-gate measure will ensure that players and coaches contact with gate and gate handles is kept to a minimum throughout Delta Lacrosse’s time on the turf.
ON THE TURF
Players and Coaches are required to use hand sanitizer prior to entering the field. Players will socially distance as they walk through the gate and onto the field. Each coach will lead their group onto the field through the designated entrances.
The gate doors will already be open to avoid players touching the door handles.
Players will have been assigned an entrance during the check-in process and then players 1-20 at West entrance will find their placings on the side line situated 2 metres apart from one another. Players 21-40 at East entrance will enter the field with the same arrangements.
The 4 coaches on the floor will maintain social distance between themselves and players. Coaches will wear protective face gear on the field when social distancing is not possible. The wearing of face masks will be optional for the players during sessions.
Coaches will have pre-marked the field for appropriate distancing measures for allocated spots that a player will stand at during any coaching instructions. These spots will be marked on the field with cones.
Drills and Skills
- Maintain a 2-meter physical distancing while performing drills/skills at all times including waiting in lines, waiting for instruction and when moving within drills.
- Drills/skills are designed to build and enhance individual athlete skill development.
- A gradual introduction to contact in cohorts is permitted once teams are selected to a team cohort.
- Goaltenders are permitted to take part in all activities with participants. Do not share goaltender equipment and do not touch balls with hands.
- Station work is recommended to assist coaches to offer drills/skills activity flow and variety.
- Coaches must be cognizant that older, and higher-skilled athletes, may utilize more space during Lacrosse activities so you may need to adjust the number of people allowed in the activity area.
TOUCH POINTS- Suggested Cleaning and Disinfecting Areas
| ITEM | ATHLETES | COACHES | PARENTS/GUARDIANS/SPECTATORS |
| Balls | Only touch the ball with your stick. If need to touch MUST wear gloves. | Only touch the ball with your stick. If need to touch MUST wear gloves Wipe down with disinfectant before and after use | Should not touch. Encourage players to only touch with stick. Ask a player or coach to retrieve stray balls. |
| Stick | Only use your own stick. Wipe down with disinfectant before and after use. Do not touch/lend/borrow other player’s sticks | Participate and provide demo with your own stick. Do not touch player sticks. Wipe down with disinfectant before and after use. | Help your own child only when necessary and make sure to disinfect handle and plastic edges of Lacrosse head when returning to car. |
| Documents | If a document needs to be signed, should disinfect pen before and after use. | Coaches can bring own documents. Do not share with other coaches. Individuals should have own copy. If coaches want players to have drills, email documents to parents. | All documents should be completely electronic. If a document needs to be signed, place in a plastic Ziploc bag and wipe prior to submitting. Disinfect pen before/after use. |
| Tablets/Phones | Only use your own device- placing clean item into a plastic Ziploc bag will help keep it clean it can still be used though the plastic. *Remove and throw bag away after activity | Only use your own device- placing clean item into a plastic Ziploc bag will help keep it clean it can still be used though the plastic. *Remove and throw bag away after activity. If you need to show a resource to someone, place on clean surface and allow other person to view while maintaining a 2-meter distance (others should not touch) | Only use your own device - placing clean item into a plastic Ziploc bag will help keep it clean it can still be used though the plastic. *Remove and throw bag away after activity. |
| Personal Equipment DO NOT Share ANY Equipment | Put gear on at home or dress near your own vehicle, prior to proceeding to the facility. Do not remove any equipment in the activity area. On conclusion of event, proceed to your vehicle and remove your equipment before getting in vehicle. (No change rooms). A clean plastic bag should be used to separate cleaned and soiled equipment. Have a small bottle of hand sanitizer in equipment bag to sanitize hands after taking gear off. Equipment (jersey, shorts, socks, tshirts, etc.) should be washed after each session. Equipment that cannot be easily washed (kidney pads, shoulder pads, helmet. goggles, gloves, etc.) should be removed from participant’s bag and sprayed and/or wiped with disinfectant. *Keep your Lacrosse gloves on at all times! | All gear should be put on near your own vehicle, prior to proceeding to the facility. Do not remove any equipment in the activity area. On conclusion of event, proceed to your vehicle and remove your equipment before getting in vehicle. (No change rooms). A clean plastic bag should be used to separate cleaned and soiled equipment. Wipe down and disinfect equipment when at home. Have a small bottle of hand sanitizer in equipment bag to sanitize hands after taking gear off. *Keep your Lacrosse gloves on at all time. | Assist/remind your child with putting on their equipment at your vehicle, prior to going to the facility. Remind them to leave it on once the event is completed and return to vehicle to take off equipment. For age groups where parents/guardians may need to assist with equipment adjustments, the player should leave the facility to meet with the parent/guardian. Remind player to bring a clean plastic bag to separate cleaned and soiled equipment. Help players wipe down and disinfect equipment when at home. |
| Helmets | Put gear on at home or dress near your own vehicle, prior to proceeding to the facility. As above. | Wear gloves when touching any equipment. For age groups where parents/guardians may need to assist with equipment adjustments, the player should leave the facility to meet with the parent/guardian. | Watch for signals from coach who may send your child out for assistance. For age groups where parents/guardians may need to assist with equipment adjustments, the player should leave the facility to meet with the parent/guardian |
| Goaltender Equipment | No sharing of any goaltender equipment. Do not use any goaltender equipment unless someone has confirmed it has been disinfected. Help wipe down/disinfect equipment after use | Each goaltender should have their own goaltender gear per session. Goaltender gear must be wiped down/disinfected between users | Help player wipe down/disinfect equipment after use. |
| Water Bottles NEVER SHARE | Each player must have their OWN clearly marked water bottle with their first and last name (must be filled at home). Must have spout or straw in order to aim into mouth while still wearing helmet. Only move your own water bottle with your Lacrosse gloves on. | Remind players to NEVER share water. If possible, have extra commercially sealed bottles available if hot out, but make sure you have disinfectant wipes available to clean off before giving to anyone. (Use sharpie to mark names). Designate areas where players can put their water bottle to encourage physical distending (2m). Must have spout or straw in order to aim into mouth, while still wearing helmet. Only move someone’s water bottle with your Lacrosse gloves on. | Make sure your child’s water bottle is clearly marked with their first and last name and they know how to identify their own bottle. Remind them to never use anyone else’s water bottle. Must have spout or straw in order to aim into mouth while still wearing helmet. Wash with disinfectant before and after use (sanitize hands after). |
| Equipment Bags | To be left in vehicle or in designated space within facility. A clean plastic bag should be used to separate cleaned and soiled equipment. Have a small bottle of hand sanitizer in equipment bag to sanitize hands after taking gear off. | To be left in vehicle or in designated space within facility. Have a small bottle of hand sanitizer in equipment bag to sanitize hands after taking gear off. | To be left in vehicle or in designated space within facility. |
| Spectator Seating (if not removed) or Standing | Not Applicable | Try to limit the number of spectators to only people that need to be present. Group gathering size limits must be adhered to. | Always maintain a 2-meter distance between other spectators. Number will be limited to the maximum allowed to gather (i.e., total including participants and spectators is currently 50 people). Spectators should try to watch from vehicle if applicable. |
| Enter/Exit | Follow instructions/arrows for all facility entrances and exits. If using a door/gate handle, wipe with disinfectant prior to opening and if possible, leave it open so no other person needs to touch. | Use tape to create arrows to enter and exit - have players enter and exit one at a time in order to maintain 2-meter distance. If using handle, wipe with disinfectant prior to opening and if possible, leave it open so no other person needs to touch. | Remind your child to enter / exit per direction of arrows and to keep 2-meter (or length of extended Lacrosse stick) away from the person in front of them. If using door/gate handle, wipe with disinfectant prior to opening and if possible, leave it open so no other person needs to touch. |
| Bench/Other Surfaces | Don’t touch surfaces; keep your lacrosse gloves on. | Disinfect surfaces before players arrive and after players have left. Don’t touch surfaces and ‘bag’ your gloves prior to placing in equipment bag. When you get home, disinfect everything thoroughly. | Don’t touch surfaces and ‘bag’ your child’s gloves prior to placing in equipment bag. When you get home, disinfect everything thoroughly. |
LACROSSE COHORTS
In the Progressively Loosen Phase, cohorts should be created for all Lacrosse activities where there is contact or close proximity of less than 2 meters. viaSport BC defines a cohort as a group of participants who primarily interact with each other within the sport environment over an extended period of time.
Examples of Lacrosse cohorts may include:
- A program within a Lacrosse association/club where players train and play together weekly.
- An age/tier for inter-club play within a region.
The objective in establishing cohorts is to limit the number of people that each individual will come into contact with, reducing the risk of transmission and ensuring quicker contact tracing by health authorities if an outbreak occurs. For Lacrosse, the following guidelines must be followed when creating a cohort:
- Cohorts should not exceed 100 individuals or 4 teams (whichever is less).
- Cohorts should be made up of individuals/teams of similar age and skill level (ie, W- Field: U12 Tier 1; Box: 14U Boys A2).
- Cohort sizes are different from maximum group sizes. When members of the cohort are gathering for games or activities, gatherings may not exceed 50 people on a field.
- Each cohort can be comprised of multiple teams in order to form a mini-league (ie, 4-team mini-league). With the use of cohorts, game play can resume between teams within the cohort.
- Keep players together in designated cohorts and make sure that cohorts avoid mixing with each other as much as possible.
- Cohorts should remain together for an extended period of time. If looking to change cohorts, a two-week break (14 days) between activities is recommended.
- When in a cohort, individuals do not need to maintain physical distancing during Lacrosse activities on the field of play. Individuals are recommended to minimize physical contact whenever possible. At least 2- meters distancing should be maintained between all participants when off the field of play (ie, on sidelines/benches, period breaks, huddles, in dressing rooms). If physical distancing cannot be maintained masks should be worn.
- Coaches and officials may be counted outside the total cohort number if they are able to maintain physical distancing at all times. The BCLA recommends coaches and officials to be outside of the cohort number. If they are unable to do so, coaches and officials should be assigned and counted within a cohort.
- Parents and spectators are not included in the cohort limits. They should continue to maintain physical distancing at all times and are subject to maximum capacity of the facility where play is occurring.
- There should be one responsible person or central point of contact for a cohort. It is the responsibility of this contact to maintain a central list with full contact information for all individuals participating within the cohort.
We acknowledge that individuals may engage in multiple sports or activities. Participants are encouraged to minimize the number of cohorts that they are involved in to reduce the number of individuals that they are interacting with.
COMPETITION
In the Progressively Loosen Phase, viaSport BC states that, league play and competitive activities may occur within designated cohorts. Competitive sport activities include formal, organized games, matches and tournaments between participants where scores are recorded and standings are kept. Examples of competitive activities in Lacrosse that are permitted in Progressively Loosen include the following:
- Association/Club play: games or competitive activities that occur within a team or club members in a cohort.
- Recreational league play: games or competitive activities that occur within a defined program, league or group of teams in a cohort.
- Regional competition: games or competitive activities occurring between associations/clubs in a cohort within a region. In Lacrosse, a region is defined by the zones set by the BCLA Zones. It is recommended that, wherever possible, cohorts and competition are created based on these regions. We acknowledge that some Lacrosse activities may need to combine nearby associations/clubs in order to make activities possible. In all cases, organizers should be aware of and consult public health guidance from the Regional Health Authorities in which they are operating Lacrosse activities.
WASHROOM BREAKS
The designated washrooms for all sessions will be the washrooms located at the turf.
No more than 2 player at a time will be allowed to go to the washroom.
Players are expected to practice handwashing after using the washrooms. Players must hand sanitize before entering on to the field.
EXITING THE TURF
At the end of any session, players will exit the Field through their allocated exits and will all collect any personal items along the way. Player and Coaches will again hand sanitize upon exiting the field.
Players must exit the field using the required 2 metre distancing measures and must go directly out to their vehicles to take their gear off. No player can stay for longer then 15 minute change over period between sessions.
Parents must adhere to drop off and pick up times as no resources will be made for children to remain on the field once their particular session is concluded.
Once the first group has left the field and exited away from the social distancing markers, the second group can set up with the same protocol to enter the field for their session.
AFTER EACH SESSION
Directly after the first group has left and before the second group has entered the coaches/volunteers will do a cleaning of the field, handles and top of the gates using Clorox based cleaning materials.
SUPPLIES REQUIRED
Determine the individual(s) responsible to bring these additional supplies to the site (i.e., coach, team manager or designated association volunteer).
- Hand Sanitizer - if a hand washing facility is not close/open
- Individuals should wash their hands thoroughly before putting on the gloves. Medical and food service gloves are usually made from polymers such as latex, vinyl and nitrile, although you may find disposable gloves made of other materials, such as neoprene.
- Tape (for arrows)
- Sanitizer wipes or disinfectant spray & cloth
- Sharpie and Water Bottles (if you choose)
- Doubled plastic bag to safely dispose of any gloves, wipes, etc.
- Thermo Scanner (if possible) to test individuals’ temperatures prior to activity.
- Signs (exit and enter)
- Chalk
- Face masks
