CIF State executive director Ron Nocetti knows keeping up with the latest guidance for high school sports is challenging for coaches and athletic directors, and may seem to be getting tougher.
“There’s no question that it’s a difficult experience for them,” he said Friday, March 5. “That’s why we’re trying at least provide them some of the most basic interpretations so at least they have a sense of where they stand on what they can do now with outdoor versus indoor sports.”
It was in that spirit that the state office issued its interpretations on the latest guidelines by the California Department of Public Health, which on Thursday, March 4 created a path for indoor sports to begin if they follow a college-style testing program.
Nocetti covered a few other areas in a state-wide memo, and a few more with the Southern California News Group. Here’s some of the takeaways:
There appear to be different routes to play indoor sports
Indoor sports such as basketball, volleyball and wrestling remain classified in the yellow tier (minimal risk for the virus) in the state’s guidance. Most counties in the state are in the purple tier (widespread risk) but the state adjusted its rules on March 4 to allow teams, starting on March 5, to play indoor sports earlier than the yellow tier if they follow stricter, college-style testing.
But Nocetti said he believes teams also could start their seasons under that college-style testing format, and transition to a non-testing, yellow tier format once their county reaches that optimal tier. Teams also could decide to wait to play until their county reaches the yellow tier, which feature a daily case rate of less than 1 per 100,000.
“That is how we read it,” Nocetti said of the different paths. “The exact answer to that question would have to come from the CDPH.”
Wresting was scheduled to begin March 5 while basketball and boys volleyball to follow on March 12-13, respectively.
College-style testing needs more clarification
The college-style guidelines for indoor sports ask teams to to conduct either “daily antigen testingand periodic PCR testing” until their county reaches the yellow tier. The CIF State said it is seeking clarification from the CDPH on the meaning of “periodic” PCR testing.
“Does mean you have to test PCR once a week? Twice a week?” Nocetti said. “We are waiting for an answer for that.”
Nocetti believes the state will issue a “Frequently Asked Questions” section soon.
All outdoor sports are currently cleared to play
On Feb.19, all outdoor sports were allowed in counties with an adjusted case rate of 14 or less per 100,000. This applied to the high-contact sports such as football, water polo, soccer and lacrosse, plus baseball, softball and outdoor volleyball.
All of the counties in Southern California, and 54 of the 58 counties in the state, currently meet this 14 threshold.
The extra condition is that football and water polo need to test weekly if the county’s rate falls between 7 and 14.
LAWSUIT UPDATE
As expected, lawyers for two San Diego football players who won a temporary injunction against the state’s guidelines essentially dropped their lawsuit Friday because of their settlement agreement with the state Thursday over the updated guidelines released on Thursday, March 4.
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