The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has released a set a phased guidelines through its Sports Medicine Advisory Committee. The guidelines exist for states like Illinois to follow as they consider starting up high school athletics in the fall.

There are no guarantees that this will be The Illinois High School Association plan for the fall, but the IHSA has traditionally followed the recommendations of the NFHS closely.

Three Phases of Reopening

 breaks down the timeline for reopening into three phases and groups each sport into lower, moderate or higher risk categories. The NFHS also pointed out that some sports that are considered higher risk may not be able to return at the same time as lower risk sports and activities.  Some of the key recommendations in each phase include:

Phase 1

  • State, local or school district guidelines for cloth face coverings should be strictly followed.
  • There must be a minimum distance of 6 feet between each individual at all times. If this is not possible indoors, then the maximum number of individuals in the room must be decreased until proper social distancing can occur.

Picture Source: Naperville Community Television

SOURCE ( Naperville Community Television )