Hello everyone,

I am sure many of us are surprised and shocked to be back to level 2 at this point, but here we are. Like all of you we do not yet have a great deal of information on what the future looks like however we thought it prudent to remind you all of what level 2 means.

At the moment, community football in our region continues as scheduled subject to the requirements as set out HERE (note the gathering size limit of 100).   

• NRFL: information will be updated as soon as we know anything further.

All venues and sporting facilities, including clubrooms and gyms, can open. All venues must have a WorkSafe plan in place for safe operation. Sanitation measures can be found at www.sportnz.org.nz. There are no expectations for clubs to provide an after-match function at this time – outside of NRFL who will provide separate information. 

Clubrooms, Bar & Food Services

The clubroom bar and food facility must follow the guidelines put in place for restaurants and bars under the Government’s Guidelines for Businesses under Alert Level 2, including but not limited to:

• Patrons must remain seated.
• The number of people within gatherings and the total number of gatherings is managed.
• Fulfilling all other health and safety obligations.
• Where you do have changing rooms open, you must also provide changing facilities for appointed referees subject to the same requirements:

Changing Facilities 

Changing rooms should remain closed unless appropriate public health measures are put in place, in respect of cleaning and hygiene requirements, as well as the facility being approved to open by the respective council or owner. There cannot be mass congregating in these types of facilities or multiple teams using the same facility at once. 

Hygiene 

• All participants should wash and dry their hands, or if not possible use hand sanitiser, before and after any activity.
• Maintain physical distancing of 2 metres wherever possible. Avoid team huddles, stop pre or post game handshakes and the traditional ‘ceremonial walkout’ respect walkout
• Spitting, or similar actions, is prohibited, including on GK gloves. 
• Sharing of equipment should be minimised where possible and thoroughly cleaned before and after every use.
• Caution should be exercised with common touch points (e.g. gates or doors) with hands washed or sanitised after using. 
• Water bottles should not be shared under any circumstance. 
• No communal food, such as half-time oranges or lollies, should be shared.

Training 

It is IMPORTANT that all players and team officials (coaches / team managers) are added to team catalogues in COMET. This is for all teams, from First Kicks to Seniors. These measures are for the safety of the players and their families and to ensure that, as a sport, we are adhering to the guidelines set out by the government. Club administrators: click HERE for instructions on how to do this. 

At Training

• Refrain from drills or activities that require direct physical contact e.g. high fives.
• Have hygiene measures readily available – disinfectant, sanitiser.
• Come to training fully prepared (no changing needed).
• There is to be no spitting at any time during.
• Equipment is to be disinfected before and after training.

CONTACT TRACING

• USE IDMe – make sure your club members are aware of the requirement www.idme.co.nz. 
• Make sure you are aware of your venues’ IDMe code. A permanent sign at your venue would be a good start.

We will provide further information when it comes to hand. This will be published on the website with notifications circulated via our social media channels and our app.

As always please Stay Safe, Be Kind and if you are unwell, Stay Home.

Karyn Walters,
WaiBOP Football CE