Latest Covid-19 FAQs

COVID –19 GUIDANCE FAQs FOR ENGLAND

Are spectators and parents allowed to attend organised cricket activities and what are the permissible exemptions?

Under current Government guidance spectators are not permitted in any indoor or outdoor sport facility at Step 1B (29th March 2021 onwards), however a number of exemptions apply.

Exemptions apply to carers for people with disabilities, or adults needed to supervise under-18s in a safeguarding role. Where it is necessary for them to be present, supervising adults should not mix with others from outside their household or support bubble.

No child attending an organised activity should be made to feel unduly anxious because their parent/carer is not close by. This is a safeguarding issue and so a single suitable adult can be in attendance for a child’s activities if required. The adult should stay for as short a time as possible and remain socially distanced from other adults at all times.

Are there likely to be any travel restrictions?

In England, from the 29th of March it is permitted to travel for organised sport. Participants should always check that it is safe to travel before you set out to take part in organised cricket activity.

You should minimise travel wherever possible, but you can travel within England to take part in informal and organised cricket, where necessary. You cannot currently stay away from home overnight for cricket.

You can find more information in the government’s guidance on safer travel.

Is car sharing permitted for sport and physical activity?

No. Car sharing is not permitted with someone from outside your household or your support bubble unless your journey is undertaken for an exempt reason. Sport and physical activity are not exempt reasons, so you cannot car share for sport and physical activity.

What if I live in Wales but want to play in England?

Participants need to abide by the local restrictions of where they live. Therefore, people living in Wales will need to abide by the Welsh Government’s guidance on travel restrictions (which, from March 27th is ‘Stay in Wales’, until a review on April 12th). For participants living in England, you will not be permitted to travel into Wales without a reasonable excuse, as detailed in the regulations, until at least 12th April.

When can we open our changing rooms and club houses?

Changing rooms must remain closed except for disabled persons and emergency requirements. Participants should arrive in their kit ready to play and should return home in their kit. Clubhouses including social and hospitality facilities must remain closed, but toilet and hand washing provision is permitted subject to risk assessment, occupancy limits, suitable ventilation and frequent and effective cleaning. We are awaiting further Government guidance on this and will update our cricket specific guidance accordingly.

How do we open our nets safely and can we use every net?

All activity providers should carry out a risk assessment for the use of practice nets. This assessment will inform what mitigations need to be put in place to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus, as well as the other risk factors associated with net practice.

Activity providers should consider all the detailed requirements of opening the whole facility as well as the factors specific to the use of nets e.g., the safe capacity of the net facility, managing players, coaches etc in and out of the nets and on and off the site. Providers should also consider the requirements of sanitising any relevant equipment between net sessions.

An organised net session does not have a limit on numbers, in line with wider playing guidance. The risk assessment should also consider the safety of the players involved in any informal sessions, which would be limited to the ‘rule of 6 or 2 households’(see Government guidance for further details)

During organised net sessions, the contact details of all participants should be recorded either via a register or NHS QR code.

In most cases every net can be used subject to maintenance and regular Health and Safety checks and an assessment to ensure social distancing can be maintained in the net facility and limit the number of participants accordingly.

What size of group can we have and what child supervision and coaching ratios should we aim for at practice sessions?

The Government have not stipulated any restrictions on group sizes. Therefore, organised cricket and supervised children’s cricket can take place outdoors in safe numbers subject to a venue and activity COVID risk assessment.

Each venue and activity provider will have different amount of outdoor space and resource. The safe number of participants should be determined by a venue risk assessment and the venue must be able to demonstrate that social distancing can be maintained between participants (except in the limited circumstances during competitive play).

Your participants should feel safe when participating in cricket activity – listen to feedback related to numbers and if necessary, reduce group sizes.

You will also need to consider how your venue maintains social distancing at pick up and drop off times and staggering start times may be more applicable for some venues.

ECB guidance on supervision and coaching ratios for supervised children’s activity should be maintained (with social distancing) - please note that the tables below set out the maximum number of participants per adult/activator/coach. Where your risk assessment determines that reduced participant numbers are required due to space restrictions for example, you must reduce the number of participants accordingly:

Are there any other considerations for disability cricket?

People with disabilities can participate in organised outdoor and indoor sport without being subject to social contact limits. Non-disabled people are not permitted to participate, except where necessary to enable the sport to take place (such as a carer or coach helping the disabled person to participate).

Do we need ‘batting lines’ for the batters during match play?

Marked batting lines are not required in 2021. Batters should remain socially distanced from other players and the umpire at all times and run on opposite sides of the pitch