Return To Play Level 2 - what does it mean?

 

 

Most of basketball in England moves to Level 2 of the Return To Play Guidance from Monday 3 August.

It means the sport will be operating under eased restrictions, apart from in the areas defined by the Government - Greater Manchester, East Lancashire, West Yorkshire and Leicester - where Level 4 now applies.

While stricter restrictions apply those areas, the rest of the country will be at Level 2 from Monday after the Government approved Basketball England's RTP Guidance this week.

This is an ever-changing situation and Basketball England will react to Government advice as quickly as possible.

What is allowed at Level 2?

Drills, skills, team-based training; behind-closed-doors competition.

Can indoor venues reopen?

Yes, they are allowed to. But the final decision rests with the owner/operator of the building.

What does Level 2 mean?

• Maximum of 30 people at the venue including players, coaches, support staff and officials. Ensure two adults are present at all practices involving under-18s.
• No spectators are permitted at this stage.
• Everyone should complete our pre-training/competition screening questionnaire and have their temperature taken outside the venue prior to be permitted entry.
• Full compliance with hygiene considerations including hand sanitiser on entry, regular disinfecting of heavily used areas.
• Coaches, team managers, medical staff must wear face masks
• Practice in small groups or ‘bubbles’ in training whenever possible, with groups working together throughout the session to reduce risk of transmission.
• Contact training should be limited to 20-minute intervals with clear breaks to clean down equipment.
• Social distancing rules apply if not on the court in a playing capacity. During game play, players must be socially distanced on benches/chairs when not in a playing capacity and time-outs must be conducted on the court ensuring players are adequately spaced.
• To lower the frequency of bodily contact, players/teams must have no handshakes, celebrations/high fives.
• Shouting is not permitted in the sports hall due to the increased risk of aerosol transmission.
• No congregating once training, or game has ended.
• Clear signage must be established at the venue to ensure a singular flow of people in and out of the venue.
• We are advising clubs to return slowly to competition rather than risk injury to players who have not played basketball for a number of months. Following Basketball England’s 8-Week Athletic Development Programme would help to reduce the risks.

The updated Return To Play Roadmap and Guidance includes:  

• Modified hygiene, screening and venue guidance taking into consideration the latest government advice. 
• A template Risk Assessment for Level 2 activity  
• Competitive training and game considerations 
• A letter of support for clubs and partner organisations to use with venue operators. We understand the vast majority of clubs don’t own their own facilities and support is needed to provide confidence that basketball can return safely.