COVID-19

2020-21 League Guidelines for COVID-19 (updated 12/3/20)

The pandemic has certainly presented us with unprecedented challenges and some uncertainty on league operations.  First and foremost, we will follow the guidelines and mandates from the State of Ohio, the OHSAA, and our respective school districts.  This document lists the CPYBL guidelines for the 2020 season.  Understand these are designed to work in conjunction or are subject to change by being enhanced or by being eliminated by the guidelines of the State of Ohio, the OHSAA, and our respective school districts. Everyone should review the orders and receive updates by visiting the Ohio Health Department’s website.

All guidelines listed in this document are designed to protect the safety of the players, coaches, parents, referees, and volunteers.  By registering teams in the CPYBL, communities are agreeing to comply with the guidelines listed in this document.  Compliance is strictly mandatory.  Failure to follow the guidelines will result in sanctions up to expulsion from the league. 

Health and Safety Guidelines

1. Players, coaches, spectators, and officials must conduct daily symptom assessments before each practice or game.
2. Any player, coach, parent, referee, or volunteer that is feeling ill or showing any symptom of illness is not permitted to attend any CPYBL game
3. Parents and Coaches must report to their community basketball organization, their school district and their local health department, immediately, if a child contracts Covid-19
4. Any player that has symptoms of Covid-19 or any other illness is not permitted to participate in or attend a practice, game, tournament, or any other CPYBL event until a negative test is received or after two weeks of quarantine after symptoms have stopped.  It is up to each community organization to manage this process.
5. Each community will determine if a team needs to be quarantined, in the event of a player(s) becoming ill. 
6. A maximum of two people per player will be allowed to attend a game.  Coaches count towards this total.
7. The spectators must enter the gym with the player.  If they cannot, they will not be admitted to the game. 
8. No drinks or food of any kind are allowed in the gym by fans.  This will eliminate the need to remove the mask while consuming the food or beverage.  Fans can go outside the facility to eat or drink. 
9. Everyone entering the gym is required to wear a cloth face covering and follow social distancing guidelines at all times.   Anyone not cloth wearing a face covering will not be allowed in the gym.  Anyone who removes their face covering will be required to leave the facility immediately.  Players can remove their mask for warmups and the game.
10. Plastic masks or face shields are not permitted
11. Only the two teams participating in a game and their associated adults watching the game are allowed in the gym.  The teams playing the next game need to wait outside of the facility until the Gym Monitor gives the approval for the next two teams to enter. 
12. Fans, players, and coaches must not gather in any area outside of the gym, such as a lobby, hallway or cafeteria.  Any gathering must be outside the facility and must be social distanced. 
13. All Coaches are required to wear a cloth face mask. Mesh masks are prohibited
14. Holding and shaking hands with opposing teams before, during or after game is prohibited.
15. Players must have their own water bottle and must not share their drink with anyone.  Water bottle must able to close completely and have the mouth piece covered by a separate lid. 
16. Fans, coaches, and players must exit the building immediately after the conclusion of their game.  Postgame talks must occur outside of the building and must be socially distanced. 
17. Temperature checks are recommended for anyone who enters gym. 
18. All players, via their parent and/or guardian, will need to self-screen their temperature at home and prior to every practice or game. If they have a temperature greater than 99.9, they are restricted from participating in any activity that day. 
19. All players, coaches, and parents must have signed the required forms before any play or team can play.  Any player, coach, or parent who participates without the applicable signed forms will be removed from the league. 

Facility Guidelines

1. Each organization hosting games at their gym or at a third-party gym are required to have a Gym Monitor in attendance for all games.
2. Failure to have a gym monitor(s) will result in immediate cancellation of the game and removal of the teams, fans, and coaches from the facility.  No games will occur nor will anyone be permitted in the facility until trained gym monitors arrive.  If a game is cancelled, the home team will be issued a forfeit and responsible for the forfeit fee.  The league reserves the right to remove any and all games from a community for failure to provide gym monitors. 
3. The League is encouraging all organizations to keep their concessions closed for this season. If you chose to have a concession, only sealed items may be served.  Anything cooked or not in a vacuum sealed container is prohibited.  All workers at a concession stand must wear face covering and gloves at all times.
4. Admission workers are required to wear a mask at all times.  Hand sanitizer should be at the gate for admission workers to clean their hands.  Social distancing must be maintained while collecting admission. 
5. All fans of different households must sit at least six feet apart at all times.
6. All fans are not permitted to touch or go within six feet of any player (other than their child), official, the Gym Monitor, league official, or any other volunteer.
7. No one will be permitted to approach the officials after the game for any reason. 
8. Coaches are also responsible to assist the gym monitor, when needed.
9. If a person refuses to comply with the Guidelines and the instruction of the gym monitor and or coach, the game will be ended and a forfeit issued to the home team. 

Game Play Guidelines

1. Host team is responsible for sanitizing the game ball as recommended by the ball manufacturer (do not use game balls for warmups). Game ball (s) shall be placed at the officials/scorer’s table for the officials.
2. The start time of each game will be gapped from the previous game by 15 minutes. This will allow for the gym to be cleared and allow time for appropriate cleaning to be completed. 
3. The referees and the gym monitor have the right to expel any player who exhibits symptoms or to end a game if any player develops or exhibits symptoms during a game. 
4. Coaches and gym monitors must clear the gym immediately after the end of the game.

Consequences for noncompliance

The league has to impose a zero-tolerance policy for violations of the Covid-19 Guidelines for the CPYBL, the State of Ohio, the OHSAA, or the local School Districts, where are games are played.  To be clear, there will be no debate, gray area, or appeals.  For example, if any parent who allows their child to play and the child is sick or exhibit any symptom, the entire family will be expelled from the league for the remainder of the season.   Any community, team, coach, or parent who cannot comply should refrain from participating this season.  

The league has no choice but to take this stance to ensure that consistent enforcement of the guidelines occurs in every gym.   Our hope is that everyone complies and the children get to play in a safe environment. 

Again, the above CPYBL Guidelines are subject to change at any time to comply with the current guidelines of the State of Ohio, OHSAA, or local school districts.