PIERRE – A task force set up by the South Dakota High School Activities Association has recommended an on-time start for winter sports.
In the proposal, it is recommended that current COVID-19 screening procedures remain in place, including those with close contact be quarantined for 14 days, as recommended by the Department of Health, or adopted local policies.
The SDHSAA would again assist schools in rescheduling missed contacts. Games not played would be either a “no contest” or a forfeit, with the SDHSAA acting as a mediator.
In basketball, there will be no handshakes, and no pregame officials’ meeting with team captains. Players can wear cloth face coverings. Also, it is recommended that the minimum number of games required be brought down to 10. For the difference between actual games played than the minimum and the minimum, the team would be granted 30 power points, or the same as losing to a team with a win percentage below .250. As is the case in volleyball, a region with two teams or one would be paired off with another region to have a “super region,” whose tournament would determine four spots in the SoDak 16.
Wrestling teams would be required to form pods, where athletes only interact within that pod. If someone in the pod becomes infected, the pod would be considered for exposure. Coaches should be “specifically limited” to demonstrating to a singular group of athletes. Handshakes are eliminated. Teams cannot have more than two days of competition in a calendar week and no more than four matches per day, per wrestler. Regular season events are limited to 112 participants from no more than 12 teams in one day in a single facility.
In gymnastics, competitors are expected to carry a bag that contains a personal water bottle, fingernail clippers, 1 ½-inch white athletic tape, disinfectant wipes for feet, a personal bottle of hand sanitizer, a travel-size spray bottle of water to spray grips and a reusable cloth facial covering. Shoes are to be stored separately in the bag from other items. Also, competitors are to bring a gallon-size freezer Ziploc bag for chalk and must disinfect the bag after each practice. There will be no shared chalk buckets.
This proposal will be voted upon on Wednesday during the next SDHSAA Board of Directors meeting.
Also in that meeting, football classifications will be discussed. The football advisory committee was responsible for drawing up a five-class (3 in 11-man, 2 9-man) and a six-class proposal. A five-class proposal was given a split vote by the board of directors in May.
The SDHSAA staff also is recommending that SoDak 16 volleyball matches be played at the site of the higher seed. A neutral side can be determined if the higher seed is unable to host due to unavailability or lack of size, or if visiting fans cannot get to the site.
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