Please note: All of the below guidelines are based off information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Little League International (LLI). In addition, NCLL will be following WIAA baseball rules relative to Covid-19 preventative measures.
Health and social distancing guidance:
· All players, coaches, volunteers, workers, and spectators should practice social distancing of six feet wherever possible from individuals not residing within their household, especially in common areas.
· Masks are encouraged but not required for players and/or spectators.
. All coaches will wear masks.
· All players, coaches, volunteers, workers, and spectators should stay home if they feel sick.
· Anyone with symptoms of fever, cough, or worsening respiratory symptoms or any known exposure to a person with COVID-19 should not attend any Little League activity until cleared by a medical professional.
· Any individual, including players, at risk for severe illness or with serious underlying medical or respiratory condition should only attend Little League activities with permission from a medical professional.
· We encourage all players, coaches, volunteers, workers and/or spectators not to touch their own face (eyes, nose, mouth) while on NCLL premise. If one does touch their face, they should wash their hands immediately afterwards.
· COVID-19 Notification: If someone has contracted the disease one needs to inform NCLL. NCLL will inform will with local health departments to determine next steps with applicable self-quarantine procedures and notification of others that may have been in contact. NCLL will NOT release one’s name.
Cleaning and disinfecting guidance:
· Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes will be available to all players and coaches.
· Families, players, and coaches are encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer for more frequent use.
· All common entry/exit gates will purposefully be left open to avoid contact before the game. All NCLL fields will have consistent entrance and exit only designations clearly marked for players, coaches and volunteers. Gates near home plate will be closed before games commence for safety reasons.
On-field guidance:
· All contact should be prevented, except for essential contact necessary to play the game. This includes all involved to refrain from handshakes, high fives, fist/elbow bumps, chest bumps or group celebrations.
· No food, sunflower seeds, gum, etc. will be allowed.
· All spitting is prohibited.
· All players will be assigned a spot in the dugout prior to the start of the game, by their manager or coach. Players are to stay at their assigned spots when on the bench or while waiting their turn at bat.
· Dugouts end panel fences will be removed. The dugouts will be extended and roped off to give maximum social distancing for players and coaches.
· Baseballs will be rotated through on a regular basis, at least every two innings, to limit individual contact.
· Infield/Outfield warm-up balls should be from a separate bucket and will not be mixed with game balls.
· Umpires should limit their contact with the ball, and players should retrieve foul balls and passed balls within the field of play, where possible.
· Foul balls outside of the fenced areas will be placed into a bucket near the dugout for sanitizing after the game. Those balls will not be put back into play until sanitized.
· Home plate umpires will now stand behind the pitcher’s mound to call balls and strikes.
· Catchers will not be utilized at the T-ball Level
Equipment guidance:
· Players should have their own glove and bat. If a player doesn’t have their own bat, then shared equipment must be cleaned and dried prior to the next players using it, with the exception of catcher’s equipment.
. Catcher’s equipment must be disinfected after each use by the manager or coach.