Coronavirus: OHSAA suspends school vs. school scrimmages for contact sports

OHIO — While practices for high school fall sports are set to begin this weekend, the Ohio High School Athletic Association suspended all scrimmages between schools for contact sports.

>>Coronavirus: Online or in-class: What local school districts are doing

OHSAA officials announced the decision in a letter sent to schools Tuesday. The suspension impacts football, soccer, field hockey, and cross county, which have been previously designated as contact sports. Practices for those contact sports, as well as the low/non-contact sports of golf, girls tennis, and volleyball are set to start Saturday, August 1.

“We are waiting for more guidance from the Governor’s Office and Department of Health on when school vs. school competition can begin and are hopeful of that permission being granted for our normal contest dates later in August,” Bob Goldring, OHSAA Interim Executive Director said in the letter.

“To that end, school vs. school scrimmages are SUSPENDED. We do not anticipate that suspension changing soon and there remains the possibility that no scrimmages will be permitted in the contact sports of football, soccer and field hockey.”

School vs. school scrimmages are permitted for the low/non-contact sports ahead of their seasons starting.

OHSAA officials are still working to finalize the mandates and requirements for game day and contest day. Goldring said those mandates will be “strictly enforced” and administrators, coaches, and student-athletes will be held accountable if they do not comply.

“Our discussions with the Governor’s Office are clear . . . If we want our student-athletes to learn the lifelong lessons and receive the social, emotional and physical benefits that the privilege of participating in education based interscholastic athletics programs provide, we all have to be accountable for following all mandates and requirements,” Goldring said.

“By not following the mandates and requirements, we are putting our student-athletes at risk of not only contracting and/or spreading COVID-19 but also at risk of losing the season for themselves, their families, their teammates, their schools and their communities,” Goldring said in the letter.

Cox Media Group