COVID-19 Guidelines

Key points

A summary of key points to consider from our guidelines is listed for ease below:

• Everyone should self-assess for COVID-19 symptoms before every training session or match. If you are symptomatic, or living in a household with possible or actual COVID-19 infection, you must not participate or attend.
• Clubs and facility providers should ensure that their facility is compliant with current Government legislation and guidance related to COVID-19.
• Competitive training is permitted, with groups limited to a maximum of 30 people, including coaches.
• Competitive match play is permitted, with social distancing in place before and after the match, and in any breaks during play.
• Players and officials should sanitise hands before and after games, as well as during scheduled breaks throughout a game or training session.
• Ball handling should be kept to a minimum, with most contact via a boot, and the ball disinfected during breaks in play.
• Youth football coaches are encouraged to limit persistent close proximity of participants during match play and training.
• Goal celebrations should be avoided.
• Equipment should not be shared, and goalkeepers should disinfect their gloves regularly during breaks in training or matches and thoroughly afterwards. Where possible, coaches should only handle equipment in training.
• Where possible, players, coaches and officials should arrive changed and shower at home. Use of changing and shower facilities must follow government advice on the use of indoor facilities.
• Participants should follow best practice for travel, including minimising use of public transport and walking or cycling where possible. People from a household or support bubble can travel together in a vehicle.
• Clubs should keep a record of attendees at a match or training session, including contact details, to support NHS Test and Trace.
• Clubs should ensure they are affiliated with their County Football Association.

What Inner City Club Football will be doing

We understand that with the latest Government rules and FA guidance, Inner City Club Football will look at restarting training sessions within the necessary rules and guidelines.

We also understand the importance of ensuring sessions are safe, not just from a COVID-19 perspective, but also to ensure safeguarding, welfare and other necessary protections continue to be in place. Therefore, we have made provisions to allow some training sessions to happen so long as the following items are met and adhered to at all times:

• The FA rules and guidelines – view the full guidance (PDF).
• What to expect from the Club and other participants – view our rules and guidelines (PDF).

We have checked with our insurance provider, who have confirmed that the club liability and personal accident insurance is valid so long as activities conform to the FA and government requirements at all times.

If at any point the Club feels that training sessions are not being carried out in strict accordance with the required rules, then we will stop sessions.

Club training sessions and team matches will include close contact between participants during sessions; however, social distancing will be carried out before and after in accordance with FA guidance.

No club member is obliged to participate in a training session or match if they do not feel that it is right for them due to personal circumstances.

Parents or guardians who feel they do not want their child to take part in club activities under the proposed guidelines must make the club’s Welfare Officer aware as soon as possible via email.

Prerequisites before players can take part in a session

Self-assessment

All players, officials, volunteers and spectators must undergo a self-assessment for any COVID-19 symptoms. No-one should leave home to participate in football if they, or someone they live with, has any of the following:

• A high temperature (above 37.8°C)
• A new, continuous cough
• A loss of, or change to, their sense of smell or taste

This check should be done before each training session. Inner City Club Football also requests that all participants over the age of 12, and parents and carers who attend training sessions, wear a face covering to and after training.

Should any individual demonstrate any such symptoms, they must not participate – instead they should follow NHS and PHE guidance on self-isolation. Anyone who has already been instructed to self-isolate by a health care practitioner or PHE should continue to follow this advice and may not participate.

Players/participants

• Complete their Club Registration for the current season – register online here.
• Read the Club Risk Assessment, FA Guidelines and Government Rules.
• Complete the COVID-19 Training Consent Form – complete online here.

For players/participants under the age of 18, a parent/guardian must complete the consent forms. Players/participants only need to do this once, however the COVID-19 Risk Assessment will be updated as needed.

Code of Conduct

View the COVID-19 Code of Conduct (PDF)