Administrative
Officials
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Pre-COVID-19 Protocol |
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Safe Return to Play Protocol |
Administrative |
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Limited online resources, mostly in-person training, clinics, and seminars. |
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Continue to implement online resources to stay connected to football community and encourage participation in online courses, seminars, training, and activities while promoting physical fitness in the home. |
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No protocol in place. |
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Continue communicating clear guidelines for returning to play with all stakeholders. |
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Changerooms and indoor facilities used at clubs. |
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Use of changerooms or other indoor facilities NOT permitted EXCEPT washrooms for players, coaches and officials ONLY, which must be cleaned prior to and after activities, and as needed during the football activities. Hand sanitizing must be available at all times. |
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No restrictions on team practices. |
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Practice times must be STAGGERED so that fields do not become over-crowded. Teams must not enter a field until the previous team has completely vacated the field. Teams must stay with their own group and not co-mingle with other teams practicing nearby. Practice Scrimmages with other teams are NOT ALLOWED. |
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No cleaning supplies distributed to teams. |
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Acquire and distribute CLEANING SUPPLIES.
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No restrictions on attending sanctioned events. |
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Educate stakeholders about best practices for stopping the spread of COVID-19 (Do not attend events if you have symptoms of COVID-19, if you |
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have been in contact with someone that is confirmed to have COVID-19, or if you have travelled outside Manitoba in the last 14 days). |
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No health and safety signage at fields. |
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Acquire HEALTH AND SAFETY SIGNS on stanchions that site supervisors can put up at games. |
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No reference to contagious diseases in parental consent form. |
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Amend parental consent form to specifically reference contagious diseases (sample wording here) and consider a similar waiver/risk acknowledgement for team staff. This form is distributed electronically and is to be completed for each team activity. |
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Attendance at games not tracked. |
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Rosters will be collected electronically from coaches at each game and kept by Football Manitoba in case contact tracing is necessary. Parents attending games must also be included on the electronic team rosters. |
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No protocol in place. |
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Football Manitoba will comply with all Manitoba Health guidelines and stipulations should a participant test positive. |
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No protocol in place. |
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Participants with medical conditions that produce a persistent cough are encouraged to contact Football Manitoba privately to discuss safe participation in flag football. |
Game Day Operations |
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Five (5) flag football playing fields per football club. |
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Determine field layouts and maximum roster numbers in order to achieve PHYSICAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS. Field diagram attached showing only four (4) fields per football club with minimum 15 yards between fields. Whenever possible, only 2 games will take place on a tackle football field. |
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No limitations on roster size. |
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Rosters will be limited to 15 players plus 3 coaching staff to assist with physical distancing. |
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Team benches allowed. |
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Physical team benches NOT allowed. Team areas will be marked during field lining and cones will be placed 6 feet apart in team areas to achieve physical distancing requirements for players/team staff on sidelines. |
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Huddles permitted. |
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Huddles NOT permitted – play clock will be lengthened to 40 seconds to allow teams to “circle” 2 meters apart further down the field so the opponents cannot hear them. One coach may be allowed in the back field to facilitate the “play call circle”. |
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Flags must be handed back to opponent after being pulled. |
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Institute a flag “PULL AND DROP” rule. Players must drop the flag at the point of the pull for the opponent to pick up. |
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Press man coverage allowed. |
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Lining up in press man coverage NOT allowed. Defense must line up at least 2 meters from any offensive players regardless of the distance to the first down marker. The line of scrimmage will be reset to 2 meters from the goal line if the ball is spotted within 2 meters of the goal line. |
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No restrictions on sportsmanlike team celebrations. |
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High fives, handshakes, and close contact celebrations are NOT permitted. A warning will be given for the first team offence, then an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for a second offence, and the game will be called if there is a third offence per team. |
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No restrictions on spitting outdoors. |
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SPITTING at the field will be penalized with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for the first offence, then ejection for the second offence. |
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No protocol in place. |
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Players and officials may choose to wear a MASK while playing. Coaches and spectators must be masked at the field. |
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Mouthguards required. |
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MOUTHGUARDS will be optional for non-contact football. If a player chooses to wear a mouth guard, it must remain in their mouth for the duration of the game and they must sanitize their hands each time they handle their mouth guard before returning to play. |
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No participant screening at events. |
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The coach of each team will ensure that all participants have completed the SELF-SCREENING TOOL before each practice and game. |
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Roster checks not performed at games. |
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The coach of each team will submit a list of all players and team staff in ATTENDANCE at the game to the site supervisor and officials will count the players to ensure that Football Manitoba can identify all participants present at an event. This may also take place electronically through the TeamLinkt app. All spectators must check in on the TeamLinkt app with their respective team. All players and team staff are required to register online with Football Manitoba before participating in the flag football season. |
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Footballs not cleaned regularly. |
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Team staff must CLEAN the football before the game, at half time, and after every game. |
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Officials are responsible for collecting and spotting the football after each play. |
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Each team will be responsible for their football for the duration of the game, including collecting the ball after a play, bringing it to the line of scrimmage, and passing the ball off the field on change of possession. Officials will not handle the ball at all. |
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Spectators permitted. |
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For this level of return to play, 10 spectators are allowed per team at games. Special cases for |
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younger players may be considered by Football Manitoba as long as gatherings do not exceed 25 people. Spectators must check in with the TeamLinkt app with their team. Registered team staff may use social media or other means to share the game experience with parents. Teams exceeding the allotment of 10 spectators may cause the game to be stopped and/or cancelled! |
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No limitations on time spent at the field. |
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Teams may only arrive at the field 15 MINUTES before game time and must leave the field immediately after the game. |
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Football gloves permitted. |
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Football gloves are permitted, but must be sanitized the same as hands throughout the game. |
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Team water bottles allowed. |
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Players must bring their OWN water bottle marked with their name. Sharing water bottles is prohibited. |
Officials |
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Regular flag football rulebook only. |
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Officials will learn and enforce the COVID-19 related rule amendments and new game-day operations. |
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Roster checks not performed at games. |
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Officials will ensure that the coach of each team submits a list of all players and team staff in ATTENDANCE at the game to the site supervisor and officials will count the players to ensure that roster limits are being followed. |
Players/Parents |
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No restrictions on participation in events. |
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Players will not attend practices or games if they have symptoms of COVID-19, if they have been in contact with someone that is confirmed to have COVID-19, or if they have travelled outside Manitoba in the last 14 days. |
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Regular flag football rulebook only. |
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Players and parents will educate themselves on the COVID-19 related RULE AMENDMENTS. |
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No protocol in place. |
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Carpooling with people outside your household is NOT recommended. |
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Spectators permitted. |
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Parents may NOT congregate at the field during practices or games until Manitoba Health advises that larger gatherings are safe. Discussions with other parents/team staff can take place virtually. |
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No protocol in place. |
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All uniforms and equipment must be WASHED/disinfected after each practice. |
Team Staff |
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No participant screening at events. |
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Team staff must complete the SELF-SCREENING TOOL before each practice and stay home if they have symptoms of COVID-19, if they have been in contact with someone that is confirmed to have |
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COVID-19, or if they have travelled outside Manitoba in the last 14 days. The coach of each team will ensure that all participants have completed the SELF-SCREENING TOOL before each practice and game. |
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No protocol in place. |
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Masks are required for team staff at all practices and games. |
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Regular flag football rulebook only. |
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Team staff will educate themselves on the COVID- 19 related RULE AMENDMENTS. |
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Team meetings allowed. |
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In-person team huddles/meetings/chalk talk /team building activities are NOT allowed. Any team discussions can take place virtually |
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Equipment not cleaned regularly. |
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Team staff must CLEAN the football before the game, at half time, and after every game. All equipment must be cleaned after each game and practice. |
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No restrictions on team practices. |
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Practice times must be STAGGERED and teams must not enter a field until the previous team has completely vacated the field. Coaches must set up practice areas as far away from other groups as possible and ensure that physical distancing requirements are followed. |
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No protocol in place. |
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Coaches should develop AUDIBILIZED/SIGNALIZED playbook and distribute playbooks to players as huddles are prohibited. |