Principles to help return to play

These three principles have been published by the government to help organisations prepare for a phased return to play.

• Working to ensure the activity can meet public health guidelines

  All activity should be consistent with the government guidance regarding health, social distancing and hygiene.

  That means that participants and others can maintain a safe two metre distance, that good hygiene practices are in place, that equipment is disinfected regularly, and that it's clear that anyone who's symptomatic or suspects they've been exposed to the virus does not take part and remains at home.

• Communicating clearly and consistently

  Organisations will need to communicate clearly and regularly with members and participants setting out what they're doing to manage risk, and what advice they're giving to individuals to do likewise.

  1. Ideally, organisations should publish an action plan detailing their plans to reopen safely and the steps they're taking to avoid confusion.

     Organisations should also communicate clearly opening times and how people can safely access a facility, if relevant, for example through a booking or queuing system.

     It's more important than ever to consider inclusive guidance for people who need support to be active and organisations should consider this as part of their work to encourage people to return.

• Flexibility and innovation

  Any measures organisations can put in place to enable an activity to return needs to be capable of being adapted to follow government guidelines on social distancing. e.g. strengthening or relaxing measures at short notice. Organisations are encouraged to think creatively about how best to make their sport or activity possible within the guidelines.