• Youth, Collegiate, Amateur, Club, and Professional Sports  
• Social Distancing, Masking, and Congregating

Before Each Game or Practice

All participants (coaches, players, umpires) should perform self checks at home prior to coming to each game or practice, including fever checks.  If a fever is detected, that participant should not partipate in practices or games for at least 72 hours and be symptom-free before resuming team activities with MYO. 

Game Adjustments

1. Smaller Rosters for the Youngsters.  For our 4T and 6U ages, where it is more difficult to manage social distancing, we've reduced roster sizes to roughly 5-6 kids for 4T and 7-8 kids for 6U.
2. Players MUST be socially distanced when not on the field. 
   1. All players should remain socially distanced when not on the field of play, either sitting with their families or at designated seat markers (see the next section below for details).  
   2. The only players that should be out of these designated seating arrangements are:
      1. Those that are on the field of play for defense.
      2. Active base runners
      3. Current batter
      4. "On deck" batter (next up)
      5. "In the hole" batter (2nd up)
3. Limiting Equipment Sharing.  
   1. No shared batters helmets. If your child does not have their own helmet, MYO will provide a helmet for him/her to keep and use for the duration of the season.  
   2. No pitching machines.  6U baseball coaches, please utlize coach pitch rules, which you can find more details in the 8U section of the MYO Baseball Rules Supplement.  And then still use the batting tee after 5 pitches if needed.
   3. No shared catchers gear.  
      1. For 6U, no catchers  are to be utilized.
      2. For 8U baseball, no catchers are needed during coach pitch innings.  For the 2 kid pitch innings,only one catcher may use a single set of catcher's gear.  So if a team has only one set of catcher's gear, then one player should play catcher for both innings.
      3. For 10U and older, no sharing of catchers gear.  Catchers need to have their own gear, or at most one player can use the team catchers gear on any given day.
4. No post game handshake. 
   1. Suggested alternative: Teams lineup along the foul lines with players spaced apart, tip of the cap and/or applause to the opposing team.
5. No team huddles. 
   1. Suggested alternative, especially for the younger kids: Instead of the team all putting their hands in and shouting the team name, have the kids spaced apart and, on the count of 3, jump as high as they can and shout the team name!

Distancing Players at the Field

Cottell Park

3 players can utlize the seat markers in the dugouts, with their equipment under the zip ties behind them.	Players may utilize the seat markers on the front row of the bleachers and place their equipment under the zip ties marked along the fence.
Players may utilize the seat markers on the back row of the bleachers, with their equipment on the ground behind them.

Other Fields

Other Suggested Safety Steps

Here are some futher steps you can take to help us make this season as safe as possible:

1. Families and spectators should follow the distancing guidelines set by state and health officials.  Please utilize the full length of the sidelines.  Chairs may also be setup behind the outfield fences if needed.  
2. Coaches are encouraged but not required to wear masks.
3. Spectators are encouraged but not required to wear masks.  
4. Coaches and/or parents are encouraged to offer hand sanitizer to players between innings.

If there is a positve COVID-19 test

If a child has a positive COVID-19 test result, it should be reported to the team's coach and the MYO board immediately.  We will then notify the rest of that team as well as any team that was involved in a game with that player during the previous week.  All of those contacted should be tested and receive a negative result and be symptom free before returning to any team activities. 
Those testing positive should not be returning to team activities for at least 14 days.