As part of our return to football planning, the FA advise every club to carry out a risk assessment specific to Covid-19. The potential risks and the club's actions around those risks are included below. If you have any queries around these, please contact either Colin Baisden (colin.baisden@bt.com) or Ben Abbott(Benjamin.abbott@bt.com) who are acting as our Covid-19 Officers.
Risk: Transmission of Covid-19 through sharing equipment and touching outdoor surfaces.
All participants will be asked to read the current FA guidelines thoroughly before attending any football activity.
All participants will be asked to bring their own, hand sanitiser to sessions, to be used in line with FA guidance.
Equipment is not shared unnecessarily and that any shared equipment (balls, goalposts, cones etc.) is sanitised before and after all football activity, as well as during activity if required, in line with FA guidance.
Participants will be asked to store personal items, kit and drinks separately from each other.
No training bibs will be used, participants will bring their own White and non-White tops to aid team differentiation.
Throw-ins will be taken by foot to avoid contact with the ball. Balls should be periodically sanitised during any sessions.
Goalkeepers will not share gloves, these are provided by individuals if required. Goal keepers are reminded that spitting on gloves to increase grip is not acceptable.
Risk: Transmission of Covid-19 through shared use of indoor facilities (toilets, equipment storage areas, clubhouses)
No indoor facilities will be used
Risk: Transmission of Covid-19 through close contact with others.
All participants will be asked to read the current FA guidelines thoroughly before attending any football activity.
All participants will be asked to maintain social distancing, in line with the current FA and government guidance, when not on the field of play (ie during warm ups, team discussions, drinks breaks and before and after sessions).
Goal celebrations, handshakes and other direct contact between players that is not part of the game will not be allowed.
Corners will be taken quicky to avoid many players coming into close contact. Players shall refrain from gathering in the penalty area until the corner is about to be taken
In line with the current FA guidance, group sizes for training activity will remain at 30 or under.
Participants will be encouraged not to car share with those outside their family or "bubble" and to follow the latest government guidance on travel and the use of public transport.
Players are encouraged to wait outside the "caged area" until the previous group have completely left.
Drinks bottles should not be shared.
Players are reminded that spitting, squirting of water bottles and swilling of water that is then spat out, is completely unacceptable.
Players are be discouraged from shouting, especially when face to face.
When treating injuries, the first aider should wear a face covering and ensure they follow the FA guidance on treating injuries whilst considering Covid-19 transmission.
Risk: Participants do not understand or have not read the current Covid-19 guidance
Covid Officers will monitor adherence to the Covid-19 plan before, during and after games. Participants have be encouraged to ask any questions in an open forum.
If there are language issues or learning difficulties that make it difficult for an individual to understand what is being asked of them, this should be mentioned to the club's Covid-19 Officers so the club can help in the best way they can for that individual.
Risk: Someone exhibits Covid-19 symptoms before football activity, has tested positive for Covid-19 or is asked to self-isolate due to potential contact with Covid-19.
All participants contact phone number is kept by the club Covid-19 Officers. No participant should invite a new player without first informing the Covid-19 Officers and supplying their contact details.
The club keeps a digital record of who attended each session, along with a contact number for each participant.
All participants should be encouraged to report any Covid-19 symptoms, positive Covid-19 test results or any contact from the health services to ask that they self-isolate due to potential contact with Covid-19 to the club Covid-19 Officers.
Participants should be reminded that nobody with symptoms that may indicate they have Covid-19 or who has been contacted by the health authorities to self-isolate due to potential contact with Covid-19 should attend any football activity.
Risk: A participant exhibits Covid-19 symptoms during football activity.
Action: The participant in question should be kept socially distant from others, in line with government guidance, whilst all other safeguarding criteria are met
Risk: Participants may have health conditions that make them particularly at risk from Covid-19
Action: It is individual parents' responsibility to make the Covid-19 Officers aware of any health conditions any participant may have that may put them at higher risk from Covid-19 and to decide whether they are comfortable attending football activities, based on the guidelines we have in place.