BaseballSoftballUK‘s Return to Play Plan for softball in England has received full and final approval by the Government. With the cancelling of the official LSL season, along with the Lastball tournament, the LSL Committee would like to share the guidance from BSUK which we expect people to use when playing friendly softball fixtures this summer.

There is of course no obligation for individuals to return to play, and you should only play if you feel comfortable. Players will participate at their own risk, and there are obviously still risks involved, particularly with travelling to and from venues.

A brief Summary of the Key Pieces of Advice:

  • For each event there must be a Covid Officer assigned. This Covid Officer should contact [email protected] to get updates on best practice.
  • A record of attendees MUST be made for test and trace purposes, and kept for 21 days. The Covid Officer should be responsible for this. We recommend a paper list, to limit concerns with storing data, and a template can be found below.
  • Balls and bats should be frequently sanitised and not shared. The Covid Officer must organise for sanitiser to be brought to the event.
  • Events are limited to 2 teams only of 14 players each (or 15 if there is no umpire available) , and individuals should not mix with any other groups of 30 people. This is why tournaments will not be possible this summer.
  • Umpires, catchers, base coaches should all wear masks, and others may wish to at times. Shouting should be limited.
  • There are no changes to the playing rules.

Return to Play Framework and Documents

BaseballSoftballUK‘s comprehensive Return to Play Plan – DOWNLOAD HERE

Risk Assessments

The following templates are designed to help you with your own Risk Assessments prior to hosting or playing in any event:

  • Risk Assessment [Fomite] – Enhanced Hygiene: DOWNLOAD HERE
  • Risk Assessment [Droplet] – Social Distancing: DOWNLOAD HERE
  • Risk Assessment [Population] – Controlled Attendance: DOWNLOAD HERE
  • Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Risk Assessment Template: DOWNLOAD HERE
  • A helpful guide to filling out Risk Assessments, created by Club Matters: DOWNLOAD HERE

Participant Registration

The following templates will be useful for managing participation, and participant data, following the Return to Play:

Participant Code of Conduct

Ensuring a safe return to play for outdoor softball will require cooperation and diligence by all Participants during the coronavirus pandemic.

We therefore ask that you please read, understand, adopt and share the Participant Code of Conduct, which will enable everyone to play their part in keeping our sports as safe as possible. Please also support your Covid-19 Officer by helping provide information requested and adhering to guidance they’ve put into place to support you.

Read the Participant Code of Conduct HERE.

For any advice on Return to Play, please email [email protected]