PIAA not ready to endorse NFHS guidelines for reopening high school athletics

By: Chris Harlan
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 | 5:23 PM

The PIAA isn’t ready to endorse the return-to-sports guidelines issued Tuesday by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

The lengthy NFHS guidelines cover everything from pre-workout screening, limitations on gathering sizes, requirements for cleaning facilities, the safe use of athletic equipment and athlete hydration. The guide was written to help states reopen high school athletic programs closed by the coronavirus pandemic.

“There’s a lot of detail in there and there’s some things that I think are very questionable,” PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said Wednesday during a break in the board of directors meeting. “I think it really needs to go to (the PIAA) sports medicine (committee) before anyone else.”

Lombardi said the PIAA would use the NFHS document as a resource, but would follow instructions from Gov. Tom Wolf, the Pa. Department of Health and the Pa. Department of Education when the time came for sports to resume.

All workouts are currently suspended by Wolf.

The NFHS establishes an interscholastic rulebook that’s typically adopted nationwide by state associations, including the PIAA. However, these covid-19 guidelines don’t fall into that category, Lombardi said.

He said the NFHS document was issued at the request of states with limited staff.

The guide, written by the NFHS sports medicine advisory committee, divides the reopening into three phases with the first being the most strict.

“That’s nothing more than a resource document,” Lombardi said. “I know they put it out as a guideline, but (calling things) guidelines scare me, because sometimes people interpret them as things you should do. I’m not sure the Federation’s intent was that.”

Under Phase 1 of the NFHS guidelines, teams should avoid drills where one ball is touched by many athletes. A player can safely shoot a basketball, serve a volleyball or throw a football, but others shouldn’t touch that same ball.

A single baseball or softball player can take batting practice or practice pitching in a cage without a catcher. However, before another individual uses the same balls, “they should be collected and cleaned individually.”

Likewise, football players shouldn’t share tackling dummies, sleds or other contact equipment.

Wrestlers may “skill and drill without touching a teammate.”

Locker room use is prohibited in Phase 1 and athletes should shower at home.

During the first two phases, prior to any workouts, the NFHS recommends that coaches and athletes should have their temperature checked and be screened for symptoms of covid-19.

Phase 2 increases gathering maximums to 10 people indoors or 50 outdoors, while still maintaining 6 feet between athletes. Phase 3 allows 50 participants indoors or out.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.