Return to play: One state changes course and allows prep boys soccer -- with masks
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Sep 24, 2020
There is one catch: All players will have to wear masks.
That was considered the compromise for the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association to allow soccer to go forward without radical modifications in the rules of the game.
Delaware State News reported that Dr. Bradley Bley told the DIAA that modifications (like those in Massachusetts) would making playing soccer like playing kickball.
“You can’t tell me that they’re not challenging for the ball and slide tackling and doing things that are outside the Governor’s regulations,” he told the DIAA board. “That puts it on our referees and officials to blow a whistle every time somebody gets close to each other.”
Mask breaks. The DIAA’s medical board has mandated breaks every 20 minutes for players to remove their masks for at least two minutes while social-distancing.
Fall season. Practice will begin next Monday with scrimmages and competition to follow. Teams will be allowed to play 12 boys soccer contests with season openers on Oct. 19. State championships will take place in November and December.
Delaware has allowed youth sports since the summer.
Season started:
Idaho-boys & girls. (IHSAA)
Indiana-boys & girls. (IHSAA)
Kansas-boys. (KSHSAA)
Kentucky-boys & girls. (KHSAA)
Michigan-boys (season started in northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula, start on hold on in other parts of state) (MHSAA)
Minnesota-boys & girls. (MSHSL)
Missouri-boys (MSHSAA)
Montana-boys & girls. (MHSA)
New Hampshire-boys & girls (NHIAA)
New York-boys & girls (NYPHSAA)
North Dakota-boys. (NDHSAA)
Ohio-boys & girls. (OHSAA)
Pennsylvania-boys & girls. (PIAA)
South Dakota-boys & girls. (SDHSAA)
Tennessee-girls. (TSSAA)
Utah-girls (UHSAA)
West Virginia-boys & girls. (WVSSAC)
Wisconsin-boys (WIAA)
Season start pending:
Connecticut-boys & girls (season starts on Oct. 1). (CIAC)
Delaware-boys (season starts on Oct. 19) (DIAA)
Maine-boys & girls (season starts on Sept. 25). (MPA)
Massachusetts-boys & girls (season starts on Oct. 1). (MIAA)
New Jersey-boys & girls (season starts on Sept. 28). (NJSIAA)
Rhode Island-boys & girls (season starts on Oct. 2) (RIIL)
Vermont-boys & girls (season starts on Sept. 26). (VPA)
Season moved to 2021:
Colorado-boys (season starts on March 4). (CHSAA)
Illinois-boys (season starts on Feb. 13). (IHSA)
Maryland-boys & girls (season starts on April 5) (MPSSAA)
Nevada-boys & girls (season starts on March 5). (NIAA)
New Mexico-boys & girls (season starts on Feb. 15). (NMAA)
North Carolina-boys (season starts on Jan. 25) (NCHSAA)
Oregon-boys & girls (season starts on March 8). (OSAA)
Washington D.C-boys & girls (season starts on Feb. 22) (DCSAA)
High School soccer (by traditional season):
Fall: 31 boys, 23 girls
Winter: 7 boys, 7 girls
Spring: 13 boys, 21 girls
High School soccer traditional season (by state):
Alabama (spring)
Alaska (spring)
Arizona (winter)
Arkansas (spring)
California (winter)
Colorado (fall -- boys; girls -- spring)
Connecticut (fall)
Delaware (fall -- boys; girls -- spring)
Florida (winter)
Georgia (spring)
Hawaii (winter)
Idaho (fall)
Illinois (fall -- boys; girls -- spring)
Indiana (fall)
Iowa (spring)
Kansas (fall -- boys; girls -- spring)
Kentucky (fall)
Louisiana (winter)
Maine (fall)
Maryland (fall)
Massachusetts (fall)
Michigan (fall -- boys; girls -- spring)
Minnesota (fall)
Mississippi (winter)
Missouri (fall -- boys; girls -- spring)
Montana (fall)
Nebraska (spring)
Nevada (fall)
New Hampshire (fall)
New Jersey (fall)
New Mexico (fall)
New York (fall)
North Carolina (fall -- boys; girls -- spring)
North Dakota (fall -- boys; girls -- spring)
Ohio (fall)
Oklahoma (spring)
Oregon (fall)
Pennsylvania (fall)
Rhode Island (fall)
South Carolina (spring)
South Dakota (fall)
Tennessee (fall -- girls; spring -- boys)
Texas (winter)
Utah fall -- girls; spring -- boys)
Vermont (fall)
Virginia (spring)
Washington (spring)
Washington D.C. (fall)
West Virginia (fall)
Wisconsin (fall -- boys; girls -- spring)
Wyoming (spring)
What a mess! Can you imagine another country where different states/provinces have their own rules for sports and there is no coordination? Yes, we are a large country, but Canada, Russia are larger.