East Williston Little League (EWLL)

Return-to-Play Safety Protocol 

Revised Spring 2021

A Message from the EWLL Board 

Given the environment we are all living in as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, we are updating our League’s safety plan to include a very specific return-to-play protocol to ensure the health and safety of our community – first and foremost our children, but also our coaches and spectators. This protocol will be in effect immediately and indefinitely until these health risks are deemed “mitigated and controlled” by government officials. This is not a legal document – it is our way of saying let’s “Play Ball” again, safely. 

Below you will find detailed guidelines from leaving your home to leaving the field. Please follow them. Any player, coach, spectator, or umpire, that does not abide by this safety protocol will be asked to leave the field. A second violation will result in a temporary suspension from all EWLL activities. 

Together we will get through this. We look forward to seeing everyone on the ball field very soon. Thank you. 

Prior to Leaving Home 

     • All EWLL Members, parents, spectators, coaches, and players should complete a health symptom assessment, which   checks for: fever or chills, muscle or body aches, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, headache, congestion or runny nose, nausea, diarrhea, and fatigue. 

• Anyone experiencing symptoms, should stay home. 

Arriving to Venue  

•Families should Limit 2 spectators per player. 

      • All participants, spectators, and members must adhere to six (6) foot physical distancing and wear a face covering upon arriving at EWLL fields.  

• Coaches should discuss with parents and/or conduct symptom assessment to clear all players before starting activity. • Anyone experiencing symptoms will be asked to return home.

General Protocol for all Practices & Games 

• Families should Limit 2 spectators per player. 

• Stagger start times by 15 minutes. 

• Coaches and players must adhere to physical six (6)-foot distancing except when the ball is in play.  

• Coaches should always wear face coverings. 

• Athletes must always wear face coverings while not actively participating in the field of play or cannot maintain six  (6)-foot physical distance. 

      • Must conduct symptom assessments by coaches and players (self-evaluation). Anyone experiencing symptoms must be picked up and return home.  

• No team water coolers or shared drinking stations. Players/coaches will bring their own individual water containers.  

• Spectators should always wear face coverings   

• Equipment and personal items should have proper separation. 

• Compliant game balls must be designated to each team for use while that team is playing defense. 

• Hand washing or hand sanitizing, in the absence of soap and water, is recommended strongly during the game. 

• Facilities (dugouts, benches, stands) will be cleaned on a regular basis. 

In addition to above, Athletes should adhere to: 

      • No touch rule – players should refrain from high fives, handshake lines, and other physical contact with teammates, opposing players, coaches, umpires, and fans. A “tip the cap” can be used following the game in lieu of the handshake line.  

• No spitting or eating seeds, gum, or other similar products. 

• Hand and equipment sanitizing between innings is mandatory.  

• No licking of fingers.  

• If during play touches a ball, refrain from touching their face. 

• Regularly sanitize and disinfect hands and equipment with personal hand sanitizer, wipers, and/or Lysol. 

In addition to above, Coaches should adhere to: 

• Coaches should always wear face coverings when they cannot maintain six (6)-foot physical distance. 

• Should complete a symptom checklist prior to warm-ups. Anyone experiencing symptoms must stay or return home. • No spitting or eating seeds, gum, or other similar products. 

• No touch rule – coaches should refrain from high fives, handshake lines, and other physical contact with teammates, opposing players, coaches, umpires, and fans. A “tip the cap” can be used following the game in lieu of. 

• Lineups will ideally be communicated virtually (email, text, etc.) between coaches. 

• Should ensure that players are following COVID-19 prevention measures/guidelines included herein. 

• Coaches should ensure the players are adhering to social distancing in dugouts and other seating areas and wearing face coverings while not actively participating on the field of play. 

      • Coaches are to attend to any injured players using proper social distancing whenever possible. Should the injury require social distancing to be compromised, coaches must ensure that they replace gloves with clean gloves if they need to render first aid, while utilizing proper masks. 

• Any meetings necessary coaches should wear a mask. 

• The pre-game technical meeting with teams set up shall respect physical distance. 

• Team meetings, including pitching visits, should maintain physical distance of minimum of six (6) feet.

 • Coaches should approach umpire keeping a minimum distance of six (6) feet and wearing a mask. 

• Base coaches must always stay within their box and utilize proper social distancing with players.

 • Hand washing or hand sanitizing, in the absence of soap and water, is recommended strongly during the game.

In addition to above, Spectators should adhere to: 

• should Limit 2 spectators per player  

     • Must adhere to six (6)-foot social distancing practices. This includes in and around bleachers for anyone not in the same family. 

     • Must conduct daily symptom assessments (self-evaluation). Anyone experiencing symptoms must stay or return home. 

• Must not enter player areas (on the field of play or designated bench areas). 

• Must keep six (6) feet or more distance from the designated player or playing areas. 

     • Fans must bring their own chairs or stand. Fans should keep six (6) feet of social distancing between different household units. 

     • Parents and spectators have separate seating away from the backstop or dugout. Spectators will not be allowed within 6 ft of designated areas. 

• Hand washing or hand sanitizing, in the absence of soap and water, is recommended strongly during the game. 

Post-game & Leaving Venue 

• No post-game snacks on field or in dugouts. 

• Individuals should not congregate in common areas or parking lot following the event or practice. 

Confirmed Cases 

• Immediately isolate and seek medical care for any individual (player or household member) who develops symptoms. Either self-quarantine for 14-days or until proof of negative test can be delivered. • Please contact co-Presidents, Tom McCauley (tmccauley161@aol.com, (516) 398-1000 or Anthony Sparacia  (Anthony.sparacia3@gmail.com, (631) 942-7772, immediately. 

      • EWLL must maintain a complete list of coaches, players, and members present at each event to include the date, beginning and ending time of the event, plus name, address, and phone contact to be made available upon request from Nassau County Department of Health.