BAC COVID 2022 Requirements (PDF)

·         Coaches must ensure a distance of at least six feet is maintained among individuals at all times, whether indoors or outdoors, unless safety or the core activity (e.g. practicing, playing) requires a shorter distance

o If a shorter distance is required, individuals must wear acceptable face coverings, unless players are unable to tolerate a face covering for the physical activity, provided, however, that coaches, and other individuals who are not directly engaged in physical activity are required to wear a face covering

o Acceptable face coverings for COVID-19 include but are not limited to cloth-based face coverings and disposable masks that cover both the mouth and nose

·         Each coach should bring hand-sanitizer and disinfectant wipes to each practice and game. Players should use the hand-sanitizer before starting practice or game, and at the conclusion of the event. Coaches should wipe down the dugout benches, fence inside the dugout, and the stands with disinfectant wipes before & after the event

·         Coaches must insure that there is no sharing of equipment among patrons/players, unless it can be cleaned and disinfected between uses. Including batting helmets and bats

·         There shall be no team coolers allowed. Each player must bring their own drink, clearly labeled with the player’s name

·         Players should not share from the same bag of sunflower seeds

·         Players may remove their masks when playing the field or when coming up to bat in practice or games

·         When a team comes in from the field to hit the following guidelines apply:

o Players must distance themselves by 6 feet and wear a mask when not coming up to hit. Only the hitter shall remove their mask.

o There shall be no on-deck batter, and no practice swings are allowed outside the batter’s box

o Limit number of players in the dugout to the upcoming hitter, and 2 on- deck hitters; all other players should sit in the bleachers with 6 feet of distance between them, alternating rows. Additional players may sit in chairs behind the fence along the foul lines

o Equipment shall be lined up outside the fence, spaced out 6 feet between bags along the fence adjacent to the dugouts (no player equipment bags should be kept in the dugout)

·         Each team shall supply the baseballs when their team is in the field

·         After the game, each team shall remain on their own side of the field and tip their caps to the other team; there shall be no handshake line

·         Coaches are responsible for communicating BAC guidelines to the umpires. When hosting a visiting team, the BAC coach is responsible for communicating BAC guidelines to the opposing team head coach

·         When using the batting cages the following guidelines apply:

o Only 1 coach/pitcher and 1 hitter per tunnel

o Players may also use T areas (for a total of 6 stations, spaced at least 6 feet apart)

o When not hitting, players should remain outside the batting cage fence participating in drills supervised by a coach; distancing of 6 feet should be maintained

·         T-Ball Guidelines

o Coaches should wear masks at all times

o When the team is hitting, players who are not up to bat should be supervised to sit 6 feet apart. A suggestion is to use poly-spots, cones or a plastic lid to designate the appropriate place to sit

o Coaches must supervise the players to maintain their distance throughout the event

o Coaches should insure that there is no sharing of equipment. Bats that

are used by multiple players must be disinfected after each at-bat

·         For spectators, the following additional safety measures apply:

• For games/practices, Coaches must insure that spectating is limited to two spectators per player

• Spectators shall not sit in the stands; stands are for players only

• Coaches should insure that spectators maintain six feet of physical distance between individuals and/or family/household units at all times and all spectators must wear face coverings when they are in common areas and situations where six feet of distancing is not able to be maintained, so long as they are over the age of two and medically able to tolerate such covering

• Coaches must insure the dugouts are clean and that each family removes their own trash from the facility