From England Netball
On Monday 1st June, further Government guidance on social distancing and the return of outdoor sports came into effect, click here to read more. Up to six netballers from different households can now meet and take part in netball fitness sessions together in outdoor spaces, providing teammates from different households stay two metres apart at all times.
What does this mean for me?
This is a great first step towards the return of community netball. Whilst we know netballers the length and breadth of the country have been working hard on their fitness during lockdown, we know it just isn’t the same as working out alongside your teammates.
Whilst this is a positive step for community netball’s return, the Government has not yet deemed it appropriate for close contact activity to commence or for a full netball team to gather. There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes at England Netball on the development of our full Return to Play plan and as part of this we will work with the Netball Family to ensure that when the time comes, we will be ready to hit the court once more.
In the latest guidance issued, it outlined that equipment sharing should be kept to a minimum and that small sided games are not permitted. We therefore strongly recommend that the sharing of equipment and balls is minimised with those outside of your household to reduce the risk of infection. There are lots of fun netball fitness activities that can be enjoyed without a netball or with each player using their own netball. If you don’t have a netball or your own equipment, Gilbert are offering 15% off selected training products, take a look here.
In preparation for meeting your fellow teammates for netball fitness activity, here is an overview of relevant Government guidance and our current recommendations:
- If you are showing any signs of COVID-19 you must self-isolate and not meet up with people outside of your household, click here to read more about the symptoms and what to do if you have them
- Avoid meeting up in busy locations – there are a number of outdoor courts, including basketball and tennis courts, as well as parks now open
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before leaving home and again when you return, see more guidance on this here
- Sanitize your equipment thoroughly including your ball, cones, spots, fitness mats and water bottles before and after use
- Avoid using public transport to meet up with others
- Avoid touching court gates, fences, benches and netball posts where possible
- Do not make physical contact with other players
- To ensure you follow social distancing measures, set up your fitness stations at least two metres away from people outside of your household
For further information, including guidance for coaches, check out our FAQs at the bottom of this page.
Please continue to follow the above guidance and ultimately have a great time seeing your netball friends again.
For more information, please visit the England Netball website at https://www.englandnetball.co.uk/about/covid-19-support/latest-response-to-government-guidance/
