The covid rules and regulations allowing VI cricket to safely start on Saturday 22nd May have now been published.
The rules, listed below, will apply until at least 21st June unless otherwise stated.
Return To VI Cricket Rules 2021
General Principles
All of these rules only apply to organised matches or organised training sessions. For matches that means competitive matches, or for friendly matches it means formally organised matches between two clubs with at least one umpire officiating, a knock about in the park doesn’t qualify. For training sessions it means an official club training session being run by a qualified coach.
1. For Travel Guidelines see Appendix 1
2. For teas guidelines see appendix 2
3. For Changing Rooms & Facilities guidance see appendix 3
4. For General Club responsibilities see appendix 4
5. If a B1 or low sighted player requires guiding during travel, at the venue or during a match (to find their fielding position for instance) that this is 100% allowed. Similarly if players with little or no sight cross closer to each other than one metre when moving between overs then this is also okay. Social distancing should still be practiced by these players whenever possible though.
6. Spectators may attend matches, if they are attending along with a club then that club must ensure that they are aware of the rules that apply to spectators. There are no longer any limits on the number of spectators who may attend, however if you have more than 30 spectators then they must be split into groups of no more than 30 with no interaction between the groups. Spectators must also observe social distancing.
7. During all matches a hygiene break must be held every 6 overs. During each break the ball must be thoroughly cleaned with an anti bacterial sanitiser. We advise using a sanitiser spray to do this & it will save time if a cleaned ball is placed on a cone at the boundary, so the game can continue whilst the previous ball is cleaned, it can then go onto the cone ready for the next break. All players must also clean their hands during each break using hand sanitizer. All of this must also take place at drinks breaks & the start or finish of any innings. The fielding captain, or someone off the field who they designate, will be responsible for cleaning the ball, not the umpires.
8. Anyone involved in a match must not attend if they have any Covid symptems or if they have been told to self isolate.
9. Clubs must have a record of all players, officials, coaches & spectators present at any match or training session. This record must be held for at least 21 days after the event in case NHS Track & Trace need the information.
10. Participants not adhering to COVID-19 rules, face punishment including but not limited to, player ejection and match cancellation.
11. In the event of rain, participants should return to their own vehicle to maintain social distancing if there is insufficient outdoor cover from the rain to maintain social distancing.
Cricket Specific Rules
A. All fielders must stay at least one metre apart, with two exceptions, wicketkeepers may stand inside one metre from the stumps, although blind cricket rules specify they must be at least a foot behind the stumps. The other exception only applies to slip fielders if more than one slip is in place.
B. Social distancing must be practiced when waiting to bat, whilst watching the game & during breaks in play.
C. When running between the wickets the non striker should run at least one metre wide of the bowlers end umpire, whilst the non striker & striker should run on opposite sides of the wicket.
D. Participants should under take personal hygiene measures at home before & after matches.
E. Participants should bring there own hand sanitizer to games where possible & should maintain strict & frequent hand hygiene measures at all times.
F. Players should bring their own water bottles & must not share these.
G. Hand sanitizer must be used before the match starts, at every break in play, before leaving the ground & before eating or drinking.
H. Players should refrane from spitting.
I. Players should arrive already changed into kit where this is possible/practical.
J. Social distancing should be maintained during the warm up.
K. Club representatives should ensure all participants are aware of expected social distancing & hygiene requirements.
L. Club representatives should ensure that all players are aware that they are increasing the risk to themselves of infection by participating & that participation must be strictly optional without pressure placed on anyone to take part.
M. Wrist bands & shades may not be shared.
N. If it is strictly necessary for a helmet to be shared it should be thoroughly cleaned between users.
O. If a bat needs to be shared it should also be sanitised between users.
P. Bowlers must not hand any personal items or items of their own equipment to the umpires, they must place these at the boundary themselves. This includes caps, jumpers, helmets, etc. The exception to this rule is Total or low partial bowlers, those players may place their helmets etc behind the bowlers end stumps for the duration of the over that they are bowling. If the ball strikes these items then no penalty runs will be applied & if these items are struck whilst a run out is being attempted it will be down to the umpires judgement as to whether the ball would have hit the stumps.
Q. The Umpires must not handle the ball.
R. Nobody should touch the stumps apart from the umpires & where necessary low sighted batsmen or bowlers. If it is necessary to indicate where the stumps are then an umpire should use a pen or something similar to tap them or in the case of the batsmen’s end stumps the wicketkeeper should do this by clapping, where possible whilst a metre behind so that they are appropriately distanced from the batsman.
S. One club representative should be responsible for collecting & disinfecting the stumps, balls, boundary markers & fielder exclusion zone disks at the end of each match.
T. During any practice or training sessions stumps, balls, etc must be disinfected between groups of players using them. Social distancing should also be practiced when using nets.
U. If two scorers are required for a match only one may use the scorers box & if outside they must stay one metre apart. No players may enter the score box if it is being used for the match. Scorebooks may not be passed from the scorer to any other official or player.
V. Social distancing must be observed when celebrating wickets, during drinks breaks, having tactical discussions & by spectators.
W. The number of people touching the ball should be minimized, spectators should not return or stop the ball, whilst on field the ball should be returned to the bowler by the most direct route with as fewer fielders as possible involved.
X. During the toss the coin should be provided by the person tossing it & it should not be handed to anyone else.
Y. Pre & Post Match Handshakes should not take place, hand contact of any kind should be avoided during all matches.
Z. In Regional Level matches umpires & scorers should no longer be paid cash on the day of the match. BCEW will pay these officials & will invoice the relevant clubs at the end of the season.
Appendix 1
Travel
By Minibus
Organised disability sport has an exemption on travel to and from events. For those that are traveling on a mini bus, the limit of 6 does not apply however, all cautionary measures should be applied. That is to say, all passengers and driver should wear masks and the windows should be opened slightly to ensure good ventilation. All passengers should be seated in the same direction and where possible as much distance kept between people as is possible.
By Car
The government guidelines for car sharing are quite strict in as much as cars should only be shared by people from the same household or by people from the same bubble. The dispensation for disabled people is based on the dispensation for organised disability sport, that is to say, vehicles can be shared by disabled players (even if they are not from the same bubble / household), however, the protocol around ensuring people all sit facing the same way, all wearing masks and windows in vehicles are opened a little to create airflow, still apply.
By Train
Please follow government guidelines, there are no special rules for disabled people. Please be aware however that some train lines are still requiring travel to be prebooked even when assistance is not required & on some lines the number of trains running has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Important Notes regarding car or minibus travel:
The caveat to this is that if players feel uncomfortable doing this, then their wishes should be respected and not made to feel that they must share!
Also whilst the rules regarding face masks on these modes of transport are currently mandatory, if someone is exempt from wearing a face mask for other health reasons then that exemption would still count. It would be wise to have their exemption card or certificate available in case this is questioned at any point.
Appendix 2
Teas
Tea can be served to up to 30 people at once outside, so this is more than enough to cover teams and match officials. This must apply to plated food, no buffets.
Teas can be served indoors in specific circumstances:
* People seated in groups of no more than six.
* Food & drinks served to them whilst they are seated at the table.
* Food & drinks consumed whilst sat at the table.
* No buffets, food to be plated, ideally with cling film covering if it is cold food.
* For clarity you can serve more than one group of six at once, they just have to be seated in groups of no more than six with distanced gaps between tables.
Appendix 3
Changing & Other Facilities
** Changing Rooms & Showers section applies until 31st May, further update at that point
Changing Rooms
Even if changing rooms are not ready by covid standards BCEW players are allowed to use the changing rooms if they need to under the disability sport exemption. This should be only for those who need to use the changing rooms, they cannot be used by teams in groups, two or three in at a time as a maximum.
Showers
BCEW are stating that showers are not currently permitted.
Other Facilities
All grounds must make toilet facilities available & where possible hand washing facilities, hand sanitiser must be used afterwards in any case.
Appendix 4
General Club Responsibilities
Clubs should inform participants of all actions and precautions they are taking in relation to COVID-19.
Asking players to sign the covid consent form that I’ve previously circulated will assist clubs to an extent. It must be noted however that signing a declaration will not entirely absolve clubs of any liability, and so each club must ensure that it continues to follow the relevant guidance made available. Furthermore, clubs may wish to remind players that their participation is optional and recommend that they make their own decision about whether they are happy to play based upon the information provided by the club and the precautions it is taking.
As for vaccines, clubs should tread carefully – there is currently no requirement for participants in sports to be vaccinated and clubs should not be solely allowing those who have been vaccinated to play. Doing so may amount to a form of discrimination, as younger players for example may not have yet been offered the vaccination, and certain participants may not wish to receive the vaccine on the grounds of their religious beliefs.
NB
Further rules exist for those who run their own ground, for coaches, for training activities & for matches/training only involving junior participants. We can provide these on request.