This guidance is for organised cricket in England only at Step 2 of the Government Roadmap out of Lockdown from 12 April 2021 until progression to Step 3 is confirmed by the UK Government (no earlier than 17 May 2021).
It is based upon UK Government Guidance for recreational sport available here.
What has changed at Step 2?
On the Field (the organised activity itself):
- The activities permissible through organised outdoor cricket activity remain the same and therefore existing guidance should be followed.
Off the Field:
- Following the move to Step 2, outdoor areas at hospitality venues can reopen to serve customers in groups of up to 6 people or 2 households.
- Clubhouses are permitted to serve food and beverage to customers outdoors in accordance with government COVID guidance for restaurants and bars, which includes:
- At any premises serving alcohol, customers will be required to order, be served and eat/drink while seated (even if no alcohol is ordered).
- If a hospitality venue does not serve alcohol, then customers will be able to order and collect food and drink from a counter, but must consume food and drink while seated at a table.
- Venues may allow customers to use toilets, baby changing rooms or breast feeding rooms located inside.
- From Step 2, hospitality venues will also be allowed to provide takeaway food and alcohol. Takeaway food and drink (including alcohol) must not be consumed on the premises or adjacent to the premises.
Updates to the Checklist and the Risk Assessment Template have been made to reflect this. These documents can be downloaded via the button below.
Key Messages
- This guidance is for organised cricket in England at Step 2 of the UK Government Roadmap out of Lockdown from 12 April 2021 until further notice.
- This guidance will be updated at Step 3 of the UK Government Roadmap out of Lockdown (no earlier than 17 May 2021).
- Clubs and venues are required to carry out a COVID Risk Assessment and to put in place control measures to limit the transmission of COVID-19 during organised cricket.
- This guidance provides both playing and venue (staging) advice on how to control and minimise those risks whilst enjoying cricket safely.
- Everyone attending an organised cricket activity should carry out a self-assessment for COVID symptoms before leaving home and follow NHS and PHE self-isolation procedures if they are symptomatic.
- No one who is required to self-isolate should attend an organised cricket activity.
- Cricket is by nature a socially distanced game and social distancing should be maintained on the field wherever possible.
- Off the field, social distancing guidelines and legal gathering size limits must be observed – at Step 2 this means the Rule of 6 or a group made up of two households (a group made up of two households can include more than 6 people, but only where all members of the group are from the same two households (or support/childcare bubbles, where eligible)).
- There are no changes in travel – “Car sharing is not permitted with someone from outside your household or your support bubble unless your journey is undertaken for an exempt reason. Sport and physical activity are not exempt reasons, so you cannot car share for sport and physical activity.”
Changing rooms must remain closed except for disabled persons and emergency requirements. Participants should arrive in their kit ready to play and should return home in their kit. - Clubhouses including social and hospitality facilities must remain closed, but toilet and hand washing provision is permitted subject to risk assessment, occupancy limits, suitable ventilation and frequent and effective cleaning.
- Hygiene breaks in play are required every 6 overs or 20 minutes for non-match play activities.
Participants should bring their own food and drink and drinks bottles should not be shared. - There is a legal requirement to record participant and attendee contact details for the purposes of NHS Test and Trace and clubs and venues must ensure that data is collected in accordance with data protection law.
- Spectators are not currently permitted at Step 2. This does not apply to carers for people with disabilities, adults needed to supervise under-18s in a safeguarding role or patrons attending the venue for hospitality. Where it is necessary for them to be present, supervising adults should not mix with others from outside their household or support bubble.
Create a coronavirus NHS QR code for your venue
Use this service to create a QR code for display at your cricket club. Get visitors to scan the QR code when they arrive, using the NHS COVID-19 app. This is to help trace and stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
If you have more than one venue, you need to create a separate QR code for each location. You can add multiple locations in the service. https://www.gov.uk/create-coronavirus-qr-poster
Claim your Lifebuoy Bundle
Lifebuoy and ECB are offering a free bundle of hygiene products to all cricket clubs in England and Wales to help the safe return to play this summer.