Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL)

Hydration Plan

Coolers and use of water fountains will be permitted. Students should refrain from sharing water bottles. Students will be responsible for bringing and labeling their preferred hydration fluid to PSAL activities. It is recommended that all athletes bring at least 16 oz of water to each PSAL activity. PSAL participants must be allowed to hydrate themselves liberally throughout the activity. Coaches should take care to have at least one five-minute water break for every 30 minutes of activity.

Hand Hygiene

Coaches and Athletic Directors are responsible for ensuring that all participants wash or sanitize their hands before and after every PSAL activity. Washing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water is preferred. When soap and water are not readily available, hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol can be used. Schools will be responsible for ensuring that all PSAL participants have access to hand hygiene supplies. 

Equipment Rules/ Equipment Cleaning and Disinfection

Items that should never be shared between PSAL participants:

• Water bottles, towels, uniforms, clothing, shoes, headgear, mouthguards, personal protective gear (gloves, braces, grips, baseball gloves, etc.)

Items that may be shared during a session but must be properly cleaned and disinfected between use by each participant:

• Bats, racquets, sticks, fencing epees and foils, weightlifting equipment (barbells, weight bars, weight benches, etc.), Conditioning equipment (medicine balls, yoga mats, etc.), Sleds, tackling pads/dummies, individual equipment (poles for pole vaulting, shot put, discus, etc.), golf clubs, helmets, shoulder pads, chests protectors, catcher's gear

Items that may be shared during a session but must be properly cleaned and disinfected at the conclusion of the session:

• Training mats, balls, shuttles, gymnastics equipment, fencing body cords, table tennis tables, double dutch ropes, etc.

Cleaning supplies will be provided by the school. Whenever possible, additional cleaning and disinfecting should occur and coaches should take steps to minimize the sharing of equipment to individuals or small cohorts between cleanings.

Spectator Policy

Schools should adhere to the current DOE policy on visitors when hosting spectators at PSAL competitions and tournaments taking place indoors.

Food/Eating During Activities

Whenever possible, consumption of any foods and snacks should take place before entering the venue of the activity. 

When consumption before the activity is not possible, participants who are eating must:

• Sanitize their hands before and after eating
• Remain physically distanced by at least six feet for the duration of their meal
• Eat alone or with a small, physically distanced cohort, ensuring individuals are facing one direction and not each other.

Athletes are responsible for bringing their own hydration fluids to the activity (see above for Hydration Plan).

Transportation

All efforts should be made to limit or reduce travel to only that which is absolutely necessary associated with participating in PSAL activity.

Schools utilizing school buses must adhere to all DOE busing policies, regardless of COVID-19 vaccine status. Teams traveling by public transportation must adhere to the MTA rules of travel.

COVID-19 Symptoms and Cases

Staying Home When Sick

All PSAL participants need to take care to refrain from attending PSAL activities when feeling unwell. All participants have a responsibility to monitor themselves for COVID-like illness symptoms and to report positive COVID cases to their school.

Development of COVID-like Symptoms During PSAL Events

COVID-like illness symptoms are defined as any or all of the following symptoms that are new and unexplained by pre-existing conditions such as asthma or allergies:

• Fever of 100.0 degrees F or higher or chills,
• New cough,
• New loss of taste or smell, and/or
• New shortness of breath.
• Sore throat

In the event that a student or adult develops COVID-like illness symptoms during a PSAL activity, play should be suspended immediately so that the situation may be assessed. 

If the symptomatic individual is a student, they must be removed and isolated immediately. Play may resume if it is safe to do so and proper supervision can be provided to the rest of the team while the coach or Athletic Director is tending to the symptomatic student. Coaches and Athletic Directors should follow their first aid and CPR training to call 911 and activate their Emergency Action Plan for any student in distress. If the student is not in distress, the Athletic Director will be responsible for contacting the parent/guardian to provide instructions on testing and/or isolation rules as well as creating a plan for the student’s safe transportation home. In addition, the Athletic Director will be responsible for contacting the principal and nurse at their school to alert them of a case of COVID-like illness requiring follow-up.

Any participating adult who develops symptoms must immediately remove themselves from the activity. The coach will be responsible for contacting the Athletic Director or other school designee to record the removal of the person for COVID-like illness symptoms.

If the symptomatic individual is an adult that would need to be present at the event for supervision or officiating such as a coach or official, the event will be suspended for the day and all participants should go home. Where possible, suspended contests will be resumed or replayed at a later date.

The Athletic Director will be responsible for coordinating with their Principal(s) to ensure that all school-based reporting protocols are followed. 

Any individual (student or staff member) showing signs of COVID-19 can only return to PSAL activities after meeting the conditions of the COVID-19 School Health Policy. 

COVID Case Reporting and Contact Tracing Procedures

All participants (player, coach, manager, official, athletic trainer, etc.) of PSAL activities will be required to immediately notify the Athletic Director of any positive COVID-19 diagnosis. The Principal or designee as appointed by school leadership will be responsible for following the DOE Situation Room policy to report all positive COVID-19 cases.

Students who test positive for COVID-19 must be placed on the inactive roster until their isolation period has concluded and they may return to school per the COVID-19 School Health Policy.

Quarantine, Isolation, and Return to PSAL

In the event that a classroom or cohort must quarantine due to a COVID-19 exposure, all affected participants will not be permitted to attend PSAL activities for the duration of the closure. In the event of a school closure, PSAL activities will be suspended for the affected school for the duration of the closure.

 Students who test positive for COVID-19 will not be able to participate in any in-person team activities while in isolation. Further guidance regarding close contacts will be provided by the Situation Room pending investigation.