COVID-19 and Return to Play Update

P.W.S.A. has been able to have insurance reinstated and “return to training” permissions issued to 27 Associations and their 110 teams. For those who have not yet had the COI reinstated we are excited to receive your paperwork that will allow “training opportunities” to those Associations/Teams who have completed and filed the required documentation and have received their Certificate of Insurance as well as a letter from us outlining the conditions to the training sessions and the date you can effectively take the field.

Remember the insurance is for training/practice opportunity only and not for “Game Play”.  Please note if you are found in violation of the Insurance terms, the insurance is not valid, and the team will be subject to penalties. ($500 1st offence, $1000.00 2^nd offence)

As you are aware, we now have all Regions of the Province in Phase 2 and some will to be moving into Phase 3 this Friday July 17, 2020.

Once in Phase 3 we are permitted 100 persons in outdoor venues, however, there are some clear proviso’s as noted below.  These provisos resulted in significant calls, complaints, and queries to government.  We continue to work through the terminology and their interpretation of the Provincial Order.  We are, at present in daily discussion with ministry to work out the nuances.  Please do not plan games until this is all clarified and please do not travel into other regions or cities to begin to play/practice.

Team Sports and Live Sporting Events

• Prolonged or deliberate contact while playing sports is not permitted. • Team sports in which body contact between players is either an integral component of the sport or commonly occurs while engaged in the sport (e.g., wrestling, judo) are not yet permitted, unless the approach can be modified to prevent prolonged or deliberate physical contact. • Amateur and recreational sports leagues may resume so long as they do not allow prolonged or deliberate physical contact between players or if they have modifications to avoid physical contact between players. • Leagues must contain no more than 50 participants total. If participants in a league exceed 50, the league may divide into smaller groups of no more than 50. Players are not yet permitted to play against players outside of their league or group. • Spectators at all sporting events, including professional sports, will be subject to gathering limits and physical distancing measures, with assigned seating where possible  

A team from a Phase 2 Public Health Region cannot travel to play/practice in a Phase 3 region

The PSO must identify the league/cohort/pod and numbers will be based on your submitted team certificates.

We will be organizing calls with each division, over the next week to work out our “leagues/cohorts/pods” and who will be in them.  This will be for all affiliated and associated teams.  Please note this must be verified by the PSO (aka PWSA.)

Please note our Return to Play document is approved and if you wish to enhance it you are free to do so but as stated on page 4 , only if you wish to make it more stringent.  We will no longer be afforded the opportunity to submit only “Association plans”.  You must get permission from your city/town and Health Dept. stating you are required to follow the Return to Play protocol of your Provincial Sport Organization.    The Return to Play protocol document is now available on our App.

For our affiliated teams you will have received an email from Javelin who is the provider of our Wellness app.  https://youtu.be/C-I_OG4stf8  We have provided this for you as a required element of participating in the Provincial tournament. If you do not use the app for the wellness check you will not be permitted entry to the Provincial tournament.  Teams of course are free to use it for their practices, exhibition play etc. through Sept 30, 2020 or for their own ease of completing the wellness requirements of Return to Play.  The app has the Softball Canada declaration built in.

For all other teams and associations if you are interested in this for any of your other teams or your entire association please contact info@pwsaontario.com.  Please note Javelin will not set you up directly but will only set up through us.  Please note this will only be available until July 22, 2020.