Following confirmation from the Government we are delighted to confirm that as of Monday 29 March our community game in England can restart.
And we cannot wait to reunite our Netball Family on courts up and down the country at a time when sport and community have never been so important.
We are here to support you in every way we can to make your journey back on court a positive one, keeping you up to date with the latest Government guidance to ensure our game gets back up and running as safely as possible.
The main updates focus on travel, spectators and the rules around social distancing when not on court.
A reminder on what we already know:
- Junior and senior netball club and league activity can restart outdoors across the country
- All programme activity can also restart outdoors (Walking Netball, Back to Netball, Netball Now and Bee Netball)
- Disabled people can take part in netball indoors
- There will be no tournaments allowed to take place until later in the year (see updated roadmap)
- No socials just yet
Key changes from previous guidance:
- Travel for sport and exercise is permitted
- Spectators aren’t permitted until further notice
-
When you’re not on court, before, during breaks and after activity, whilst in step 1, the rule of 6 must be adhered to
Important points to note:
- All previous sport specific guidance still stands
- Maximum of 30 participants per court not including coaches or officials
- A maximum of one hour of close contact activity is permitted – warm up must be factored into this for a match (or done socially distanced)
- Modified game rules, as shown below, must continue to be implemented
Useful restart resources:
You can find our complete guide to restart with all the latest Government guidance at the link here.
A ‘Care Package’ has been sent to member organisations via COVID Officers and club committee members – check your inboxes for details.
Prior to restart all organisations must have:
- Appointed a COVID Officer
- Completed an updated risk assessment and risk mitigation plan
- Communicated updated plans to those attending netball activity
- Reviewed the risk mitigation protocols, shown below
Here if You Need
Thank you to everyone who took part in our Mood of the Nation survey earlier this month. As we support you on your journey back to court it is important to know how you are feeling.
Well you told us, and we listened!
For those members who are feeling a little nervous about returning to court and the physicality of training, playing, coaching or officiating, our member exclusive ‘Virtual Netball Club’ is packed with fitness, skills and coaching sessions for the whole Netball Family to increase your confidence and get you court ready. Check your inbox and reserve your place on the sessions that suit you.
And we know that it is not only our physical fitness that has been affected this year. Our mental wellbeing has been hugely impacted off court. We will shortly be announcing a series of wellness workshops for our members to help those leading the restart efforts, and our wider Netball Family, to empower us all to be healthier and happier on and off court. We will share more information on this in the coming days.
A thank you to each and every one of you
As we countdown the final days before we can get back on court together playing the game we love, we wanted to pause and say thank you. This last year has been an incredibly challenging time for us all. With our courts closed, our game and the Netball Family has faced the toughest of times. As a not-for-profit organisation our members are at our heart and thanks to your membership pledges over the last 12 months you have all played a part in protecting our sport for generations to come. With your support we know our sport will come back stronger than ever before. Monday, March 29, is the next chapter in our recovery and we cannot wait to step back on court beside you, the Netball Family.
