Guidelines for Returning to the Pitch BE ON THE BALL...SAFETY FOR ALL

The GAA community across the globe is eagerly anticipating the return to play and action of football, hurling, ladies football, and camogie. At a time when most divisions and clubs within the USGAA would be kicking off their 2020 season, the COVID-19 public health emergency has presented health and safety concerns unlike anything we have dealt with before. As a sporting organization committed to fostering community through participation in Gaelic games, the well-being of all members is, and will continue to be, the priority for USGAA at this time.

As states across the U.S. begin to gradually re-open, USGAA has developed this guide to provide divisions, clubs, and players with:  Considerations for the safe resumption of small group training; and  Small group drills and games.

Divisions, clubs, and players are reminded to first and foremost adhere to the guidance issued by their local city/town and state governments as they return to the pitch. Small group trainings should resume in accordance with the phased re- openings of your locality, and should be conducted in compliance with relevant social distancing guidelines and gathering restrictions.

Considerations for the Safe Resumption of Small Group Training  Small group training sessions should be limited to ten (10) persons, unless otherwise advised by your local government.  Attendees should have their own water bottle and equipment (hurl, helmet, etc.) The club will provide a loan program this year for any player who does not have their own hurl and helmet. The equipment will be checked out at practice, kept for the season, and returned to the club at the end of the training season. More details to come...  Mouthguards should not be removed for the duration of the training session and should be safely stored away when not in use.  The shared use of footballs and sliotars should be minimized if availability allows.  On completion of training, participants should immediately return home and shower;  All equipment, both club-provided and personal (i.e. hurls, helmets, sliotars, and footballs), should be diligently wiped down with antibacterial wipes or alcohol-based sanitizer before and after each use.  Alcohol-based hand sanitizers should be available for use before, during, and after the training session. All equipment (both club provided and personal, i.e.; hurls, helmets, sliotars, and footballs) should be diligently wiped down with antibacterial wipes or alcohol-based sanitizer before and after each use.

Recommendations for small group trainings:  Attendees should only travel to trainings with members of their household  Participants should not attend a training session if they feel unwell or display any symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, muscle aches, fatigue, etc.);  Attendees should only travel to training with members of their household;  Arrive, train, go home...while pre- and post-training mingling is an important part of GAA training sessions under normal circumstances, attendees should be conscious of spending unnecessary time at the training facility or in the company of teammates;  Recommended training facility/pitch of approximately forty (40) square feet per participant (at least 400 square feet for ten attendees);  Players should maintain six (6) square feet of distance from all other participants;  All drills and games conducted during the session should be strictly non- contact;  Coaches should program sessions which will allow for both skills and strength & conditioning work, which can be done while practicing social distancing, in place of traditional games-based sessions;  Clubs should properly communicate with players and attendees in advance of small group training sessions to ensure a safe environment and a clear understanding of protocols and guidelines for all;  Attendance will be tracked by the coaches to better assist contact tracing efforts should they be required.

Small Group Drills and Games There are infinite resources available on the GAA’s Learning Portal (learning.gaa.ie) as well as social media channels for drills and activities which can be done during small group training sessions in returning to the pitch. The below examples are taken from the GAA’s Learning Portal and are adaptable for Football/Ladies Football and Hurling/Camogie. Clubs/coaches should feel free to contact USGAA Games Development Personnel for assistance or guidance in developing training sessions.

One-on-Ones in Front of Goals: Adjusted or full rules. One player is attacking, and must solo around the cone(s) before being able to shoot. The other player is the defender, and can “win” the round by blocking or overturning the ball.

Modified Games: 2-on-2 up to 4-on-4. Full or adjusted rules. Contact should be restricted to directly tackling the ball. Can be played as possession games or with goals/makeshift goal areas. Ensure ample playing area to allow for adequate distancing among players.

Skill Development Drills: Solo Invasion Game: Two (2) teams of up to four (4). The drill begins with one team kick passing the ball the other (in this example, the blue team kicks to the yellow team). The receiving team (yellow team below) must move the ball through the blue team’s goal while soloing and passing among each other. The blue team can defend as soon as the yellow team receives the ball.

Kick Passing or Striking - “Target Player”: Attacking on goal. Player A kick passes/strikes the ball to Player B. Player B turns the cone at the 35m line and passes to Player C, who should be making a run inside and on goal.

Partner Pass and Catch: Players line up in pairs ensuring ample distance around them from other players. Partners pass the ball back and forth between each other, working on all types of catch (high catch, low catch, body catch) and passes (hand pass, punt pass/strike). Drill can be advanced by having players use their weaker hands/feet.