Tackle Football - Grades 7 & 8

Football as a contact sport it’s considered a higher risk than other sports.
Additional precautions may be necessary to minimize the risk and subject to change.

 General
1. The sponsoring organization and football sections are determined by CYO.
2. Only players assigned to the sponsoring organization may participate on the team. See football
sections list.
3. No player may attend practice without a completed pre-participation form COVID-19 release.
4. The name of the sponsoring organization is the parish/school member name on the
Membership Agreement.
5. EACH COACH MUST TRACK EACH ATHLETE EVERY PRACTICE IN THEIR POD BY USING THE
ATHLETE MONITORING SHEET. Any athletes who responds yes to any question must be sent
home. See attachment.
6. No two-a-days or any form of them (i.e. films etc.). Three is the recommended number of
practices per week; four is permitted with the approval of the athletic director; five is not
permitted. Each practice duration is no more than one hour and 30-45 minutes.
7. No indoor practices.
8. Players must sanitize their own equipment; no sharing equipment.
9. No scrimmages.
10. No congregating in parking lots, locker rooms etc.
11. At least two stations of hand sanitizer must be available. Athletes must sanitize their hands
during breaks and upon leaving the facility.

Teams in these grades will follow the physical distancing guidelines in three phases:
Phase 1: Seven calendar days from the first date you begin practice (consider as conditioning phase).
The entire team will be divided into pods of 9 or less. Gatherings may be 9 or less.
One, two or three certified coaches will remain with the same pod for 7 calendar days.
Attendance/Monitoring is taken every day. If a player is sick or absent, it is documented
in the team’s attendance log. Each head coach of the unit must submit the attendance
log to the head coach of the team and the team’s head coach must submit to the AD at
the end of each practice. See attached.
No equipment; no footballs; no contact.
All drills conducted within 6’.
If any player or coach who gets a fever or other symptoms, the entire unit is
quarantined for 14 days.

Phase 2: After completion of Phase I and a no documented cases, a team may move in Phase II and
begin a new period of tracking cases. All teams must comply with the five practice day of acclimation
period. All athletes joining the team for the first time at any point during the season must participate in
the 5 day acclimation period prior to any contact drills.
 Practice day 1 & 2 – Helmets and footballs only. No contact.
 Practice day 3 & 4 – Helmets, shoulder pads and football. No contact
 Practice day 5 – Full pads and football. No contact.
 During the first five days of practices, athletes may engage in conditioning, speed,
strength and agility drills. Dummies may be used if disinfected after each practice.
 All drills conducted within 6’.
 Practice day 6 and beyond – To be announced.
Phase 3: To be determined

CYO inspires young people to know God, to love God, and to serve God through athletics.