The Pandemic - your area

[Tru_in_Blu]

Some things being discussed in NH (USA Softball related) include:

No out of state umpires will be used in any tournaments.
NH umpires not permitted to work games outside of NH.
If any travel team plays in a tournament outside of NH, their entire program will be un-sanctioned for NH play. (USA Softball National Tournaments is an exception.)
All tournaments will permit in state teams only; no out of state teams permitted.
Prior to tournament games, all team personnel must have their temperature taken. Umpires will also need this.
Umpires will be required to wear Covid masks on the field.
Plate conference will include 1 coach from each team & the umpires. Line up cards will be handed over from coach to PU and not returned for a check. Verbal confirmation shall suffice.
Each team will have 2 game balls that they will use. At the end of an inning, the ball(s) will be taken to dugout by the defensive team.
Balls that go out of play and retrieved will need to be sanitized prior to being put back into play.
Umpires will not have any balls in their ball bag(s) which should only now be used for line up cards, brush, pen/pencil, flip coin.
Teams on offense must still “social distance” in dugouts, which likely means on many fields that they will have to be outside the fenced in area of the field.
Equipment checks may require umpires to wear gloves or equipment will need to be “re-sanitized”.
Some game rules may be relaxed if players are uncomfortable coming to bat. Outs would not be taken in those instances.
Waivers would need to be signed by everybody.
All trash would have to be removed by the teams. There may be no trash cans for disposal of trash as a result. “You bring it, you take it back.”
Game schedules will likely be more spread out to allow for teams to vacate a field prior to the next teams coming in. In turn, this may affect the timed games’ length.

There may be other things that will be required. And perhaps some things will be relaxed over time.