Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Wolf Administration Lifts Ban on Fan Attendance to High School/Youth Sporting Events

On Wednesday, Governor Wolf announced that the guidance has changed and will now allow a limited number of fans to attend high school/youth sporting events.

In early August, recommendations from the Wolf Administration did not allow fans at any indoor or outdoor sporting events.  While the guidance wasn't an order, the PIAA followed the Governor's recommendations.

On Wednesday, updates to the guidance were changed and will now allow 250 fans for outdoor events and 25 fan for indoor.

The new guidance states:

Professional sports organizations are permitted to practice or play outdoors with 250 or fewer people in attendance and indoors with 25 or fewer people in attendance, provided they follow orders issued by the Secretary of Health and recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health or athletics-based organizations. Sports organizations are not required to submit a safety plan for approval to DOH if fewer than 250 people are present at an outdoor site or directly outside of the site.

Professional sports organizations that want to play or practice with more than 250 people at an outdoor site or directly outside of the site (or 25 people or more for indoor sites) must submit a plan to DOH for approval. The administration will not approve plans submitted to DOH which include spectators in or directly outside of the site or venue.

The guidance does not state if the 250 fan count includes players, coaches, and/or officials.

The ultimate decision will be decided by each district/organization.