COVID-19 Guidelines for HBB (Spring/Summer 2021)

The Harleysville Baseball (HBB) Exec Board has decided that HBB will continue to observe these COVID rules for the 2021 Spring/Summer Season. With the advent of vaccines but also variants of the disease, the situation remains fluid. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we navigate through the pandemic and offer a safe baseball opportunity for the youth of Harleysville.

The top priority of HBB is the safety of our players and coaches. While multiple studies have shown that outdoor activities have a low risk of COVID-19 transmission, HBB has used CDC and PA Department of Health guidelines to create a set of rules to further protect our players, coaches, umpires, and spectators. Participants of our league will be asked to follow the rules on this page until further notice. Teams that play in external leagues and tournaments will follow the rules established by those leagues or tournaments for games and the rules on this page for all other team activities, such as practices. We will publish external league rules on our website as they become available to us.

The rules on this page are meant to supplement established HBB rules. These rules are subject to change, as we learn about what works and as new guidance is made available from state and federal authorities. In cases where a rule on this page conflicts with an established HBB rule, the rule on this page takes priority.

Summary of Guidelines:

• If you have been in close personal contact, a COVID-19 test must be performed, and upon negative results return to play is acceptable.  You may also quarantine for 10 days from the date of contact in order to return.
• When an individual has been diagnosed with COVID-19, the following should be followed:
  • Confirm positive case with a COVID-19 test
  • Once confirmed, the player and family members must not return to any HBB events for 10 days from the date of the positive COVID test
• If you have been within close personal contact, quarantine guidelines below should be followed.  Close personal contact is defined by the Montgomery County Office of Public Health as being “within 6 feet of an infected individual for 15 or more consecutive minutes, with or without a mask.”
• Stay home when appropriate, if you or a family member does not feel well, please don’t come to the HBB Complex
• Attendance of all practices and games to be kept and kept on file
• Players, Coaches and Volunteers, as they are able, must maintain six feet apart in support of social distancing
• Masks must be worn when six feet cannot be maintained.  Extra care to be used when walking to/from fields before and after games.
• No spitting, sunflower seeds, or chewing gum for the players or coaches
• No gathering in any dugout. Only 2 batters (on-deck and "in-the hole”)
• The bleachers must be used for players to spread out
• Players gear to be stored along the outfield fence, one post per player
• No sharing of equipment
• Regular sanitizing of hands during practices/games (its OK to take a sanitizer break)
• No on field celebrations (high fives/handshakes/fist bumps/team huddles/etc)
• Fans must maintain household distancing
• Coaches to use spray sanitizer on fences, bleachers, and dugouts after each game

CDC Guidelines for Youth Sports:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/youth-sports.html

PA Guidelines for Sports:  https://www.governor.pa.gov/covid-19/sports-guidance/