Ontario Baseball issues new protocols for the diamond post-COVID-19

Written By BRIAN LOCKHART

Ontario Baseball, the governing body of the sport in Ontario, has released its guidelines for a return to the sport in the province.

The executive released a statement with the rules pertaining to organized practices on local diamonds.

The association is now allowing two events on one baseball diamond. This means that two different group of not more than ten people each, can participate in separate practices on the same field.

Everyone must stay in their own group and there can be no players, coaches, or any other person participating in both groups.

Any and all equipment must be sanitized prior to a practice and all practices must adhere to social distancing protocols while on the field.

The statement goes on to say the diamonds being used must be age group appropriate.

“For example, one full size (regulation) diamond can be used to accommodate two 10-person events of any age category. “Regulation” meaning at least 300' down left/right field, and 350' at centre field.   However, at a 13U-sized diamond, participants in older age categories (14U+) would be limited to one 10-person event. Participants in 13U and younger age categories could have two 10-person events at a 13U-sized diamond.”

The association stressed that full team practices are still not permitted as long as provincial restrictions on public gatherings is limited to ten people.

There has been some activity on baseball diamonds in the region with some teams already starting to practice.

However, the Town of Shelburne is not yet allowing the use of town owned park facilities for league activities. Only members of the same household can use any facilities and any activities must be limited to groups of ten.

The Town has decided to extend the closure of sports fields to July 20.

The Town will be taking another look at the situation one week prior to that date and plans to issue an update at the time.