Last updated on Monday 26 October, 11:30pm.
On Monday 12 October, the Government announced a new three-tier system (local COVID-19 Alert Levels) of restrictions in England to try to stop the spread of COVID-19 which came into play on Wednesday 14 October. Each area of the country has been classified as being on medium, high or very high alert or respectively tiers one, two or three.
To find out your local alert level, click here for the Government postcode search tool or your NHS COVID-19 App will also indicate your local alert level.
As part of the Government permissions granted through the sign off of England Netball’s accelerated ‘Return to Play’ submission, Stage 4 modified netball training activity and competition can continue to take place in line with the Restart Guidance and with the relevant risk mitigations and rule modifications in place. The alert level in your area may however, have additional implications to netball delivery which must be adhered to in addition to the Restart Guidance which are outlined below.
Please also note this guidance is for the general public who are fit and well. There is separate guidance for:
- households with a possible or confirmed coronavirus infection
- people who are clinically extremely vulnerable to coronavirus
Medium (Tier 1)
There are no restrictions on travel for sport or exercise.
Under 18s, those with a disability and where netball is for the purpose of education*:
- Stage 4 modified netball training activity and competition can continue both indoors and outdoors in groups of up to 30 per court
18 and overs:
- Stage 4 modified netball training activity and competition can continue outdoors in groups of up to 30 per court
- Stage 4a modified netball training activity can continue indoors in discrete bubbles of 6 and may be from different households. Multiple bubbles may be present but capacity must not exceed 30 people per court
- Stage 4b modified netball competition cannot take place indoors
- Stage 3 netball fitness activity can take place both indoors and outdoors. There can be a maximum of 30 people per court, social distancing must be maintained at all times and equipment sharing minimised.
High (Tier 2)
There are no restrictions on travel for sport or exercise, but you should aim to reduce the number of journeys you make where possible.
Under 18s, those with a disability and where netball is for the purpose of education*:
- Stage 4 modified netball training activity and competition can continue both indoors and outdoors in groups of up to 30 per court
18 and overs:
- Stage 4 modified netball training activity and competition can continue outdoors in groups of up to 30 per court.
- Stage 4a modified netball training activity can continue indoors but bubbles of 6 may only convene from one household or support bubble. Multiple household or support bubbles may convene on the same indoor court providing social distancing restrictions are maintained between groups and total numbers do not exceed 30 per court. No equipment should be shared between different household or support bubbles and sanitisation protocol should be followed throughout.
- Stage 4b modified netball competition cannot take place indoors.
- Stage 3 netball fitness activity can take place both indoors and outdoors. There can be a maximum of 30 people per court, social distancing must be maintained at all times and there must be no equipment sharing.
Very High (Tier 3)
You are advised not to travel into or out of areas that have a very high alert level, including for netball, unless this is necessary to enable individual exercise (or exercise for people from the same household or support bubble). This does not apply to travel where it is necessary to enable disability sport, sport for educational purposes, or supervised sport and physical activity for under-18s to take place.
Under 18s, those with a disability and where netball is for the purpose of education*:
- Stage 4 modified netball training activity and competition can continue both indoors and outdoors in groups of up to 30 per court
18 and overs:
- Stage 4 modified netball training activity and competition can continue outdoors in groups of up to 30 per court.
- Stage 4a modified netball training activity can continue indoors but bubbles of 6 may only convene from one household or support bubble. Multiple household or support bubbles may convene on the same indoor court providing social distancing restrictions are maintained between groups and total numbers do not exceed 30 per court. No equipment should be shared between different household or support bubbles and sanitisation protocol should be followed throughout.
- Stage 4b modified netball competition cannot take place indoors.
- Additional restrictions including the closure of sports facilities may also apply.
- Stage 3 netball fitness activity can take place both indoors and outdoors. There can be a maximum of 30 people per court, social distancing must be maintained at all times and and there must be no equipment sharing.
We are reviewing the impact this will have on our Regional and National competition structures and will be liaising directly with those involved in these competitions. Elite sport is exempt from these restrictions.
We once again thank the Netball Family for its ongoing resilience. We know the continued changes are causing challenges at every level of the game. We are indebted to those who are navigating this time with us and providing opportunities for thousands of women and girls to feel just that little bit happier from their hour or so of our wonderful sport each week.
*Most netball in educational settings will be covered by the exemption for supervised activities for children (ie. U18s), and so can take place in groups larger than six indoors. This includes pupils over the age of 18, where the netball is for the purpose of education, such as curriculum sport or playing for school/college/university teams, but does not include all activity on the educational site. This applies to all COVID-19 alert levels.