COVID-19 Guidance for 'Non-Elite' Football

The FA have issued updated guidance for 'non-elite' football in England following confirmation from the UK Government that organised sports can return from Wednesday 2 December.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport [DCMS] has this evening issued updated guidelines on the return to recreational team sport which permits the return of 'non-elite' football in England from Wednesday 2 December, and includes all fixtures and training for:-

• Steps 3-6 of the National League System [NLS];
• Tiers 3-6 of the Women's Football Pyramid [WFP];
• Regional NLS Feeder Leagues;
• Barclays FA WSL Academy League;
• FA Girls Regional Talent Clubs;
• Outdoor youth and adult grassroots football.

Organised outdoor football activity is permitted at these levels across all three tiers from Wednesday 2 December but it is extremely important that clubs, players, coaches, match officials, league officials, volunteers, parents, carers, and facility providers continue to strictly follow both the UK Government's latest guidance on COVID-19 and respective bespoke guidance documents from The FA.

Organised indoor football and Futsal is permitted in Tier 1 areas if the rule of six is followed and in Tier 2 areas if the rule of six is followed and it is possible for people to avoid mixing with others that they do not live or share a support bubble with. Indoor football is not permitted in Tier 3 areas.

In all three tiers there are exceptions for indoor disability football, sport for educational purposes and supervised sport and physical activity for U18s, which can take place with larger groups mixing.

Training for teams in Tier 3 must have minimal contact.

For more information on National Governing Body of Sport (NGB) announcements please visit Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport - NGB Guidance for Restarting Activity (lrsport.org)