MA High School Basketball, Hockey Players To Mask Up This Winter

SALEM, MA — High school basketball and hockey will be played with masks and social distancing modifications, while indoor track is pushed to February with the hopes of a spring wrestling season, after the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Directors voted on sport-specific modifications because of the coronavirus health crisis at their Friday meeting.

The MIAA Board of Directors voted to set a Dec. 14 opening to the indoor school sports season. The season was to begin on Nov. 30.

Basketball, hockey, gymnastics, skiing and swimming will get the go ahead for the winter season.

The Board of Directors voted to move indoor track to the "wedge" fall 2 season starting in late February because many of the college tracks used for competitions, as well as the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center, are not currently open the public.

Wrestling, which the state's Executive Office of Energy and Environmental said two weeks ago could not hold competitions this winter because it involves "high-degree physical contact" while also being contested indoors, was moved to the spring to give it the best chance to have a season amid promises of a coronavirus vaccine being available by then. Moving wrestling to the spring also leaves open the possibility of holding matches outside in warmer weather where the threat of virus spread is not considered as dangerous.

As was the case the with soccer and field hockey in the fall, basketball and hockey both have several rules modifications.

Hockey players must wear masks at all times and must not congregate on the bench during games. Instead, they must spread out 6 feet apart in stands and surrounding areas. Players must also not use locker rooms for meetings and showers – only to use the bathroom facilities.

The Board of Directors acknowledged at their meeting that these restrictions may make hosting games at some rinks prohibitive.

Fans will be allowed in rinks as space permits to allow for social distancing, but they will not be allowed in the bench area near players, coaches and an athletic trainer. Only one player will be allowed in the penalty box at a time and there will be no postgame handshake.

Basketball players must also wear masks during the game with designated areas for mask breaks during the game. There will be no halftime with 150 seconds between each quarter. The game ball will be changed at the end of each quarter.

Teams must socially distance during timeouts with longer timeouts to account for sanitizing. Players are asked not to help up players from the floor unless it is necessary due to injury. The will be no huddles or "high fives" after free throws.

The jump ball will be replaced with a coin toss to decide initial possession. Only four players will be allowed to rebound on free throws. All out-of-bounds plays will be on the side and players will be limited to five seconds of ball possession while being closely guarded.

At the end of a game, players are asked to notify officials if they intend to foul, officials are advised to issue "quick whistles" for ti- ups on loose balls and players must be 6 feet away from the person inbounding the ball on inbounds plays.

Spectators behind the bench must be 20 feet from the teams and it is advised that players and coaches have "assigned seats" they maintain throughout the game.

The Sports Medicine Committee recommended limiting rosters to 12 to allow for distancing on benches, but the Board of Directors voted to allow 15 players for varsity games to cut down the number of seniors potentially cut from rosters.

Swimming and diving will have minimal modifications other than that team members are not allowed to congregate on the sides of the pools and must remain socially distanced when not in the pool.

Gymnastics will have minimal modifications other than that teams are asked to be socially distanced when not competing.

Skiing modifications are limited.

More Patch Coverage: Winter MA School Sports Will Get A Shot With Modifications