Syracuse, N.Y. — Andrew Neumann watched Owen Cheney steal the ball in the final minute of last year’s boys soccer state championship game and sprinted to midfield.

The Skaneateles goalie knew his teammate likely would score the game-winning goal, and he wanted to get a head start to celebrate the program’s first state title in a decade.

When the ball found the back of the net, the Skaneateles bench rushed the field. Neumann and his teammates were hugging, chest-bumping and high-fiving, forming a huge pile.

They then moved toward the stands, with each player interacting with classmates and loved ones.

High school sports celebrations such as those soon will look very different.

Socially-distanced celebrations will be the new norm based on the return to play guidance for interscholastic athletics from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. Included in the 49-page document was a set of recommendations for players and coaches, which stated: No hugging, high-fives, shaking hands or fist bumps.

“It’s going to be weird not being able to give your teammate a high-five after they score a goal,” said Neumann, who’s preparing for his senior season. “I don’t know. I guess I’ll have to ‘air-high-five’ or something.”

During last season’s sectional tournament, Christian Brothers Academy’s girls tennis team defeated Fayetteville-Manlius for the first time in more than 25 years. Following the win, the team poured onto the court and piled on to Grace Catalano and Lily Genecco.

“This year, if you do that, you might end up in jail,” said CBA coach Rick Glowaki. “It’s going to be really tough.”

Glowaki, who admits he’s usually the first one jumping up and down and hugging his players during matches, said he will recommend his players to clink rackets when they feel the urge to celebrate.

Genecco said last year’s celebration is a moment she’ll remember for the rest of her life. Once she rose from the pile of her teammates, she found her opponents to congratulate them on a well-played match.

“That’s something that will definitely be missed,” Genecco said. “We had a tiebreaker in the third set, and being able to shake hands and just show that respect for such a great game is something that will be missed this season.”

For many students, it’s a natural reaction to embrace each other before, during and after games. Refraining from touching each other will be an adjustment, especially when the game isn’t going as planned.

“It’s definitely going to change the game not only from the celebrating aspect but when a player makes a mistake and you walk over and give him a high-five and pick him up,” said Fayetteville-Manlius midfielder Francesco Pagano.

Pagano, a Syracuse University soccer commit, and the rest of his teammates huddled in the middle of the field with their arms around each other as each player took a penalty shot during the Class AA sectional quarterfinal against Liverpool.

The team encouraged each other after every attempt. The Hornets came up short as the final shot ricocheted off the top of the goal post, but what mattered in the moment was the support among the players.

Student-athletes will need to be creative this fall in order to generate the same type of excitement and comfort caused by physical contact.

“No unnecessary contact is definitely going to be tough,” Pagano said, “but if it needs to be done in order for us to have a season, I’m willing to do pretty much anything.”

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Contact Mike Curtis anytime at mcurtis@syracuse.com or find him on Twitter at @MikeACurtis2.