Gov. Tom Wolf’s easing of restrictions regarding spectators at high school sports will allow fans to attend soccer and field hockey games this fall, but it did little for indoor sports such as girls volleyball and water polo.

It also caused yet more confusion and uncertainty about football.

“That (decision) made things so much more complicated for everybody,” said Berks Catholic athletic director Bill Hess, who, like so many other athletic administrators, continues to seek clarity over high school athletics in the COVID-19 era.

Indoor gatherings in Pennsylvania are still limited to 25 people and outdoor gatherings to 250. Wolf, despite pleas from the PIAA, didn’t budge on those numbers. He did relent Wednesday, saying that spectators can now be included in the 25/250 parameters.

“For football and volleyball, it didn’t help at all,” Hess said. “For parents in other sports, it was a sigh of relief.”

For volleyball and water polo, the 25-person restriction will mean some players and coaches will be stationed outside gymnasiums during events.

For football, it’s possible that for schools with larger rosters, the 250-person limit will be filled by players, coaches, officials, game managers and the like.

Smaller schools, with smaller rosters, coaching staffs and bands, may be able to allow 50-100 spectators into stadiums. In many instances, that won’t allow all parents to attend, and that’s disturbing to all involved.

“It is important to us that we afford our parents (an opportunity) to attend their children’s home games,” said Hamburg athletic director Aaron Menapace.

Hamburg plays at the Class 3A level (the fourth-largest of the PIAA’s six classifications). Its roster will include roughly 41 players and nine coaches. Add trainers, managers, ball boys, the chain crew, cheerleaders, security, ambulance drivers and media members and the numbers tops 100. Add another 50-60 for the visiting team and you’re left with room for fewer than 100 parents.

At Berks Catholic, a Class 4A school that has a 55-player roster, Hess’ list includes 220 – and that’s without the visiting band.

“Some football teams may not be able to dress every player (for) every game,” said athletic director Nick Palladino of Class 6A Boyertown.

Hess said there are 22 players and four coaches on Berks Catholic’s girls volleyball team. A match requires two officials, two people to work the scoring table and a trainer. Do the math and that’s close to 50. That means JV players, all but one varsity substitute and all assistant coaches must be stationed in the hallway or a nearby classroom during the varsity game.

If additional subs are needed, players will have to be summoned into the gym.

“Volleyball’s going to be difficult,” Hess said. “There’s not gonna be fans, obviously.”

Hess, like most athletic directors, has more questions than answers. He wonders how his school can host an afternoon soccer game in the stadium while the field hockey, football and tennis teams practice nearby. Do all of them count towards the 250 limit, even though they’re hundreds of yards apart? Who can answer that?

The PIAA last week urged the governor to expand his limits, requesting in a letter that gyms and stadiums be allowed to permit 25 percent of capacity.

Wolf has not budged on that.

“(This) is causing an issue,” PIAA executive director Dr. Robert Lombardi wrote in the letter to the governor. “Indoor sporting events hosting only 25 people in gymnasiums that easily can accommodate social distancing have restricted the participation of students in girls volleyball and water polo.

“An easy solution would be to allow 25 percent occupancy of the maximum capacity of the facility for both indoor and outdoor events.”

Lombardi mentioned that the same standard is being applied to restaurants.

“Schools are having difficulty understanding why we are making students stand outside the gymnasium in a hallway to be able to be a substitute in a volleyball match,” Lombardi wrote. “Not allowing team members to provide relief for swimmers in water polo may result in severe circumstances.”

Wilson superintendent Dr. Richard Faidley said last week his school district is exploring ways to expand the gathering limits by creating multiple “zones” within a building or stadium. By sectioning off the stadium into two zones, for example, it might be possible to allow as many as 500 people to enter.

Faidley said Wilson is seeking guidance and exploring what it can do legally to allow more spectators.

“Friday night football is the biggest social event that we have to start a school year,” Hess said. “It has such a positive impact on our school. Taking that away is like taking away a really important mental part of your week. I’m concerned about that.”