Michigan high school golf, tennis and cross country teams are good to go. Volleyball, boys soccer and girls swimming and diving? This fall remains a little complicated.

As for football, those teams still have to wait until the spring to compete.

That was the message delivered Thursday by the Michigan High School Athletic Association. The organization announced that all fall sports except for football are a go in Region 6 (northern Lower Peninsula) and Region 8 (Upper Peninsula), which are classified as being in Phase 5 as part of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Safe Start Plan Roadmap.

Only cross country, golf and tennis may hold competitions in all other parts of the state, as an effort continues to limit potential exposure to and spread of COVID-19.

Volleyball, soccer and swimming teams may continue practicing outdoors in Phase 4 regions – Regions 1-5 and 7; in other words, all other parts of the state — but those sports may not host competitions until given the OK by the governor’s office.

But here’s where things get tricky: Volleyball, soccer and swimming teams may travel to and compete in Regions 6 and 8.

Confused? Welcome to 2020, the year of the coronavirus pandemic.

The MHSAA’s Representative Council was ready to allow competition in all regions for boys soccer, girls swimming and volleyball, but was unable to do so because it is seeking clarification and guidance from Whitmer’s office about the current Executive Orders as they relate to the use of indoor school gyms and swimming pools.

Regions 6 and 8 are classified as being in Phase 5, while the rest of the state is grouped in Phase 4.

Cross country, golf, swimming and tennis are fall sports classified lower risk by the MHSAA. Volleyball and soccer are fall sports considered moderate risk, while football is higher risk.

While swimming and diving is lower risk, competitions are indoors and permission is needed from the governor’s office to proceed. Soccer is played outdoors, and is in the moderate risk category because of its potential for contact.

MHSAA spokesperson John Johnson told MLive that social-distancing issues surrounding Phase 4 is the only thing preventing soccer from moving forward. Phase 5 is necessary for soccer competitions to take place, according to Johnson.

Last Friday, the MHSAA announced that the fall football season was moving to the spring. Teams could practice through Wednesday this week while awaiting further guidance..

Now, starting on Monday, Aug. 24, football teams are allowed 16 voluntary coach-player contact days with helmets only until Oct. 31. No competition or practice with students from other schools is allowed.

This allowance is for practice sessions on-site at school facilities if the school permits, with all stated safety protocols and pandemic safety measures being followed. Furthermore, if a student participates in fall football in another state, then he or she would be ineligible for a second football season in Michigan in the spring.

All other Michigan fall sports were allowed to begin practicing Aug. 12. Lower Peninsula girls golf and boys tennis teams, as well as Upper Peninsula girls tennis squads, started competing Wednesday and snapped a 160-day high school sports absence in the state.

Boys and girls cross country competitions are set to begin this Friday. Volleyball, boys soccer and Lower Peninsula girls swimming and diving contests were scheduled to start this Friday, but that plan has been altered throughout most of the state.

Beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 8, all spring sports are allowed 16 voluntary, offseason coach-player contact days consisting of more than four players and that period runs through Oct. 31. As with football, no competition or practice with students from other schools is allowed.

The four-player rule will continue for winter sports. The activity must take place outdoors, subject to current and future Executive Orders.

Sideline cheer activities, including practices and cheering for fall contests, are allowed until the preseason downtime for competitive cheer begins Oct. 25.

Junior high and middle school regulations allow fall sports practices to begin Monday, Aug. 24, at school facilities if the school permits with all stated safety protocols being followed. Schools may proceed in all middle school sports except for football this fall based on decisions of leagues and/or individual schools.

Read more:

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