Mr. Murphy outlined four athletics seasons—Fall I, Winter, Fall II, and Spring.

Fall I would run from September 18 through November 20, Winter from November 30 through February 21, Fall II from February 22 through April 25, and Spring from April 26 through July 3.

Mr. Murphy said there will be no state tournaments this year.

In a typical year, fall sports include football, cheerleading, volleyball, cross country, soccer, field hockey and golf.

But this year, football, cheerleading and volleyball will be delayed until the Fall II season to buy more time to see if the COVID-19 pandemic worsens or improves. Mr. Murphy said football and cheerleading are high-contact sports that cannot be safely played yet, even with modifications. He said it also made sense to delay volleyball too, since it is an indoor sport.

The remaining sports that usually occur in the fall will be able to continue, but they might look a little different, Mr. Murphy said.

“Soccer is not going to look like soccer,” he said. For example, players will not be allowed to make intentional ball-to-head contact or hand-to-ball contact. Masks will also be worn during play wherever possible.

However, he said he as well as other athletic directors in their league felt that doing something was better than doing nothing.

In field hockey, the number of players on the field will be reduced from 11 to seven.

These modifications are being made to reduce contact as much as possible.

Within the school building, the locker rooms will remain closed for the time being. As a result of this, Mr. Murphy said athletes will likely have to show up to school somewhat ready for practice.

While there will not be any state tournaments, Mr. Murphy said other forms of divisional competition are being looked at. The idea right now is that teams that are in the same division might have the opportunity to compete among each other.

Mr. Murphy also noted that, at least to start with, all games will be played without spectators.

This news got a little pushback from board chairman Donald DiGiacomo and Kristin Bader, both of whom have children who are athletes in the school district.

Mr. DiGiacomo said that especially for parents whose children are seniors, this might be the last year that they get to see their children play in any capacity. He said he felt that parents of younger students would be willing to forfeit being in the stands themselves if it meant a senior parent could be there for their child.

Ms. Bader said when it comes to following strict regulations in exchange for being allowed to watch a child participate in an activity that is important to them, most parents would gladly stick to the guidelines. Mr. Murphy agreed, pointing to the successful graduation ceremony that the Class of 2020 was able to have.

Vice Chairwoman Kerri L. Ames said she was concerned about the health and safety of the students participating in sports, particularly soccer and field hockey, which she said have the potential to be contact sports as much if not more than football. Mr. Murphy said the modifications have been put in place to help mitigate some of the risks.

The board also discussed whether students who have opted for the remote learning plan or who are homeschooled will have the opportunity to play school sports. Superintendent Pamela A. Gould said that other area districts are allowing their remote and homeschooled students to play, including Barnstable.

Moving forward this year, the board will be voting on athletics season by season. On Wednesday, the board voted 5-2 to approve the Fall I proposal.

Ms. Ames and board member Michael Pell voted in opposition.

This vote was followed by a vote to allow remote learners to participate in school sports, which was also approved in a 5-2 vote. Mr. Pell and board member Burton Fisher were in opposition.

Lastly, the board voted to allow homeschooled students to play school sports. This vote was unanimous.