As of: August 10, 2020

Next revision: Following Sept. 1, 2020 AD meeting

American Midwest Conference COVID-19 Return to Play Protocols

These return to play policies, procedures, guidelines and best practices (hereafter ‘Return to Play Protocols’ or RTP Protocols’ or ‘Protocols’) were adopted by the American Midwest Conference Executive Committee and Council of Presidents to enable intercollegiate athletics to resume in as safe and healthy an environment as the COVID-19 global pandemic will allow.

The Conference utilized three subcommittees, comprised of athletics directors and athletic trainers, to preliminarily discuss aspects of returning to play. In some instances, there was overlap to multiple subcommittees. Each subcommittee included at least one represented from the three geographic areas of the Conference that were identified as having different guidelines (the State of Arkansas, the State of Missouri excluding St. Louis City/St. Louis County, and St. Louis City/St. Louis County). The charge of each subcommittee and a list of its members is included in this document.

In drafting the Return to Play Protocols, it is understood that close and prolonged contact, as defined by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding COVID-19, is inherent to athletics and the daily lives of college students; athletes, coaches, athletics staff and officials will encounter some degree of unavoidable close or prolonged contact while participating in athletics as well as in their normal daily activities. The Return to Play Protocols are adopted with the best interest of the health, safety and well-being of student- athletes, coaches, officials, spectators and administrators in mind, and with consideration of minimizing exposure and contact that is inherent to sport while providing student-athletes an opportunity to compete.

The Return to Play Protocols cover screening process, competition, spectators, travel, facilities, practice, staffing (game management, athletic training, sports information, officiating), and return to play after a positive screen, and include Conference requirements, expectations and recommendations along with areas the Conference defers to institutional autonomy, in some instances requiring institutions to submit their policies, procedures and best practices to the Conference office by Sept. 1.

These policies, procedures and best practices are based on the COVID-19 situation, federal, state, local and NAIA guidelines as of July 1, 2020. The Executive Committee will convene no later than Sept. 3, 2020, to update these policies, procedures and best practices before the start of fall competition based on guidelines from the previously mentioned agencies as of that date.

In some instances, institutions, state or local authorities, or the NAIA may have more stringent regulations than those adopted by the AMC. Institutions will follow the most stringent of the regulations and should communicate differences from the Conference Return to Play Protocols to the Conference office in a timely fashion which will then be communicated to the membership.

Conference Return to Play Protocols, as adopted on the dates above and modified no later than Sept. 3, 2020, will remain in effect through Dec. 31, 2020. The Executive Committee will review the Protocols no later than Dec. 1, 2020, for adjustment effective Jan. 1, 2021. Protocols will be reviewed on an as-needed basis before Dec. 31, 2020, but only for making them more stringent than initially adopted, not to relax the Protocols.

It is the responsibility of each athletics director to ensure all of their teams are fully in compliance with NAIA “Fall 2020 Guidelines & Recommendations” released on July 1, 2020 as well as any previous or future releases of guidelines and recommendations as many of those guidelines and recommendations will not be included in the Conference Return to Play Protocols. The Fall 2020 Guidelines & Recommendations can be found here. The NAIA COVID-19 resource page is here.

Subcommittee Charges and Members #1. Precautions to Allow Participation

Athletics Directors: Lyle Middleton (CBC), Jason Nichols (HLG), Jill Harter (STLCOP) Athletic Trainers: Shawn Tackett (Lyon), Meredith Dill (MBU)

#2. Models for Possible Return to Play Options

Athletics Directors: James Arnold (CC), Miguel Paredes (SC), Jason Vittone (WWU), Jeff Rider (WBU) Athletic Trainer: Tim Herlihy (HSSU)

#3. Response to Potential Issues Once Competition Commences

Athletics Directors: Dorianne Johnson (HSSU), Kevin Jenkins (Lyon), Tom Smith (MBU) Athletic Trainers: Josh Miley (HLG), Mike McElhinney (WWU)

AMC Commissioner Will Wolper and Sports Information Director Scott Barker were on all Zoom meetings held by each of the three committees.

There are several aspects of the Return to Play Protocols that the Conference is providing autonomy to each institution to determine but are requiring the institution to have developed a policy. Those aspects must be shared with the Conference via an online form here. A summary of those requirements are at the end of this document.

Important dates per the AMC Return to Play Protocols (*NLT – no later than)

Sept. 1 Institution policies, procedures and best practices due to Conference

NLT Sept. 3 Executive Committee to meet to update and finalize Return to Play Protocols

NLT Dec. 1 Executive Committee to meet to review extending and updating Return to Play Protocols post- Jan. 1

NLT Dec. 15 Determination made on the number of teams eligible for basketball tournaments

Dec. 31 Tentative end date for Return to Play Protocols (pending review and extension by Executive Committee that will take place no later than Dec. 1)

NLT Feb. 1 Determination made on the number of teams eligible for baseball & softball tournaments

COVID-19 screenings will take place, at minimum once a day on days which team travel, games, practices, or

any team gatherings as a group such as study halls, team meetings, etc. occur. If a team gathers more than one time on the same day, a second screening is necessary if the second gathering starts more than three hours after the earlier screening. From arrival on-site where the screening will take place until they are screened, student-athletes should not participate in any physical activity as it could adversely affect screening results.

Per NAIA requirements, game day screenings must be done by an athletic trainer or designated healthcare professional. The screening before team travel does not need to be done by an athletic trainer or designated healthcare professional, but the screening upon arrival on-site must be. All other screenings may be done by a member of the coaching staff, director of athletics, another athletics administrator, or an athletic trainer (unless specifically noted otherwise within these Return to Play Protocols).

COVID-19 screenings will consist of a temperature check and nine questions (although additional questions may be asked based on responses to the nine initial questions). The entire screening must be completed even if an individual is already excluded (i.e. if his/her temperature is greater than 100.4°F, all nine questions must be asked). A universal form will be used by all Conference schools for recording results of all screenings

{Screening Form}. For non-gameday screenings, if institutions have a form or app that all members of the institution community will use for daily screenings, the institution form or app may be used in place of the Conference screening form if all of the following are met: (1) it records a temperature reading, (2) the nine questions on the Conference form are asked for the institution screening, (3) the screening is done within 3- hours of any team screening, and (4) an athletic trainer or athletic administrator has access to the screening results.

A positive screen, and therefore exclusion from team activities including, but not limited to practice, games, meetings, or travel, is considered when:

• A temperature of 100.4°F or greater is recorded
• Any affirmative answer to any of the nine screening questions (pending responses to healthcare professional {including athletic trainers} follow-up questions).

Refusal to comply with the Conference screening process, or missing a screening time, will be considered a positive screen and subject the individual to protocols outlined within this document. This individual will remain unable to participate until s/he quarantines for 14-days after agreeing to be screened (regardless of the screening results).

If an individual registers a temperature of 100.4°F or greater, a second temperature check may be requested by that individual using a different thermometer. The second check should be done after all individuals have been screened for the first time, and at least 10 minutes after the initial temperature. Individuals must remain in the site of the screener while waiting on the second temperature check.

Per CDC recommendations, Individuals that have had close, prolonged, or direct contact with a person with COVID-19 should get tested and quarantine for 14-days. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), definition of close and prolonged contact will be used by the American Midwest Conference. “Close contact” is defined as having contact within six (6)-feet; “prolonged contact” is defined as contact lasting longer than 15-minutes. Direct contact is contact with infected secretions such as being coughed on, sneezed on, or touched by perspiration or saliva.

Both teams, the host institution and the traveling team, will be screened on game days before the traveling team departs from campus or team hotel. Coaches must communicate with their counterparts to determine what time those pre-departure screenings need to be done. A second screening must be done on-site if the team takes the court/field for initial warm-ups more than three (3) hours since the previous screening or if the previous screening was not done by an athletic trainer or designated health care professional. See the “Game Officials” section for details on the gameday screening of officials.

Institutions will predetermine the location of on-site screenings; it can differ by facility or sport. This site will be communicated to the Conference office and included in the information shared amongst the schools. Recommended this information be included in the visiting team guide. It is the host school’s responsibility to notify the traveling school if this predetermined location changes. The predetermined location should take into consideration that non-contact thermometers cannot be used outside. Upon arrival on-site, all individuals must proceed directly to the screening location and cannot leave until they finish the screening process (this includes all team members from both teams, officials and game day staff; the screening site can be different for the four groups).

Upon a positive test, Institutions must notify the Conference office and all opponents from the 14-days immediately before the positive test. The notification shall be just that an individual tied to the program has tested positive, no additional information can be provided (HIPAA and FERPA laws apply).

Isolating Members of the Team

Any individual affiliated with a team (athlete, coach, manager, etc.) that screens positive is removed from all team activities immediately and isolate (per the institution policy), until the individual receives a negative COVID-19 test, or is released by a physician.

Each institution must designate an area in which individuals from the traveling team that screen positive on- site will be isolated while the team is competing, access to restrooms should be considered when determining this area. Individuals from the home team that screen positive should follow the institution’s general protocol.

Each institution must develop a policy for safely returning to campus any individual that screens positive during team travel. The policy must ensure limited contact with other members of the team that has not also screened positive.

Screening: Multiple Contests, Same Day

Any time teams are playing multiple contests in one-day, but not back-to-back doubleheaders, team members (including coaches, managers, etc.) will be screened by a game-day administrator before the second (and subsequent) contest if it has been more than three hours since the team’s previous screening. This would not apply to baseball/softball doubleheaders as it is played back-to-back, this situation is most likely at volleyball tournaments.

Positive Screens and Games

If a team has more than one-third of their roster in isolation and/or quarantine due to a positive screen that team will postpone all contests until more than two-thirds of the team is out of isolation and/or quarantine. For this policy, the non-game day “roster” and home team roster on game-day may include any individual listed on the eligibility roster on file with the Conference Eligibility Chair; game day “roster” includes athletes listed on the team’s travel party form.

Decisions to postpone a contest with less than one-third of a roster in isolation and/or quarantine must be made by an institution’s director of athletics and communicated to the opposing athletics director and conference commissioner.

All contests postponed due to COVID-19 will be rescheduled provided time remains before the last permissible day for regular-season competition. Per AMC Handbook, the last permissible day for regular-season competition for soccer is the last week in October, for baseball the last weekend before the Conference Tournament, and for softball the Sunday before the Conference Tournament. Volleyball and basketball sections of the AMC Handbook do not state a last permissible day for regular-season competition, as such, for the matter of COVID-19 rescheduling, that shall be the final day on which Conference competition is scheduled.

Games will be rescheduled in the order they were postponed; any exception to rescheduling games out of postponement order must be approved by the Conference Commissioner.

What to do with Screening Forms

For screenings done at the site of competition, submit the form to the team’s head athletic trainer within 24- hours of the completed screening or 24-hours of returning to campus (whichever is later).

For screenings done before practice, team meeting or other team gatherings not specified, submit the form to the team’s head athletic trainer within 24-hours of the completed screening (or within 24-hours of returning to campus if the screening took place during team travel).

For screenings done before traveling team’s departure from campus (both teams are screened at this time), provide the screening form to the individual conducting on-site screenings (or the host athletic trainer if an on- site screening is not necessary) and then your team’s head athletic trainer within 24-hours (the traveling team will have at least two screening forms to submit upon return to campus from a trip). The time noted on the screening form should be the time screening began, and will be used to determine whether the additional screening is necessary upon arrival on-site.

General Information on Screening

• All screeners must wear personal protective equipment including masks and gloves.
• Screenings before contests are necessary if the team takes the court/field for initial warm-ups more than three (3) hours since the team’s previous screening or the previous screening was not done by a healthcare professional.
• Each institution must establish procedures for screening their teams for home games (both the screening before the traveling team’s departure and the on-site screening).
• When there is a women’s and men’s doubleheader (soccer and basketball), teams playing in the first game will be screened upon arrival on-site. Teams playing in the second game can be screened at that time if they do not intend to leave the facility or they can be screened 30-minutes before the start of the first game.

Regular Season: This section is based on the NAIA timeline that permits practices to begin Aug. 15 and

competition to begin Sept. 5. Any adjustment to those dates by the NAIA will necessitate the Conference re- evaluate its regular-season competition.

1. No adjustments will be made to the Conference playing schedules, full schedules will be played but schools are encouraged to work with their opponents if game days or start times can be moved to eliminate the need for overnight travel.
2. A game that is postponed due to COVID-19 screening protocols will be made up provided there is time in the calendar before the start of the postseason Tournament. Current final dates for games (as outlined in each sports’ guidelines) will not be extended to make-up these contests. Winning percentage (point percentage for soccer) will be used for Tournament qualifying and seeding if all teams do not complete their full Conference schedule.
3. Any game not played due to COVID-19 will be ruled “no contest,” no forfeits will be awarded.
4. Conference basketball games scheduled for Dec. 3 and Dec. 5 will be moved to dates after Jan. 1, 2021, that are mutually agreed upon by participating coaches.

Tournament: For fall sports, all teams that will not be under isolation and/or quarantine 24-hours before the start of the Tournament are eligible for the Tournament (this will add two teams to women’s tournaments and one team to men’s tournaments). Each coaches’ group will determine their tournament format with the additional teams and determine any regular-season schedule changes that are necessary.

From the final regular-season game until 72-hours before the start of the Tournament, if a team ends up in the level of isolation and/or quarantine that requires a game be postponed as outlined in Section I, that team will be removed from the Tournament and the Tournament will be re-seeded. Inside the 72-hour window or once the Tournament starts, a team’s removal from the Tournament will not result in re-seeding and that team’s scheduled opponent will receive a bye.

Basketball, baseball and softball tournaments will be reviewed no later than Dec. 15, 2020 (winter) and February 1, 2021 (spring). Coaches of these sports developed alternative tournament plans during the Conference Annual Meeting.

Actual Competitions: All pre- or post-game traditions, rituals or protocols that involve interaction between opponents or officials shall be eliminated. This includes interactions during the announcement of starting line-ups (no walk-out for soccer), pre-game and post-game handshakes, captain’s meetings and coin tosses. Necessary pre-game meetings (i.e. coin toss) shall include one individual from each team and one official that remain socially distanced.

Team benches set-up as best possible to comply with playing rules and social distancing guidelines. Individuals should sit in the same spot on the bench throughout the entire game to decrease contact with other people’s perspiration.

Any post-game interactions between athletes and family should be done in small groups (athlete only with her/his family) and take place outside the competition facility (lobby of gym is permissible).

All equipment will be cleaned during significant breaks in play (at minimum halftime/between sets).

When multiple games are played on the same day between different teams (i.e. basketball/soccer doubleheaders, volleyball tournaments), teams shall not have access to the bench area for up to 30-minutes following the conclusion of the previous contest. This time is necessary for athletic training staff to sanitize the bench areas, change out water coolers, and any other safety protocols that must be done between contests. If both bench areas are ready before that 30-minutes, the athletic trainer will give teams the ok to access the bench areas.

NOTE: SPECTATORS WILL BE RE-ADDRESSED BY THE COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS AND ATHLETICS DIRECTORS

DURING ZOOM MEETINGS IN LATE AUGUST AND EARLY SEPTEMBER.

When traveling, teams must wear facemasks while on the bus, in the team hotel, and any other time in a group

setting but not on the playing court/field or eating.

Everyone in the travel party must occupy the same seats on the bus throughout the entire trip. Bus seating should be arranged with consideration given to the hotel rooming list and on-campus housing (i.e. roommates and suitemates seated nearer).

Teams may travel as many athletes that are healthy and eligible to play in a contest as they choose but the remainder of the travel party (coaches, managers, injured athletes, sports information staff, etc.) is limited in number to that which is permitted for NAIA National Championships. Per NAIA Championship policy, two

athletic trainers are exempt from that travel party limit. The Travel Party Form must be sent to the host school at least 24-hours before the game

Schedule flexibility is strongly encouraged between schools, particularly when a date change or start time change could reduce the need (or length) of an overnight stay. Limiting time in a hotel reduces exposure to non-team members.

The Conference does not establish a policy for meals or hotels when teams are traveling but schools are required to have a written policy to limit exposures. When possible, reducing hotel rooms to double occupancy is recommended, pre-ordering meals and eating on the bus with just one or two individuals entering restaurants to pick-up food.

When multiple games are played on the same day between different teams (i.e. basketball/soccer

doubleheaders, volleyball tournaments), teams shall not have access to the bench area for up to 30-minutes following the conclusion of the previous contest. This time is necessary for athletic training staff to sanitize the bench areas, change out water coolers, and any other safety protocols that must be done between contests. If both bench areas are ready before that 30-minutes, the athletic trainer will give teams the ok to access the bench areas.

Each school should have procedures for cleaning locker rooms, benches, equipment and any other areas or items used during competition or practices. Ample amounts of hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes should be in facilities for games and practices, this includes any areas teams will use to congregate as well as the playing area.

Locker room usage is permissible by teams and officials but those must be disinfected before another team (even if from the same institution) or set of officials enter the locker room. Masks must be worn in the locker room.

Each school shall have a designated “isolation space” where members of the traveling team that screen positive on-site will be placed through the duration of that team’s stay on campus. access to restrooms should be considered when determining this space.

Guidelines for practices, including but not limited to details of the screening process, facility usage, athletic

training access and water, and use of PPE are left to the individual institutions.

Visiting teams are not permitted to practice at another institution’s facility when traveling for competition. This

will be re-evaluated when athletics directors review Return to Play Protocols for update effective Jan. 1, 2021.

Host institutions will only provide ice and taping services to visiting teams, no modalities will be provided.

Atheltic trainers from traveling teams should communicate with the host athletic trainer within 24-hours of the contest to provide their teams ice and taping needs. Traveling teams may travel with their own modalities if they deem it necessary.

Training room access should be limited, and only those individuals receiving or providing AT services should be in the room (or designated training area). Any individual seeking athletic training services must wear a mask. Each institution shall set a maximum capacity for athletic training facilities and any additional PPE requirements.

Staffing is limited to essential personnel only and all game day personnel must be screened upon entering the facility. Each institution will define “essential personnel.” Additional personnel may be necessary if PPE requirements or social distancing guidelines need to be enforced. If no fans are attending, PA announcers are non-essential. Ball persons for volleyball can be considered non-essential. If there is a rules modification that grants soccer referees authority to stop the clock when the ball goes out of bounds, ball persons for soccer can be considered non-essential. Use of PPE by game day staff and team members off the court/field should follow institution policy for general use around campus unless that policy provides an exception for athletics in which case the athletics department should have a policy. Institution’s policy should be included in the visiting team guide.

Concession stands are discouraged but left to the discretion of each institution.

Water bottles and towels will not be provided by the host institution. The host will have paper or plastic cups for drinking. Institutions may develop a policy that limits the number of individuals that can pour from water coolers. Such a policy must be communicated to the opposing schools. Hand sanitizer should be near the water coolers and used before and after pouring water into cups. If possible, a water cooler for the officials should also be courtside/on the sideline (with hand sanitizer).

Seating at the scorer’s table shall be limited to meet social distancing guidelines. Priority seating at the scorer’s table shall be granted to individuals required by playing rules. Anyone that normally sits at the scorer’s table that can be relocated (i.e. statisticians) should be seated elsewhere.

Electronic game programs only, no printed copies. Sports Information Directors will determine minimum standards for electronic game programs which should be easily accessible online through the use of QR Codes that can be scanned upon entry into the facility, signage around the facility with a direct link address to the online program, or easily visible on the athletics home page. When possible, it is recommended game programs be available online the day before the game so spectators can print a copy to bring with them.

In-game and post-game statistics will not be printed. Sports information staff should have computer monitors

on each side of the scorer’s table where coaches can review game stats between sets or at halftime. If playing rules permit coaches to utilize electronic devices on the bench, statistics can be transmitted accordingly.

When permissible under the playing rules, line-up exchanges should be done electronically.

The Conference and all member schools should have a COVID-19 page on their web site that is easily found from the home page. This should include campus COVID-19 policies, state and local guidelines that teams and spectators must abide by and all other COVID-19 related resources.

Officials are expected to abide by social distancing guidelines and screen themselves at home. Officials should notify their coordinator as soon as possible if the official has any signs or symptoms of COVID-19.

Game officials must be screened within three hours of the start of any contest they are assigned to work. The screening will be done in two parts. Through an online form, each official must respond to nine screening questions before arriving at their assignment (but not more than three hours before the game); if they answer any question in the affirmative they should contact their coordinator to be removed from the game. Upon arrival on-site, their temperature will be taken by the administrator that meets them upon arrival. Officials should remain in the parking lot until the entire crew arrives then enter the facility together.

Officials that screen positive on-site, will be paid a travel fee as outlined below. The game fee for an official that screens positive, less the travel fee, will be divided among the officials that work the contest.

**Travel stipends: 1-way travel less than 100 miles – no fee

1-way travel of 100-299 miles - $20 1-way travel of 300-499 miles - $25 1-way travel over 500 miles - $30

**Travel stipend is only for officials that arrive on-site, screen positive for COVID-19 and is removed from the officiating crew for that contest. If an official responds ‘yes’ to any of the screening questions prior to their arrival on-site, still arrives on-site and is removed from the contest, or they do not complete the screening questions before arriving on-site and are removed from a contest based on responses when asked on-site, they forfeit their travel fee.

An official that screens positive will be removed from assignments for the next 14-days or until the individual receives a negative COVID-19 test result. Institutions must notify the Conference office immediately following the screening process of officials to notify the commissioner if there is a positive screen.

If a contest is postponed due COVID-19 related reasons, officials that started to travel to the contest or have arrived on-site will be paid one-half of the game fee, regardless of the sport’s rule on officials’ jurisdiction (this may deviate from the normal Conference policy of paying officials). The above-referenced payment policy for officials’ screening positive on-site supersedes this.

All pre- or post-game traditions, rituals or protocols that involve interaction between opponents or officials shall be eliminated. This includes interactions during the announcement of starting line-ups (no walk-out for soccer), pre-game and post-game handshakes, captain’s meetings and coin tosses. Necessary pre-game meetings (i.e. coin toss) shall include one individual from each team and one official that remain socially distanced.

Towels and water bottles will not be provided by the host institution. When possible, host athletic trainers should set-up a water cooler for game officials. If an officials-only water cooler is not available, officials should ask an individual designated to pour from the water coolers on the bench to pour a cup of water, officials should not pour from a team water cooler themselves.

If game officials need athletic training services, they must communicate that via email to the host institution at least 24-hours in advance.

When available, officials will be given access to a locker room. Masks must be worn in the locker room, officials are expected to provide their own mask.

Anyone involved in intercollegiate athletics has the responsibility to be aware of their surroundings and do

their best to social distance, not just when together as a full or partial team, but in all parts of daily activity around campus and out in the community.

Return to play protocols apply to all sports sponsored by AMC institutions, whether a Conference sponsored sport or not, an all levels of those sports (varsity, junior varsity). Exceptions will be made if a sport is a member of another NAIA Conference with more stringent policies.

For non-Conference competition, AMC protocols apply to AMC schools until they arrive on-campus (or at the competition venue) of the non-Conference school and AMC protocols apply to non-AMC schools upon arrival on-campus (or at the competition venue). Schools must notify non-Conference opponents of our protocols.

Each individual institution, taking into account institution (non-athletic) policies, additional strain on staff, and facilities but most importantly the health and safety of athletes and coaches shall establish guidelines for permissible activities of out-of-season sports, however, if a team is playing or practicing, the Conference Return to Play Protocols are applicable.

Travel Party Form – filled out and sent to host school 24-to-48-hours before the contest Screening Form – to be used anytime the school screens athletes as a team