ENGLAND RETURN TO PLAY GUIDANCE
UPDATE: The move to Step 4 on 19 July sees the removal of a large number of restrictions, with no set restrictions on how many people can take part in sport and physical activity.
The following simple overarching guidance of key considerations for tennis venues, coaches, officials and players is a summary of relevant Government guidance. An accompanying set of FAQs contain information on specific questions, whilst Sport England have also published separate FAQs.
Step 4 Guidance (19 July)
The country has moved to Step 4 of the Government roadmap from 19 July, meaning that most legal restrictions have been lifted. There are no longer any restrictions on how many people can take part in tennis activity, indoors or outdoors.
The Government has published guidance for the public and sports providers on how to organise and participate safely in sporting activity.
Tennis remains a naturally socially distant sport and relatively low risk activity. However, undertaking the following key considerations can help to ensure the safety of participants when attending tennis venues for officials, coaches and volunteers, reducing the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Participants
Tennis is a naturally socially distant sport, but players should take the following steps to reduce the risk of transmission when attending and participating in tennis activity.
1. Check for COVID-19 symptoms. Before attending any tennis activity, players (like officials, volunteers and coaches) should self-assess for symptoms of COVID-19. These are:
- a high temperature
- a new, continuous cough
- a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste
If you, or anyone you live with, have one or more of these symptoms you should not attend any sporting activity, even if your symptoms are mild. You should follow NHS guidance on testing and self-isolation. If you have been informed that you need to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace (or are required to self-isolate in relation to travel), you must do so. You should not leave your isolation location in order to participate in sport and physical activity. You can find more information in the NHS guidance on how to self-isolate.
2. Follow your provider’s safety measures. The venue you are attending, coach or provider may put in place safety measures, which could include asking you to ‘check in’ using the NHS app to scan their QR code, supporting NHS Test and Trace. Whilst this is no longer a legal requirement for venues or participants, it can support NHS Test and Trace and reduce risk of transmission of the virus.
3. Take part safely. As a socially distant sport, the risk of transmission of COVID-19 whilst participating is low. However, participants should continue to:
- Follow good hygiene practices, to reduce the risk of transmission in sport environments. Also consider the wishes of other participants (i.e. if they do not wish to shake hands after a match).
- Avoid sharing water bottles or other refreshment containers. Where possible, you should take your own drink, in a labelled or highly distinguishable container.
Face coverings are no longer required by law, but the government expects and recommends that people should continue to wear them in crowded and enclosed settings, to protect themselves and others.
Venues
In line with Government guidance, we recommend tennis venues undertake the following priority actions.
- Complete a health and safety risk assessment that includes risks from COVID-19. This should take into account any reasonable adjustments needed for staff and customers with disabilities, and should be shared with any staff. More information is available in the Government’s guidance and HSE guidance. There is additional advice for event organisers in the Events and Attractions guidance.
- Turn people with COVID-19 symptoms away. Staff members, customers and participants should self-isolate if they or someone in their household has symptoms of COVID-19. They must also self-isolate if they or someone in their household has had a positive COVID-19 result, or if they have been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace. If you know that a worker is self-isolating, you must not ask or make them come to work. It is an offence to do this.
- Provide adequate ventilation. Venues should make sure there is a supply of fresh air to enclosed spaces where there are people present. This can be natural ventilation through windows, doors and vents, mechanical ventilation using fans and ducts, or a combination of both. More information is available in the HSE guidance on ventilation and air conditioning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Clean more often. Venues should increase how often they clean surfaces, especially those that are touched a lot. Staff and customers should be encouraged to use hand sanitiser and clean their hands frequently.
- Enable people to check in at your venue. It is no longer a legal requirement to collect contact details, however doing so will help to support NHS Test and Trace to reduce the spread of the virus. Venues can enable people to check in by providing an NHS QR code poster, though you do not have to ask customers to check in or turn them away if they refuse. If you display an NHS QR code, you should also have a system to collect (and securely store) names and contact details for those who ask to check in but do not have the app.
- Communicate and train. Keep all your workers, contractors and visitors up-to-date on how you’re using and updating safety measures.
Further detailed considerations for venues are outlined on the Government website.
Coaches and Officials
Whilst tennis is a naturally socially distant sport and the risk from taking part in activity is low, coaches and officials should consider the following actions when organising tennis coaching or competitions, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
- Undertake a risk assessment - This should take into account any reasonable adjustments needed for staff and customers with disabilities, and should be shared with any staff. More information is available in the Government’s guidance and HSE guidance. There is additional advice for event organisers in the Events and Attractions guidance.
- Provide communications and guidance to participants in advance of attendance - including undertaking a self-assessment for symptoms of COVID, and that they should not take part if they need to self-isolate.
- Enable participants to check in – whilst it is not a legal requirement to collect participants’ contact details for NHS Test and Trace, and you do not have to ask participants to check in or turn them away if they refuse, the Government advises displaying an NHS QR code for those who wish to check in.
- Encourage participants to practice good hygiene – including avoiding shared water bottles. Depending on personal choice, different players may wish to continue with some changes, such as not shaking hands after participating. First aiders, physios or other medical personnel should continue to ensure good hygiene standards when treating participants.
- Avoid shared equipment – shared equipment should be avoided where possible and practical, and cleaned between uses where required.
- Encourage use of face coverings where appropriate – whilst no longer required by law, but the Government expects and recommends that people should continue to wear them in crowded and enclosed settings.
Large sporting events expecting a significant number of spectators should consult the Government’s guidance for events and attractions
SCOTLAND (updated 15 July)
Permitted Tennis Activity & Guidance
Tennis Scotland and the LTA have updated the summary grid (version 14) of permitted tennis activity by levels of protections to reflect new guidance from the Scottish Government for Level 0. To accompany the summary grid, we have also updated the full Tennis Scotland/LTA guidance document for tennis venues, coaches and players in Scotland (version 10.2).
All of Scotland will move to Level 0 on 19 July 2021, with a provisional date to move out of protection levels (‘Beyond Level 0’) from 9 August 2021. The Scottish Government are currently reviewing the baseline measures which are to be retained to mitigate ongoing risks of transmission ‘Beyond Level 0’. Additional guidance for sport and physical activity covering ‘Beyond Level 0’ will be provided when this information is available
The grid outlines what tennis activity is currently permitted in Scotland. Tennis venues, coaches, officials and players should therefore be aware that the details provided in this grid may change at short notice.
You can view and download the latest summary grid and full guidance document via the links below:
You can check which areas are at which protection level on the Scottish Government website, together with details of the general restrictions for each level:
Those involved in professional sports remain exempt for training and coaching, in line with strict COVID-secure protocols.
Scotland's roadmap out of lockdown
The guidelines for tennis activity in Scotland have been prodcued in consultation with sportscotland and follow the First Minster's announcement in February a roadmap out of lockdown for Scotland, with a subsequent outline provided of a provisional timetable for the easing of restrictions and a strategic framework for this, setting out how and when the Scottish Government plan to lift the current coronavirus restrictions over the coming weeks and months.
WALES (updated 21 June)
Updated Return to Play Guidelines
Following the Welsh Government Review on 7 June, Tennis Wales and the LTA have updated the Return to Play Guidance in Wales.
Download Guidance
You can download the full, updated Tennis Wales and LTA guidance document for tennis venues, coaches and players in Wales via the link below:
Key Changes
Tennis Activity - Coaching & Competitions
The major change from this recent review sees a significant increase in the number of people who can meet in regulated activity (coaching and competitions) outdoors including the return of spectating.
Coached sessions should be limited to:
- Group size outdoors is limited by the venue and coach risk assessment which includes taking all reasonable measures to minimise the risk of exposure to and spread of coronavirus. Reasonable measures include ensuring 2 metre social distancing can be maintained at all times.
- 30 people indoors aged 18+ including coaches;
- For children and young people (under 18) there are no limits on group size indoors for coached activity, subject to risk assessment.
Competitions should be limited to:
- Competition size outdoors is limited by the venue and competition risk assessment which includes taking all reasonable measures to minimise the risk of exposure to and spread of coronavirus. Reasonable measures include ensuring 2 metre social distancing can be maintained at all times.
- 30 people indoors aged 11+ not including officials, people working and volunteers – multiple discreet waves of competition can be organised indoors.
- For children and young people (under 11) there are no limits on group size indoors for competitions, subject to risk assessment.
Please ensure you adhere to LTA player coach ratios at all times and also ensure that you do not breach the maximum number of people per court within the return to play guidance.
The upper limited for all regulated activity set by Welsh Government is 10,000 people standing and 4,000 people seated outdoors, in practical terms NO tennis venue can accommodate these numbers in Wales.
For all activity the size of your venue and the number of courts you have will dictate the maximum people who can participate or be in attendance – to ensure 2m social distancing is maintained on and off court at all times.
Spectating
Spectating at tennis venues and activities outdoors is now allowed but should be minimised where possible:
- People should spectate outdoors in discreet groups of up to 30 people (not including children under 11 or carers) maintaining social distance between themselves (other than groups of people only from the same extended household arrangement) and all other groups spectating
- For all outdoor spectating, the size of your venue will dictate the maximum number of people who can be in attendance – to ensure 2m social distancing is maintained on and off court at all times. This maximum number should be documented in your risk assessment
- Venues should consider marking out specific boxes/areas for the purpose of maintaining social distance
- To support safe spectating outdoors we strongly recommend all tennis venues in Wales use the Government website to create your own unique QR codes this can be done here for use with the NHS Covid-19 App. These should be placed on prominent display at the entrance to your venue;
- For Test Trace and Protect purposes require your members and visitors to download the app and use the ‘venue check in’ function. Much more information on the app and links to download can be found here.
- The wearing of face masks outdoors for spectators is a reasonable measure that will assist with stopping the spread of Covid-19.
Spectating at tennis venues and activities indoors is not allowed other than for one parent/guardian of children participating.