Social distancing scrapped, no mandatory face masks, no limit on spectators…

Fantastic news – the return to normality for our domestic football gets ever closer….

The FAW have announced that from midnight, there is now no limit on the amount of spectators allowed into our grounds. Social distancing is no longer required and the wearing of face masks is no longer mandatory.

However, clubs should still carry out individual risk assessments to minimise the risk of exposure or spread of Covid.

But today’s update to the Return to Play Regulations is very welcome news for our clubs across the country.

Hopefully these regulations that should be updated next week will ease a few more things for clubs in the coming weeks.

The new regulations are good to go from tomorrow (Saturday) so get out there and enjoy your football – you’ve earned it!

In a statement today, the FAW said:

“This week the Welsh Government announced there will no longer be a legal requirement for outdoor social distancing from midnight on Saturday, 17 July.

“Whilst clubs must still ensure that they minimize the risk of exposure to and spread of coronavirus, the Football Association of Wales has made appropriate amendments to its Return to Spectator Regulations.

“The updated Regulations are applicable for all FAW Official Matches and Open Friendly Matches, where spectators are permitted to attend, with the exception of matches that are played in public parks, which are not enclosed.

“The amended Regulations still retain the key remaining principles of Welsh Government which are:

Individual Club Risk Assessment
Track and Trace

“The fundamental principles of the document are now limited to only:

The host club’s COVID-19 Protocol Compliance Officer must keep records of all spectators for Test, Trace, Protect purposes. These details must be retained for 21 days.

“Clubs must complete a specific coronavirus risk assessment which should form the basis for what reasonable measures to take on any premises to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus and the risk of spread of coronavirus.

“Consequently, previous requirements of temperature testing, spectator code of conduct, legal social distancing, maximum capacities and mandatory face masks are all removed from the Return to Spectator Regulations.

“The medical questionnaire is recommended as part of the Track and Trace documentation and to reduce the risk of spread of coronavirus

“Please note that the FAW Return to Play Regulations are being reviewed and an updated version will be shared next week. However, there will be no changes to the continued forbidden use of dressing rooms at this stage.“