Download the PDF version of this communique here.

Dear Field Hockey BC Members

Following Return to Responsible Play meetings with viaSport BC this week and a subsequent lobby to the Provincial Health Office, I am writing to provide a community update that most significantly again removes the Youth group size limit and associated restriction and returns decision-making to the LSO to determine reasonable Youth Group sizes according to program, play, and facility access. In this case, please refer to point #6 below (noting that Adult group size restrictions remain in place – point #5):

1. Both Adult members and Youth members may return to Outdoor field hockey activity.
2. Activity is NO LONGER restricted to a ‘Home Club’ and the associated local outdoor facility(s). Organized Sport travel within BC is now permissible having been re-designated and included under recreational travel within the latest PHO order revision. The ‘Home Club’ restriction is therefore removed.
3. See point 2 above – Travel is NO LONGER restricted to a ‘Home Club’ and the associated local outdoor facility(s)
4. Physical Distancing is no longer required for outdoor field hockey activity.
   • This is restricted to the designated field of play AND field infrastructure (team bench areas). Off-field physical distancing 2m and associated COVID safety plans must still be adhered to.
5. Adult group size on any single outdoor field facility should be restricted to within the ‘Rule of 50’. This group size limit includes Coaches, Officials, Managers, Trainers, and other Supporting Personnel.
6. There is no maximum group size for Youth (Under 22) to allow for greater flexibility in delivery.
   • Subject to Municipal and/or Operator/Owner rules and regulations, LSO’s may now decide what is reasonable in the numbers of Youth members (Under 22) able to access a single outdoor field of play facility. Municipal or Operator rules and regulations must be adhered to which may require adherence to specific group size limit set by the Municipality or facility Operator.
7. There is no need or requirement to form participant cohorts.
8. With no requirement for cohort modelling, members may interact within a training and/or game play environment.
9. COVID Safety Plans must still be in place and adhered to.
10. Attestation Form completion ahead of participant activity is still required.
11. Outdoor Spectators (up to a maximum of 50) are now permitted. Municipal or Operator rules and regulations must be adhered to which may require adherence to a specific spectator size limit set by the Municipality or facility Operator.
12. The requirement for a new PSO Responsible Return to Play Framework aligning to ‘Restart 2.0’ still requires further viaSport BC and Provincial Government guidance.

For further detail regarding Field Hockey’s COVID-19 response and to access information on the Provincial Government Restart 2.0 plan, as well as Responsible Return to Play Framework documentation, please refer to the Field Hockey BC website at: https://fieldhockeybc.com/covid-19-response/. Further reference material can be found on the viaSport BC website at https://www.viasport.ca/return-sport.

Yours in sport,

Mark Saunders
Executive Director
Field Hockey BC
June 18, 2021