Please take time to read and understand the protocols listed below. These have been designed to minimise the risk to players, families and other users of the venues and must be strictly followed.

The protocols have been split in to three sections:

1. General Protocols - which apply to all members.
2. Junior Coaching - which apply to the organised group coaching sessions.
3. Adults' Practice - which apply to the adults' practice sessions.

General Protocols

These apply to all members at all times.

• If you are showing coronavirus symptoms or if any of your household are self-isolating you must stay at home and not use our facilities.
• You must contact the Chairman by telephone or email if you or any of your contacts/household test positive for Coronavirus.
• You must only attend sessions to which you have been allocated.
• If you find you cannot attend a session you must immediately notify the Chairman.  This is so that we can keep an accurate record of who was in the building at any given time in case contact tracing is necessary.  Please be advised that your details may be shared with NHS Track and Trace in line with Government guidelines.
• You must adhere to social distancing guidelines at all times.
• Members must adhere to good hygiene practices throughout their time at the Club.
• Equipment cannot be shared within a session. Players should bring their own bats, and any equipment belonging to the Club must be cleaned after use.
• There are to be no more than three tables up at any time and the courts must be barriered.
• Equipment should only be put up or packed away by the coaches or keyholder for the session.  Barriers are to be left intact and stored in the committee room, to the left of the door as you enter.
• Before leaving, the coaches or the keyholder for the group/session should wipe down any common touch points (e.g. door handles).  Players should also take responsiblity for this and use the equipment provided after contacting any common touch points.

Protocols for Junior Coaching Sessions 

These apply to coaches and players on junior coaching sessions.

Arrival

• Players to arrive no more than 10 minutes before the start of their session and will only be allowed to enter the building 5 minutes before.
• Players to wait in the car park and are responsible for adhering to social distancing rules if they are not in cars.
• Players must give the exiting group space to leave - i.e. no congregating by the door.
• Players must wait for all of the preceding group to have left before entering the building.
• Coach 1 for the session will open the door, take a register of players attending, confirm that no one feels ill and ensure that players sanitise their hands on entry.
• Coach 1 for the session will close the door, ensuring the magnetic lock engages, once all players are in.
• Players only are permitted to enter the building.  In order to ensure social distancing, spectators will not be permitted.
• Players must go directly to the training hall.

 Preparing to play

• Coach 2 for the session will direct players entering the hall to their distanced 'bag drop' locations along the back (cupboard) wall.
• All clothing/equipment must be left in the player's bag and not left out on the floor.
• No chairs are to be used.
• Players should bring the minimum equipment necessary: bat, shoes, towel, water/drink.  Please note that balls will be provided for junior coaching sessions.
• Players should sanitise their hands as soon as possible after entering, using either the sanitiser provided at the entrance or their own.  Players are advised to bring their own hand sanitiser where possible.

On court

• Players to keep at least 1m apart at all times and remain in their own barriered courts.
• No high fives, hand shaking, fist bumps or any physical contact is permitted.
• No wiping of hands/sweat on the tables.
• Coaches only to retrieve stray balls.  Players to ask coach to pass their ball back - players are not to kick balls to each other!
• Players must not clean their bats or balls by breathing on them and wiping them off.  Players should bring their own cleaning equipment if they deem it necessary.
• Towels and drinks to be taken to the table with the player and kept with the player if rotating partners.
• Players to use atomisers (provided and stored in cupboard) on each table and each end to regularly clean the balls and hands during training.

Coach interaction

• Coaches to use separate balls for demos.
• Coaches to give advice from a safe social distance and not unnecessarily enter the playing area.
• All coaches to follow the current TTE guidelines.
• Coaches to confirm mid-session that everyone is feeling okay.
• Strict time-keeping to be kept and coaches to issue a five minute warning before the end of the session.
• All on table activities MUST finish very promptly with no running-over due to cross-over protocols.

After play

• Players to sanitise their hands and balls.
• Balls to be collected by the coaches from each table.
• Players to then immediately clean their half of the table using the products provided.  Please note that the cleaning of the table must be done at once to ensure there is enough drying time between sessions.
• Coach 1 for the session to direct players to their bags ensuring adherence to social distancing.
• Coach 2 to open front door and let current session out, ensuring adherence to social distancing.
• Coach 2 to invite the following session's coaches in (if applicable) once the outgoing group have exited.
• Coach 2 (or the following session's coaches if applicable) to invite the players in for the next session, following the protocols for arrival.
• Players are not to let themselves out, or enter without being invited in.
• Coaches should not enter the building until the previous session's coaches have confirmed it is okay to do so.

Protocols for Adults' Practice Sessions

These apply to all members on adults' practice sessions.

Arrival

• Players to arrive no more than 10 minutes before the start of their session and may only enter the building 5 minutes before the start time.
• Players to wait in the car park and are responsible for adhering to social distancing rules if they are not in cars.
• Players must give the exiting group space to leave - i.e. no congregating by the door.
• Players must wait for all of the preceding group to have left before entering the building.
• The keyholder for the group/evening will open the door, confirm that no one feels ill and ensure that players sanitise their hands on entry.
• Players only are permitted to enter the building.  In order to ensure social distancing, spectators will not be permitted.
• Players must go directly to the training hall.

 Preparing to play

• The keyholder for the group/evening to direct players entering the hall to distanced 'bag drop' locations along the back (cupboard) wall.
• All clothing/equipment must be left in the player's bag and not left out on the floor.
• As a general rule, no chairs are to be used.  If an adult requires a chair they are responsible for cleaning down and putting away when they leave, giving due consideration to the short change over period between sessions.
• Players should bring the minimum equipment necessary: bat, shoes, towel, water/drink, balls.
• Players should sanitise their hands as soon as possible after entering, using either the sanitiser provided at the entrance or their own.  Players are advised to bring their own hand sanitiser where possible.

On court

• Players to keep at least 1m apart at all times and remain in their own barriered courts.
• No high fives, hand shaking, fist bumps or any physical contact is permitted.
• No wiping of hands/sweat on the tables.
• Each player to have their own ball, which should be clearly marked to aid identification.
• Players must only touch their own balls.
• Players must not clean their bats or balls by breathing on them and wiping them off.  Players should bring their own cleaning equipment if they deem it necessary.
• Players not to leave courts to retrieve balls. Balls should be gently rolled back with bats into adjacent courts.
• Towels and drinks to be taken to the table with the player and kept with the player if rotating partners.
• Players to regularly sanitise hands during play and especially if rotating partners.

Timekeeping

• Strict time-keeping is to be maintained to avoid disrupting the following sessions.
• The keyholder for the group/evening should announce a five minute warning before the end of the session.
• The keyholder for the group/evening to announce the end of the session and all players to immediately stop play and follow the after play protocols.

After play

• Players to sanitise hands.
• Players to then immediately clean their half of the table using the products provided.  Please note that the cleaning of the table must be done at once to ensure there is enough drying time between sessions.
• Players to pack their equipment away and leave the building.
• Players must be considerate of the incoming group, leaving promptly, not hanging around to chat, and maintaining social distancing.
• Please note that players have 5 minutes to clean tables, pack up and leave before the following session.  This is tight, to allow as many sessions as possible to run, but it is very achievable!