FAI Safer Return To Play Protocol

The FAI has issued a second edition of the Safer Return to Training Protocol that will apply to all clubs under its jurisdiction from June 29th.

https://www.fai.ie/domestic/news/fai-safer-return-to-play-protocol

  1. The COVID-19 Compliance Officer must keep a register of ALL Players, Match Officials, Coaches, Parents/Guardians, Volunteers and Administrators attending the match.
  2. Each club is responsible for providing its own COVID-19 Compliance Officer with a list of attendees for every game, home or away.
  3. This will include name and contact details.
  4. Referee must ensure the covid contact for each club is written into the match card, with name and contact number.

We will list some of the changes that are new:

  1. Showers cannot be used.
  2. Changing rooms can be used if 2 meters distance can be observed. We are not professionals, just travel in your gear, or change in your car....stay out of dressing rooms entirely.
  3. Bring your own labelled water. No sharing of water.
  4. No spitting allowed.

General Rules

  1. Competition is run by Ger Ryan and Tommy Murphy.
  2. Players must be age 35 on the day of the match.
  3. Matches are mid-week, every week, normally Wednesdays.
  4. Roll-on, roll-off, unlimited substitutions, 45 minutes a side.
  5. Both teams come to an agreement for every group game, as long as they are played that week.
  6. Home team arranges time and day of match with away manager, and then appoints official referee.
  7. Home teams arrange and pay for referee, set fee of €50 per game.
  8. Match Cards to be Completed by both teams and the referee.
  9. Red cards will have 1 match automatic ban.
  10. More serious bans for more serious bad conduct, which may also include points reduction for the team.
  11. "Sin Bin".
    1. 10 minutes.
    2. Team will be down by 1 player (substitute not allowed to replace the player that is in the bin; but can choose to put another player on after the 10 minutes is up)
    3. It is designed to allow a referee to get a player to leave the field having done something stupid; to cool down.
    4. The referee should always use the Yellow Card and Red Card as normal. Players should be sent off if there is any violent conduct and reported to me.
  12. No junior players can play in the "O35s Division 1" for 2020 - for the avoidance of doubt this must exclude any player who will be registered on FAInet for any junior team in any division (Premier, Division 1/2/3/4, Reserve) for the new 2020-2021 season. This is because the O35s in 2020 directly clashes with Junior competitions; and players who play Junior must put Junior as a higher priority.
  13. All teams must comply with government and FAI guidelines on covid-19.
  14. Any team who does not supply a covid officer on the day will forfeit the match and must pay the referee fee.