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National Association Ranks Riskiest High School Sports For Coronavirus

(CBS13) — After months of staying home, playing virtual sports instead of playing with their teams, many high school athletes are ready to get back out there.

On Tuesday, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) issued new guidelines for returning to the field.

Phase 3 of the guidance breaks down the potential risk for different high school sports.

HIGHER RISK

Higher risk sports are activities that involve close contact among athletes, along with "lack of protective barriers, and high probability that respiratory particles will be transmitted," the NFHS guideline reads.

  • Wrestling
  • Football
  • Boys lacrosse
  • Competitive cheer
  • Dance

MODERATE RISK

Sports "that involve close, sustained contact, but with protective equipment in place that may reduce the likelihood of respiratory particle transmission between participants."

  • Basketball
  • Volleyball
  • Baseball
  • Softball
  • Soccer
  • Water polo
  • Gymnastics
  • Ice hockey
  • Field hockey
  • Tennis
  • Swimming relays
  • Pole vault
  • High jump
  • Girls lacrosse
  • Crew with two or more rowers in shell
  • 7-on-7 football

LOWER RISK

Sports "that can be done with social distancing or individually with no sharing of equipment or the ability to clean the equipment between use by competitors" are at a lower risk of spreading/sharing the coronavirus.

  • Individual running events
  • Throwing events (javelin, shot put, discus)
  • Individual swimming events
  • Golf
  • Weightlifting
  • Alpine skiing
  • Sideline cheer
  • Single sculling
  • Cross country running

 

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