Tennessee Announces Plan, Guidelines for High School Football Season

The TSSAA was criticized highly a couple of weeks ago following a scheduled meeting that left student-athletes, parents, and coaches across the state with no answer as to what would happen for fall sports. Today, however, that changed, as the secondary athletic association agreed upon a plan to make fall sports possible.

There were multiple contingency plans in place for debate, and TSSAA Executive Director Bernard Childress showed the pros and cons of each one during the meeting.

Tennessee will move forward with a hybrid model, on a week-by-week basis, that is essentially a road map to how the season will unfold.

In a report from the Daily News Journal, it is stated:

In the hybrid football model, teams must complete an acclimation period and three weeks of practice before any competition. As the calendar progresses, region games will be moved to a later date and replace open dates or nonregion games as necessary.

The hybrid plan will focus on the determination from Governor Bill Lee, as it will be based on when teams are allowed to have contact.

The report from the News Journal also laid out the safety guidelines that will be in place.

Players, coaches and personnel will have to take a temperature check prior to practice every day. Any person with a temperature 100.4 or higher will be required to go home immediately and cannot return without a negative COVID-19 test or verification from a doctor that the temperature wasn't a cause of COVID-19.

No coach, player or personnel can compete without a COVID-19 questionnaire completed.

There will be no scrimmages, jamborees or seven-on-seven contests. Scrimmages must be limited to intrasquad.

Fans entering a facility must have temperatures taken (with exception given to children 2 and younger). The same guidelines that are in place for players and coaches remain. Temperature checklists must be posted prominently.

Member schools must require fans to wear face coverings while attending events.

Concession stands will not be prohibited but will be discouraged, with options that would ensure social distancing recommended.

Coaches must complete a NHFS COVID-19 course, which will be provided free.

This is certainly a step in the right direction for student-athletes who hope to see their senior season take place. Tennessee currently holds commitments from in-state prospects Hudson Wolfe, Elijah Howard, and Walker Merrill in the 2021 class.