MIniRoos Football Returns: Hygiene Measures

Basic Hygiene and Safety Protocols for Players, Staff and Participants:

You can publicly display the measures below at your facility (view resources) or share with your participants prior to each session/training using your preferred communication platform.  

  • No shaking hands, high fives, huddles or touching hands when greeting anyone or celebrating with teammates.
  • Wash your hands frequently with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. Download poster.
  • Maintain social distancing of at least 1.5m apart or in accordance with prescribed Government direction. Download poster.
  • No shaking hands, high fives, huddles or touching hands when greeting anyone or celebrating with teammates.
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.
  • Important to cover mouth when coughing and sneezing, either via use of a tissue or the bend in the person’s elbow. Tissues should be placed immediately in the bin after use. Download poster.
  • Limit physical contact.
  • No spitting or clearing nasal secretions.
  • Bring your own training kit as there will be no shared personal equipment such as towels, drink bottles, jerseys, bibs etc. Ensure you label your own water bottle.
  • Keep alcohol-based sanitiser with you at all times and use before and after any public interactions.
  • Wipe down all surfaces and objects with appropriate disinfectant wipes or soap, particularly those frequently touched. This includes door handles, phones, personal equipment etc.
  • Players and staff should arrive dressed in club kit/training gear and ready to train.
  • Shower at home before and after training as use of communal facilities will be minimised.
  • Pay using card/mobile rather than cash.

Measures for Access to Club Facilities and Training Venues (Club Premises):

Each COVID-19 Operational Plan must prescribe processes for the following matters:

  • Staggered arrival time for attendance at Club’s/Site’s premises.
  • if the Club/Site has a large number of participants, consider rosters/schedules for teams/groups to comply with Government restrictions and limit numbers coming into contact with each other.
  • Limit venue access to only essential staff and visitors unless necessary.
  • Identify entry and exit points that will be open during hours of facilities and display hygiene requirements and sanitising stations at these points.
  • Maintain a record of all persons entering and leaving the Club’s/Site’s premises.
  • Ensure educational material is placed around Club/Site facilities and training venues particularly around good hygiene practices. This educational material must include the following posters:
    - Information about routine environmental cleaning and disinfection in the community
    In-house Services: Minimising the risk of exposure to COVID-19

Hygiene at Club Facilities and Additional Club Initiatives:

All users of Club/Site facilities must comply with the facilities’ rules and guidelines and these should be detailed in the relevant COVID-19 Operational Plan. These guidelines must include the following hygiene practices:

  • Hand sanitiser, tissues, paper hand towel and disinfectant spray bottles available at all times on premises and Players and all Club staff to access at all times.
  • Social distancing complied with across all interaction apart from essential occurrences such as medical treatment.
  • Equipment must be sanitised between use - Wipe down all equipment with disinfectant wipes before and after use for each exercise.
  • Club must have procedures for cleaning of all training equipment including corner flags, goal posts, cones, carry bags, balls etc.
  • Bibs must not be allocated to players or they must wash and bring back next session.
  • Management of all football equipment will be undertaken independently of the Players and, where, possible be separated from the Players. Recommended that clubs appoint a member to carry out the disinfection of the equipment
  • Minimise use of shared facilities such as showers/change rooms/bathrooms. Where such use is required ensure appropriate hygiene and social distancing measures are implemented and adhered to and consider designating spots in these areas for Players (including to place their training kit) and mark out such areas with tape and monitor compliance.
  • Regular and thorough cleaning of all areas and consider any additional requirements for shared spaces. Provide suitable rubbish bins with regular waste disposal.
  • Remove all shared food and drink stuffs that might ordinarily be available pre-COVID-19;
  • Reduce the amount of time spent in shared space and groups of people.
  • Players and Staff should not store any personal items or technical equipment at the training venue.
  • Clubs to consider Government resources to implement appropriate cleaning and disinfection principles including the following:
    Cleaning in healthcare setting 
    Routine household cleaning