2021 Onsite Tournament Protocols

2021 COVID-19 Protocols

*Updated 12/28/2020 - 

Regional Tournament Dates and Locations - Several regions have secured facilities for later this spring and this information is being added to the dashboard as contracts are finalized. Your Regional Director will also send information via email about these onsite locations. For areas still seeking onsite facilities, we will continue to operate on the rolling 8-week basis outlined in the December 2 update below. 

Attendee Requirements - NCFCA is committed to doing everything within our control to host a successful onsite event. With various and often conflicting requirements by governmental agencies, NCFCA will encourage attendees to educate themselves and to comply with all COVID-19-related mandates. As an organization, we will comply to the extent possible depending in part on state, local, and facility practices. All specific requirements will be communicated prior to registration closing (if they are known), as well as in the final details email prior to arrival onsite. 

Attendees must:

• affirm compliance with the published Sick Policy (see below)
• submit a release waiver that acknowledges the risk of contracting illness at an onsite tournament

*Please note that these requirements will be updated throughout the season as circumstances change. 

Sick Policy (from the NCFCA League Handbook v1.1)

• Attendees at onsite tournaments should be free from symptoms of illness. Any person exhibiting symptoms including but not limited to cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever (100.4+), chills, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting, or diarrhea will be required to drop from the tournament and exit the facility. 
• Attendees must have been fever free without the aid of medication for 48 hours. 
• Any participant who has had recent close contact with someone diagnosed with or exhibiting signs of COVID-19, influenza, or other infectious disease, or has been instructed by a health care provider to quarantine may not attend.
• Love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 20:31) Beyond the specific policy and situations listed here, please be considerate and thoughtful of others when making decisions about attending an onsite tournament. 

Tournament Adjustments - Policy remains the same as 12/2 below

The NCFCA mission is accomplished when students and their families are able to participate in our training and competitive opportunities. While recognizing the complexities of the upcoming season, with the following protocols in place, we are cautiously optimistic that onsite tournaments will be possible in at least some areas of the country. NCFCA will only host an onsite tournament when practical and will comply with and enforce all national, state, local, and facility mandates. If we are not reasonably able to meet these requirements, we will move to an online format as outlined below. 

Announcement of Regional Tournament Dates and Locations
In a normal season, we would have finalized contracts and a complete schedule for all tournaments. Unfortunately, the challenges of this season are still very real, and while many schools and churches are willing to host us, they are dealing with their primary mission priorities and are unsure of what early 2021 will bring.

With those obstacles in mind, NCFCA will remain flexible over the next few months and continue to evaluate regional opportunities on a rolling 8-week basis. We will announce tournament dates as they are finalized but no later than 8 weeks prior to the tournament date. 

If the 8-week projection makes it clear that no facility has been confirmed or that restrictions will make an onsite tournament impractical or impossible, we will announce online tournament dates for the region. 

Attendee Requirements
NCFCA recognizes the right and responsibility of every family to evaluate the best decision in regards to attending an onsite tournament. As an organization, there are also requirements that we must meet in order to host onsite tournaments. These requirements will make it possible to ensure that we are doing everything within our control to host a successful event.

Attendees must:

• affirm compliance with the published Sick Policy (see below)
• submit a release waiver that acknowledges the risk of contracting illness at an onsite tournament
• comply with all national, state, local, and facility mandates 
• be encouraged to wear a mask and social distance (if no mandate is in place)

*Please note that these requirements will be updated throughout the season if circumstances change.

• Sick Policy (from the NCFCA League Handbook v1.1)
• Attendees at onsite tournaments should be free from symptoms of illness. Any person exhibiting symptoms including but not limited to cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever (100.4+), chills, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting, or diarrhea will be required to drop from the tournament and exit the facility. 
• Attendees must have been fever free without the aid of medication for 48 hours. 
• Any participant who has had recent close contact (within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more) with someone diagnosed with or exhibiting signs of COVID-19, influenza, or other infectious disease, or has been instructed by a health care provider to quarantine may not attend.
• Love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 20:31) Beyond the specific policy and situations listed here, please be considerate and thoughtful of others when making decisions about attending an onsite tournament. 

Tournament Adjustments
Based on recent history, it seems reasonable to assume that circumstances may continue to change throughout the winter and early spring. If a change in restrictions or facility availability occurs after a date and location has been announced, the change protocol will follow the outline below.