On July 10, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) updated its “Return to Play” plan and provided an update on the fall school sports season.
The official start of the fall sports season is being pushed back by approximately one month, with summer workouts for high school student-athletes – which may begin on July 13 – continuing until Aug. 28. Following summer workouts (also known as the “summer recess period”), there will be a two-week hiatus from Aug. 29 through Sept. 13, during which only virtual meetings will be permitted, and only related to in-season (fall) sports.
Under the current plan – developed by the NJSIAA Sports Advisory Task Force, which is composed of athletic directors from across the state – official practices for all fall sports may commence on Sept. 14. Competition will start Sept. 28 for girls tennis and on Oct. 1 for all other sports except football, which will kick off its season on Oct. 2.
Regular seasons will conclude on Oct. 23 for girl’s tennis, Nov. 7 for football, and Nov. 12 for all other fall sports. Limited postseason play will run from Oct. 24 through Oct. 31 for girls tennis, and Nov. 13 through Nov. 22 for all other sports. Schools that do not participate in the postseason may continue to play until Nov. 22, with the exception being Thanksgiving football games. These are permissible after Nov. 22, at each school’s discretion. No other fall sports competition will be allowed after Nov. 22.
“High school sports are school-based, so we need to first ensure all is in order with the opening of our schools,” says Colleen Maguire, NJSIAA chief operating officer. “After that, we can begin playing sports. To be clear, our goal is to return to play – while making sure that health, safety, emotional well-being, and academics come first.”
More details are available here.