Temperature checks, sterilisation, ban on spitting: Dubai Sports Council outlines rules for reopening facilities

Sports activities will recommence in Dubai on Wednesday under strict new safety guidelines including mandatory temperature checks, “calendarisation” and sterilisation of shared equipment, plus a ban on spitting. Dubai Sports Council distributed an eight-page document detailing the regulations for a return to sports activities following Eid Al Fitr. It includes a breakdown of the safety measures the sports establishments themselves need to put in place, as well as plans for individual sports. No tournaments or events can take place and venues will be restricted to a maximum of 50 per cent capacity, with a recommendation of one person per four square metres per facility. The measures include the “compulsory wearing of masks for all staff and trainers at all times on premises”. Dubai Sports Council also recommend that staff use “protective goggles, or a face shield while dealing with visitors”. Commonly used items such as “medicine balls, dumbbells, kettlebells, weight belts, bars and plates” must be used “on strict calendarisation basis”. That means no two people can use equipment at the same time, and it must be sanitised before use by another person. A personal trainer is allowed “a maximum two trainees only with a minimum 2m distance to be maintained”. In terms of specific sports, recommendations for football training include a maximum of 20 players with five coaches, with a maximum of four players per coach, on a full-sized pitch split into four sections. “Equipment should be touched only by the player/coach and should be sanitised (at least once per hour, including balls, target boards, cones, tables, etc.)”, the guidelines state. “Preferable to use new set of balls after every reservation/training session. Ball collection and pickups to be performed strictly by staff. “Changing sides are after each set is not permitted.” Cricket will be limited to “group coaching with no more than eight participants in a coaching session”. Nets will be limited to six players, while there will be no spitting and “no use of sweat or saliva on the cricket ball”. Shared protective equipment is not permitted. Rugby will be limited to “group coaching with a maximum of 10 participants in a coaching session,” including the coach. There will be a maximum of four players per coach.

Temperature checks, sterilisation, ban on spitting: Dubai Sports Council outlines rules for reopening facilities

Sports establishments must put new safety measures in place