By Aris Barkas / info@eurohoops.net
ECA and EuroCup board representatives met via teleconference Thursday to discuss and approve of the health and security protocol for the upcoming season. The details of the protocol will be finalized next week, and there is a general consensus on the decisions taken. Clubs are expected to give additional feedback in the coming days.
In the case of COVID restrictions, games can be relocated to a neutral gym. Since traveling could be an issue, clubs will ask local authorities for special permits for traveling regularly around Europe, while most teams will use charter flights.
Moreover, financial fines due to COVID-related difficulties in scheduling a game were never on the table, according to league sources. Of course, the bylaws of the EuroLeague still stand and include a 150.000 euros fine for any team which rejects to play a game with no justified cause.
There could be possible modifications to the schedule due to the COVID-related traveling restrictions, but that depends on the way the season will unfold.
Per EuroLeague:
The EuroCup Board and the Euroleague Commercial Assets (ECA) Shareholders Executive Board met remotely on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, to review and discuss key regulations and protocols that will be in place across the 2020-21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup competitions as they start on 1 October and 29 September, respectively. The agenda for both meetings included two central topics, the Euroleague Basketball Health & Safety Protocols as well as Special Regulations Due to COVID-19.
The Health & Safety Protocols, which aim at providing competition participants and all other stakeholders with minimum standards to be applied in every EuroLeague and EuroCup game, establishes conditions to protect every individual’s health as well as that of their families’ under the current COVID-19 environment. The protocols, developed in coordination with league & club doctors, consulted with all 42 clubs, the EuroLeague Players Association, the EuroLeague Head Coaches Board, the Union of Euroleague Basketball Officials, Domestic Leagues and ULEB, has been constructed including the experience gained by other major international and domestic sports competition organizers, and details among other topics:
– Basic hygiene rules of conduct: hands washing, social distancing, face mask usage and ventilation
– Arena and practice facility guidelines establishing a maximum number of individuals in the playing court and locker room areas
– Appointment of a COVID-19 manager in each club, educational sessions, recommended daily health monitoring, medical assessment forms
– Players, coaching staff and referees to perform a PCR test three days ahead of every game, with protocols to follow in case of a positive PCR test result
– Guidelines for hotels, transportation, referees, TV production, media, spectators
The Protocols, once approved, are a vivid and fluid document and will be regularly reviewed and adapted to any potential evolution of the current situation.
The Special Regulations are set to maintain the regularity of the competitions as much as possible to deliver on the commitments with fans and commercial partners, and to protect all clubs in competition, establishing a clear and equal framework to be applied to all clubs in special circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Their content is the result of continuous communication and alignment of standards with other major European sports competitions organizers including UEFA. The Special Regulations include, amongst others:
– Rules around potential suspension, relocation and rescheduling of games in the event of restrictions being imposed by domestic authorities that prevent any games from being played
– Definition of roles and responsibilities in the event that games are being relocated
– Establishing end dates by which all games of the different phases of each competition must have been played
Euroleague Basketball is continuously monitoring border and quarantine restrictions in place and updating all clubs regularly.
Updated versions of the Health & Safety Protocols and Special Regulations including the agreed modifications will be circulated to the ECA Shareholders Executive Board members for approval.