What if COVID-19 disrupts playoffs? KHSAA issues new scheduling guide for postseason.
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association knew that playing sports during a pandemic would lead to some difficult choices for its members, and while there have been cancellations and temporary team shutdowns across the state, the KHSAA has managed to complete one of its fall sports and has entered the postseason with another.
Boys’ and girls’ golf completed their championships last week. But there have been problems.
This week, the KHSAA issued guidelines for how the boys’ and girls’ soccer postseasons would commence with 25 Kentucky counties considered to be “critical” or “red” on the state’s COVID-19 incidence rate map. Schools in such areas are urged — but not required — to shut down their athletic programs as long as their county is in a “red” condition.
Many “red” county teams in all sports — football, soccer, volleyball and cross country — have played on. And they’ve done this despite some opponents refusing to host them or visit for their scheduled contests. Teams are allowed to cancel without penalty during COVID-19.
But now, it’s playoff time, and the KHSAA has said if a “red” county team is playing, they must be allowed to participate in the postseason.
Teams that refused to play red county schools before must do so now or bow out of the tournaments themselves.
Districts are encouraged to settle the matter among their schools if there’s a disagreement about a school from a “red” county hosting or participating in a tournament.
“Most of the concerns and situations revolve around (Kentucky Department of Public Health’s) designation of “red counties,” which as you all are aware, is not binding on athletic competition but merely a recommendation to the member schools,” the KHSAA document said. It then outlined several ways to resolve conflicts over “red” county team participation.
With 63 districts across 16 regions, it’s uncertain how many host sites in “red” counties had to be moved. In Fayette County, which dropped out of red last week, the 42nd District held its early soccer rounds at the higher-seeded school rather than have one site host the entire event.
Last week, Scott County, the only team in the 42nd District not from Fayette, faced having its tournament seedings be based on the KHSAA’s Rating Percentage Index rankings rather than on results because it had been canceling regular-season district games over Fayette’s COVID-19 “red” status concerns. When Fayette dropped out of the red last Wednesday, Scott County hastily rescheduled games against those opponents and avoided the RPI alternative.
Three boys’ soccer teams across the state have voluntarily bowed out of the postseason due to COVID-19 concerns. Morgan County, Estill County and Whitefield Academy did not participate in their district tournaments. On the girls’ side, Morgan’s and Whitefield’s seasons ended, too, but Estill was set to face Powell County for the 54th District title Wednesday.
Many more teams saw huge portions of their regular-season schedules canceled. Menifee County had its last five scheduled games canceled, but played in its district tournament and was also set for a title game Wednesday night.
In its guidelines issued Monday, the KHSAA admonished schools not to cloak competition concerns in the “red” status issue.
“In the vast majority of cases, the schools have worked cooperatively but in more than one situation, it is somewhat obvious that competitive advantages have been in the back of people’s minds in discussions,” the KHSAA document said. “It is certainly no longer solely about “we are just glad we get to play.” With trophies at stake, some opinions have changed.”
With COVID-19 issues expected to linger for the foreseeable future, the KHSAA’s guidance will likely apply to the volleyball postseason, which begins next week and the football playoffs, which begin next month.
And, if Fayette County’s status re-enters the “red” zone, the KHSAA will probably have to consider alternative sites for the soccer state title games and cross country meets. Contingencies for that were being addressed for its golf championships when its Warren County site was in the red zone, but Warren’s status improved in time for those events.
