Michigan HS Winter Sports Return With Interesting Mask Rules

The Michigan High School Athletics Association issued guidance to its member schools this week, as schools prepare to start winter athletic programs with some rather interesting mask rules.

The state rules require basketball players, ice hockey players and cheerleaders to wear masks at all times. Wrestlers need not wear masks during competition, as long as they can provide a negative COVID test.

That's right, wrestlers won't be in masks if they test negative, but other sports need to mask up.

• Basketball: All participants must wear masks at all times. Even if an individual receives a negative rapid or PCR test, a mask must still be worn during competition. If a student has a disability or medical situation that would not permit a mask to be worn, the student needs to obtain documentation of such disability or medical situation from a medical provider AND complete a negative COVID test within 24 hours (rapid antigen test) or 72 hours (PCR test) for each day of competition and practice. Both items must be documented and paper copies shall be made available to all officials and opponents prior to each contest.

• Ice Hockey: All participants must wear masks at all times. Even if an individual receives a negative rapid or PCR test, a mask must still be worn during competition. If a student has a disability or medical situation that would not permit a mask to be worn, the student needs to obtain documentation of such disability or medical situation from a medical provider AND complete a negative COVID test within 24 hours (rapid antigen test) or 72 hours (PCR test) for each day of competition and practice. Both items must be documented and paper copies shall be made available to all officials and opponents prior to each contest.

• Wrestling: All participants must have a negative rapid antigen test either the day before (done in conjunction with home weigh-in) or day of a meet or a negative PCR test within 72 hours of competition. All tested wrestlers would be able to compete without wearing a mask during the match. Masks will be required for all individuals at all other times during meets and practices.

Meanwhile, in its December guidance for coping with COVID, the CDC recommended athletes wear masks. "If your mask gets wet, be sure to change it as it may be more difficult to breathe through," the CDC said in its December 30 report.

Good luck to all the Michigan basketball players out there with their wet masks.