The Kentucky High School Athletic Association announced Tuesday a change in COVID-related masking requirements for outdoor sports and sports-activities with fewer than a thousand attendees.

Courtesy of Russellville High School Athletic Director Ryan Davenport, the announcement follows:

Based on today’s previously unannounced notice regarding masking from the Governor’s Office and the Department for Public Health, immediate changes in all sports and sport-activities conducted outside are being implemented.

For all outdoor sports and outdoor sport-activities in KHSAA member high schools and regulated middle schools, the mask /face covering requirement is being suspended for any event or activity with less than 1,000 attendees. This will immediately remove the mask requirement at outdoor events with less than 1,000 attendees for coaches, uniformed players not in the contest, officials during various interactions during these contests and fans and administrators in attendance.

This includes baseball, lacrosse, fastpitch softball, tennis, track and field, and bass fishing events with KHSAA schools. This would also apply to those schools conducting spring football practice. Masks / face coverings remain permissible in all sports, even if normally precluded by the playing rules, as a COVID accommodation.

Off-season outdoor activity by member schools in fall outdoor sports such as field hockey, cross country, football, golf and soccer, if permitted by the school as required under Bylaw 23, may be done without the masking requirement as well.

THIS CHANGE DOES NOT APPLY TO CURRENT INDOOR SPORTS AND SPORT-ACTIVITIES SUCH AS ARCHERY, ESPORTS, CHEER AND DANCE COMPETITIONS AND OTHER PRACTICES CONDUCTED INDOORS.

The change does not apply to any permitted indoor activity in all other KHSAA sports and sport-activities such as basketball, wrestling, volleyball or others.

If other changes are made, we will inform our membership as soon as possible.