Thank you for your interest in the protocols in place for conducting TAPPS interscholastic contests - tournaments, scrimmages or individual matches.
Our 200 member schools participating in volleyball have been working hard to return to the courts and on their individual school protocols for their teams and playing arenas.
With our schools spread across Texas the conditions each member school faces are in many ways unique to their area of operation.
Our office continues to discuss options with member schools in determination of how the interscholastic contests will be affected by COVID 19 protocols.
One thing has become very clear in our discussions, there exists a distinct divide when it comes to players wearing a mask while on the court of play. That decision rests with our individual member school’s administrative team.
The TAPPS governing rules, as previously presented, are as follows for each of the following groups.
Teams
Players
TAPPS provides for local control in this area.
Players may wear face masks on the court of play if they choose to do so. The decision to require masks is left to the individual school administration. The home team shall determine their protocols for their players and the visiting team for their players.
Players waiting to sub into the contest are not required to wear a facemask.
players not warming up or on the floor of play to wear face masks, before, during and after the contest.
Player exchanges should take place in the area designated by the R2 - should be socially distanced from the R2
Coaches
TAPPS recommends that coaches actively coaching should wear face masks, however the individual school protocol shall govern whether a coach must wear a facemask.
Team Personnel
TAPPS rules require bench personnel and players not warming up or on the floor of play to wear face masks, before, during and after the contest. This includes managers, assistant coaches, bookkeeper, trainers and other such personnel.
Officials
School Based
Table crew consisting of the official scorebook, the official libero tracker and the clock / time keeper shall wear face masks at all times. Any table crew coming in contact with the rosters, etc shall also wear gloves.
Announcer - If the clock / timer is not the announcer, the announcer should be situated away from the team areas and appropriately socially distanced from the table crew, officials and teams.
Lines - Whether provided by the schools or a chapter, TAPPS recommends that the positions should wear masks, but that decision shall be made by each school represented or the chapter leadership in advance of the contest.
R1 and R2
PPE shall be as determined by the individual assigning chapters.
Face Masks are
Allowed during the contest
Required pregame and any in game meetings
Fans
Fan attendance maximums shall be set in accordance with the local and state requirements governing the facility in question.
If home fans are allowed, then visiting fans shall also be allowed.
In determining the number of fans allowed, schools should use the seating capacity normally allotted for both home and away fans in the hosting arena. The prior year’s arrangements should be considered in making determination of attendance limitations.
TAPPS requires all fans attending contests hosted by TAPPS member schools to wear face masks when entering, observing in or leaving the playing arena.
This rule shall be in place in all contest arenas.
Local control by the home team cannot supersede this provision.
Auxiliary Groups
If allowed by the host facility
Cheer / Dance
Face Masks are required when
Entering and Exiting the facility
When not performing
Should be socially distanced where possible
Band or Drumline
Face Masks are required when
Entering and Exiting the facility
When not performing
When performing if mask does not interfere with playing the instrument
Should be socially distanced where possible
COVID 19 Protocol compliance
Compliance shall be the responsibility of the hosting school’s on site game administrator. As a reminder, for district and playoff contests a game administrator is required for both schools.
Failure to abide by protocols shall not result in a change to the contest outcome as determined on the court
Officials shall not penalize a team or teams for noncompliance of COVID 19 protocols.
Contests hosted by TAPPS member schools (Scrimmages, Tournaments, Non District, District and Post District) shall adhere to the following match guidelines.
Teams shall not
Change sides during the match
Change benches during the match
Players from the opposing teams should not cross midcourt with the exception of warmups during
Pregame
Introductions
Postgame
Official Game Balls (3 ball rotation) shall be sanitized as often as possible and as follows
Time outs
Set breaks
Ball touched by spectator
Illness reporting prior to and at the contest.
Each team shall affirm to the opponent by noon of the contest day that all team personnel are covid symptom free
The officials assigned to the contest shall affirm on the contest day that all crew personnel are covid symptom free
All Fans shall affirm when redeeming their ticket that they are covid symptom free by a method selected by the hosting school or as agreed to by all district schools.
Temperature checks at the site of the contest shall be agreed upon by both schools in advance of the contest. If such checks are to be conducted governing admittance or participation, both schools must agree to the process and outcomes prior to the contest.
District Contests
Districts shall determine the schedules for each team.
Contests in which schools cannot agree on PPE protocols and procedures shall be declared a “no contest” and the games shall not be played.
“No contests” shall not be considered a forfeiture and shall not count in district standings.
Failure to agree on fan attendance between schools shall be decided by the vote of the district executive committee.
Districts shall determine tie breakers for determination of playoff seeding
“No contests” shall not be considered when developing final district standings.
Tie breakers should take into consideration all district contests played.
Playoff Contests
All TAPPS playoff contests, regardless of the location or contest host shall be conducted in consideration of the rules presented above.
Playoff contest hosts prior to the final four shall not make PPE requirements in excess of those stated above unless both schools are in agreement prior to the contest.
If the contest is conducted at a neutral site, as agreed upon by the two schools, or the TAPPS final four, the above guidelines shall be in place and are not subject to revision by the participating schools.
TAPPS playoff brackets and contest seeding shall rely on the certified district final standings. If a team cannot continue into the playoffs as a result of that school’s PPE requirements, they shall not enter the playoffs in accordance with existing TAPPS By-Laws.