Outdoor 2020 Update (June 2020)

To All SAS Members,  

We appreciate your patience regarding the Outdoor 2020 season. We are continuously working to provide a safe return to the play for all our members. With the latest provincial guidelines for competition and game play, we are finally able to return to the pitch. Here are the guidelines we will all need to abide by:

They are the Saskatchewan Soccer Association’s (SSA) Return To Soccer Plan (RTSP) and the provincial’s government Outdoor Sport and activities guidelines with specification on Competition and Game Play.

As per SSA’s RTSP, the 11v11 format will not be able to return until Phase 4 which requires social distancing measures being completely removed.

With the recent 4.2 Re-Open plan announcement, we are able to accelerate to Phase 3 of SSA’s RTSP, which means that we can offer game formats of up to 7v7, with no offsides regardless of the format, as it always allows the entirety of the field to be used. We are aiming for a 6-game season, 7v7 format, starting late July or early August. Also, the Government’s Competition and Game Play guidelines allow us to form mini leagues comprised of multiple teams, but no more than 50 individuals. This means that maximum roster sizes will need to be significantly reduced in order to meet the “bubble’s” limitation. Also, players will only be allowed to play on ONE team. We understand that teams will be affected by this as we know that at least a quarter of our members usually plays on multiple teams during the summer.

The beautiful game is back, but we will be working under a different set of rules. As per the guidelines mentioned above here is what to expect:

• Pools of 4 teams
• Smaller roster size: 12 players per team.
• No reschedules
• Permits will not be allowed
• Kick-in’s instead of throw-in’s
• No heading the ball
• No slide tackles

The official formation of the pools and the cost per team are yet to be determined, as they are contingent on the total number of teams and we are still exploring our field options in order to make it as affordable as possible.

We are still figuring out the details, following SSA’s and provincial guidelines to make sure we are keeping everyone safe.

In the meantime, reach out to your respective Team Contact to let them know that you want to play!

If you have a couple minutes, please take the time to answer this survey.