The PE Board is updating members today with the latest situation regarding how COVID-19 is currently affecting our sport.
Firstly, a reminder that at this current time we should still ONLY be playing in our bubbles of a maximum of 6 people, this restriction must apply UNLESS an official event (such as a club day, melee, league or tournament) has been organised ONLY by a PE Region or Club which has carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment at the venue where the event is going to be played.
Additionally, the organisers must be able to fully follow the current UK Government Guidelines, PE guidelines and the PE Play Safe Guidelines – Return to Restricted Play. The risk assessment MUST be sent to all participants and members of the club before the event can take place. The event can ONLY have a MAXIMUM of 30 people per day which includes players, spectators, volunteers and officials.
The PE Board would like to set out the next stage of our controlled return to normal play as follows:
- Following detailed discussions with the UK Government throughout the pandemic, Pétanque England as the recognised National Governing Body of Pétanque in England has now been given permission by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to hold events which involve more than 30 people, providing the venue which is being used is COVID-Secure and is adhering to all the guidelines listed above. The event is only permitted if the venue can accommodate the number of participants whist maintaining its COVID security.
- EVENTS CAN ONLY EXCEED 30 PEOPLE IF THEY ARE ORGANISED BY PETANQUE ENGLAND AS THE NATIONAL GOVERNING BODY.
- Pétanque England will be holding three separate competition days for our National Titles (Singles, Men’s and Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles) in September and October this year at Gravesend Pétanque club.
- The Gravesend venue has met the requirements to be a COVID-Secure venue and can accommodate a maximum of 150 people participating in pétanque per day.
- Pétanque England will strictly limit the entries of these three competitions to a maximum of 144 players on a first come, first served basis with the remaining places reserved for named PE officials. Non-playing spectators will be allowed only if their participation does not exceed the 150 limit and PE will indicate at the close of entries whether the venue can accommodate limited spectators.
Pétanque England will keep the situation under constant review and reserves the right to cancel the Gravesend events at short notice should we be advised of a change in local or national conditions related to limiting the transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
16 comments
chris johnson
11th September 2020 at 7:14 pm
How does all this affect non-affiliated clubs who want to continue to play socially?
Martin Hughes
12th September 2020 at 5:46 pm
Any petanque activity not organised by a PE club, league, region or by PE nationally needs to follow UK Government rules for outside activities which means that play should be restricted to a bubble of six.
Ken Shaw
14th September 2020 at 8:49 am
What if the event is not PE England, but is organised by another body such as the U3A, following Covid rules and having been appropriately risk assessed and managed?
Martin Hughes
14th September 2020 at 8:33 pm
Hi Ken, the only organisation that is permitted to hold organised petanque activities beyond a bubble of six players is Petanque England as the National Governing Body or PE affiliated clubs, leagues and regions. For anyone else, the limit is six people within a bubble.
Kieran Thompson
14th September 2020 at 7:15 pm
Must the same six people keep within that bubble or could they play with different people on a different day?
Martin Hughes
14th September 2020 at 8:35 pm
Hi Kieron I think playing with a different bubble of six on a different day is OK within Government Guidelines.
Kieran Thompson
15th September 2020 at 8:44 am
Hello Martin. Thank you for your reply.
We have ten pistes available to us. If twenty members turned up hoping to get a game and they played in small groups on alternate piste would this contravene the govt guidelines for gatherings , or would it be ok as we are outdoors?
Thank you for your help.
Martin Hughes
15th September 2020 at 10:17 am
Hi Kieran, PE affiliated clubs, leagues and regions are able to organise petanque activities involving up to 30 participants (including officials and spectators) as long as they follow PE’s Play Safe Guidelines.
Eric Hatfield
16th September 2020 at 5:02 pm
A Club with over 20 Pistes but a large number of older players decides to insist on facemasks /coverings . The club is fully Covid secure and has carried out risk assessment’s as required. Is it reasonable to request visiting teams to adhere to this protocol except for members with health problems.
Martin Hughes
16th September 2020 at 5:12 pm
Hi Eric, our Play Safe Guidelines are the minimum standards we require. Clubs are of course fully entitled to set their own heightened COVID-Secure restrictions if they feel on balance they are reasonable. The risks of COVID-19 infection outside as long as social distancing and good hand hygiene are followed are much less than inside.
Linda Bradley
17th September 2020 at 3:53 pm
Will there be availability for spectators on Sat 19th at the singles competition
Martin Hughes
17th September 2020 at 3:57 pm
Yes Linda, that will be available up to a maximum of 150, including players, officials and spectators. If anyone wants to spectate, all we ask is that they respect our Play Safe Guidelines and ensure that they observe social distancing.
Terence whiting
27th September 2020 at 11:10 am
Terry
We are holding a league match next week end, there will be up to 28 players no spectators.
We will be following the Petanque England covid 19 recommondations on the playing
areas and outside etc.
We have had a risk assessment done.
If the weather is bad we can use a large hall where we can space players at tables which
will be designated to 4 people and spaced 2 meters apart, masks to be worn when not
eating and drinking,will this be OK? please could reply ASAP.
Martin Hughes
27th September 2020 at 12:03 pm
Hi Terry, from what you describe this appears to be compliant with our Play Safe Guidelines.
Pauline Jennings
26th March 2021 at 8:39 pm
We are an informal group of friends who are keen to get back to our weekly games on our village playing rec ground. Some of us live on our own so can 6 of us play after 29th March 2021, although we could be 6 households? Many of us are over 70.
Martin Hughes
26th March 2021 at 11:09 pm
For informal play it’s a rule of 6 and you can be from different households. Have fun!