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Dear U.S. Soccer Members,
In June of this year, we launched PLAY ON, a broad educational campaign to unite and support
the soccer community during this global pandemic. Your assistance with distributing this
information to your members has been greatly appreciated and we’re proud to provide our
Phase III Grassroots Recommendations Guide - Go to Guide
Phase III allows for the continuation of full-team training and the addition of full-team
competitions, provided:
- COVID-19 prevention and response protocols are still in place and actively followed
- Social distancing is maintained, with limited exceptions as part of training activities
and competitions as outlined
- Teams are recommended to participate only in local / regional and single day events that
avoid significant travel and/or overnight stays
- All policies and decisions are guided by local and state recommendations
While trainings and the addition of competitions may continue to make things look more “normal,”
in consideration of how COVID-19 is transmitted, it is vitally important that everyone involved
in the process of return-to-play does so with extreme diligence and attention to the widely-agreed-upon
standards and guidelines.
Similar to previous phases, this is a soft launch for Members, and then you’ll see more promotion of
Phase III next week. The Phase III Member Webinars will take place next Tuesday (July 14) and Wednesday (July 15).
Below are the links to pre-register:
Membership Webinar #1: Tuesday, July 14 at 3 p.m. CT -
WEBINAR REGISTRATIONLINK
Membership Webinar #2: Wednesday, July 15 at 11 a.m. CT -
WEBINAR REGISTRATION LINK
During those webinars, we will review key points and answer any questions you have. It will be the same
content/information in each, so you only need to join one, but are welcome to participate in both.
As we have consistently shared and emphasized, these guidelines and best practices are intended
for use WHEN AND IF your local authorities have deemed it safe to gather in groups and at no
time should competitions include more individuals (players, substitutes, coaches, referees
and parents/guardians) than is locally allowed. U.S. Soccer is in no way endorsing holding
practices or games in violation of any federal, state or local mandates.
We want to emphasize that Phase III should only be instituted following a successful Phase I reintegration,
and after an appropriate progression from small groups to full team training and fitness in Phase II. The
suggested durations of Phase I and II are 4-6 weeks and 3-6 weeks, respectively.
Regardless of which phase a Club is operating in, everyone should be prepared to take a step back and
revert to an earlier phase if needed as a response to increased risk, cluster outbreaks, updates to public
health guidelines, or an inability to safely maintain COVID-19 prevention and response protocols. It is
important to remain vigilant and nimble as we prepare for every eventuality. By prioritizing the safety of
your soccer community, you can preserve the health of those around us and help ensure soccer can remain
part of our lives at this time.
On behalf of U.S. Soccer and all those involved in our sport, I sincerely thank you and our entire soccer
community for your active participation and efforts around safe return to play over the past weeks and in
the upcoming months. Together, we will move forward and thrive. We are, and will remain, “One Nation and One Team.”
Yours in Soccer,
Dr. George Chiampas
U.S. Soccer Chief Medical Officer
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