CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- High School athletes will have to play by a new rule book when they return to practice this summer.
The Illinois High School Association published COVID-19
safety guidelines for contact practices starting July 5.
Students must undergo a temperature screening before practice and anyone with symptoms or a positive COVID test can't return until they get clearance from a doctor.
Equipment must be thoroughly wiped down and no handshakes, high fives, hugs or fist bumps after practice are allowed, the IHSA said. And anyone who wants to watch a game must bring their own chairs.
"Safety remains at the forefront of everything that the IHSA is doing as we move into Phase 4 and beyond," said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson in a statement.
Up to 50 people are allowed to participate in practices, with a distance of 30 feet between large groups. Anderson said the IHSA is working with state leaders to determine next steps as Illinois continues to inch toward Phase 5.
