Scottish Hockey have cancelled all adult indoor competitions for season 2020-21 but they will be working with districts and clubs to establish the possibility of indoor youth matches within the new Government guidelines.
The introduction of the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 protection levels means indoor contact sports are only permitted at level 0 (excluding professional sports and U18s).
A spokesman said: “Given the current restrictions and no timeline for the relaxation of guidelines it is not feasible to run an indoor season. It is unlikely for all regions across Scotland to reach Level 0 by January 2021.
“In addition to the current guidance there are still challenges around facilities, the traditional indoor format, where multiple teams are present in a multi-game format, when considering Government guidance and the little, or no, flexibility in rearranging any postponed indoor games.
“Making the decision now will allow clubs to plan for December and January without the uncertainty of whether these competitions will be held or not.
“We will hold club engagement discussions with all Indoor National League 1 teams next week to discuss options around a condensed format competition to determine European places, should Scottish Government guidance permit.
“Youth players can, however, continue to play indoor hockey up to Level 3 under the current guidelines. We will therefore work with the districts and clubs to understand whether we can run some U18 indoor matches and competitions, based on availability of facilities while following all Covid-19 guidance.”
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