Covid-19

Our Message

The East Carolina Amateur Baseball League cares about its players, spectators and the community. During these odd times in our lives, we want to continue to provide competitive baseball while keeping our baseball family and friends safe and healthy.

These guidelines, defined by the ECABL board of directors and accepted by the city of New Bern, will be followed for the 2020 season. These guidelines may be updated if conditions change, the board finds it necessary, or the state or city issue requirements.

Social Distancing and Minimizing Exposure

  • No fans will be allowed to sit behind home plate. The area behind home plate from dugout to dugout will be an extension of the field dugouts and will be closed to all fans.

  • Players and coaches will have designated areas during games to keep everyone spread out.

  • Coaches, officials, and others will avoid up-close face-to-face communication.

  • While hitting, each team should have one player at the plate, one player on deck and one player in the dugout. All others must be socially distanced in the extended dugout area.

  • All spectators must bring their own chairs. The bleachers will be closed and used for social distancing of coaches and players.

  • Fans, unless related, are to be at least 6 feet apart at all times.

  • Game schedules will include adequate buffer times between games to allow spectators, players and coaches to enter and exit the facility with limited interaction.

  • There will be no post game meetings. If you are not playing back-to-back games all fans, players and coaches need to exit the facility immediately after the conclusion of the game.

Cloth Face Coverings

  • We highly recommend masks or cloth face coverings to help stop the spread of germs.

  • Players and coaches can wear PPE items if they choose to do so. Those items should not inhibit a player’s safety while participating on the field. It is highly recommended that when players come off the playing field, they wear their PPE items while waiting to bat.

  • Spectators are encouraged to wear PPE at the field.

Cleaning and Hygiene

  • We highly recommend that that all coaches, umpires, participants and spectators bring and use frequently hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.

  • No spitting sunflower seeds or gum on the grounds.

  • Whenever possible, equipment and personal items should have proper separation and not be shared.

  • Players, coaches and umpires must bring their own water bottles. No team coolers.

  • We encourage all in attendance to supply their own antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer for disinfecting between innings.

  • The park water fountain will be prohibited for use.

  • No food will be offered at any game.

  • No handshakes, fist bumps or high-fives before, during or after games.

Monitoring for Symptoms

  • Athletes, coaches, staff and participants who have symptoms will be asked to stay home.

  • We will post signage at the main entrance requesting that people who have been symptomatic with fever and/or cough not enter.

  • Athletes, coaches, staff and participants who have symptoms when they arrive or become sick during the day will be immediately separated from other athletes, coaches, staff and participants and sent home.

  • Per CDC guidelines, if an athlete, coach, staff or participant has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or is presumed positive by a medical professional due to symptoms, they should be excluded from sports program or activities until:

No fever for at least 72 hours since recovery (without the use of fever-reducing medicine) AND

Other symptoms have improved (e.g., coughing, shortness of breath) AND

At least 10 days have passed since first symptoms.

  • Per CDC guidelines, if an athlete, coach, staff or participant has been diagnosed with COVID-19 but does not have symptoms, they should remain out of sports activity until 10 days have passed since the date of their first positive COVID-19 diagnostic test, assuming they have not subsequently developed symptoms since their positive test.

  • The league will provide athletes, coaches, staff and participants with information on help lines to access information or other support in reference to COVID-19, e.g. 211 and Hope4NC Helpline (1-855-587-3463). This will be included on our signage at the main entrance.

Safety .Net

For more information on COVID-19 and health and safety information related to COVID-19, click on the following links.