In the light of our current pandemic situation, many events central to Tech culture have taken a back seat. For many, the risk of COVID-19 and prevalence of a campus for facilitating virus spread overtakes what those events offer to Tech. While some campus events are seeing cancellation, one of the most infamous is slated to run. This year, broomball will feature a different set of rules in order to address COVID-19 concerns, but it will indeed take place.
According to an “info session” hosted by IRHC Broomball last week, a few key aspects of the season will change this year. In attendance at this meeting were broomball team representatives who were invited in order to disseminate these changes. For one, games won’t begin until two weeks after the spring semester begins, a change made in the case that virus numbers see a spike. Other changes of note include:
- Two rinks, 68 feet in length. Last year hosted three rinks, and, according to the 2019-2020 rulebook, rinks were 75.3 feet in length.
- No spectators.
- Teams are seven players in size at maximum, four at minimum. Four players are to be on the ice at once as opposed to the usual six.
- Players must join only one team, and teams must comprise five players of the same residency, except in the case of a four-player team, where all players must be coresidents.
- Players must wear masks while playing.
- The game’s two 15-minute periods are being shortened to 10 minutes each.
- The Helmet Hut will be available, with the helmets set to be cleaned after each use.
- The cocoa shack will not be dispensing any of their widely regarded beverage.
- Teams won’t be allowed to arrive more than 10 minutes early to games.
The meeting also included additional information on broomball as it relates to COVID-19, noting that players who share the ice will be considered to have had close contact and will be required to quarantine in the event of infection. Additionally, entry and exit routes have been designated in one rink layout schematic.
The rules outlined in this meeting have not yet been synthesized into an official rulebook, and, at the time of writing, the IRHC Broomball website currently notes that 2020 rules are in the works. The above cited meeting, however, was intended to factually communicate the major pandemic-related changes to team representatives.
