District 3 will not require officials to be fully vaccinated in order to work postseason games
District 3 has no plans to follow the PIAA’s lead and require game officials to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to work postseason games.
“We’re not going to do anything unless we’re told to (by the PIAA),” District 3 chairman Doug Bohanon said early Wednesday. “It has not been discussed in our committee (meetings), and I don’t see us putting this into action.”
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, which governs highs school sports statewide, posted a bulletin for football officials Tuesday noting that all officials “must be fully vaccinated to officiate any postseason inter-district contest.”
Inter-district games are considered games past the district championship level.
Patrick Gebhart, a PIAA assistant executive director who oversees officials, told Chris Harlan of TribuneLive.com that individual districts are free to set their own policies.
“Once our tournaments start in the fall, everyone will be required to be vaccinated,” Gebhart told TribuneLive.com. “They will not be able to claim a medical or religious exemption.”
The PIAA Board of Directors meets Wednesday afternoon, and more discussion is expected to take place.
The PIAA will not require coaches or others to be vaccinated in order to participate in the state tournaments.
“Coaches are under the direct supervision of (their) school,” PIAA executive director Dr. Bob Lombardi told TribuneLive.com. “That would be up to the local school. We don’t really have that reach at this time, so we’re staying in our own lane.”
The PIAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, which convened in August, recommended COVID-19 vaccines for “student-athletes, coaches, athletic personnel and officials in accordance with the recommendations of the CDC and NFHS.”
The SMAC makes recommendations to the PIAA Board, and the Board generally accepts them.
PIAA officials are considered independent contractors; they will be required to sign contracts updated with language addressing vaccination status to work games this season.
