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OPFL cautious about summer league football

March 11, 2021   ·   0 Comments

Plans underway but don’t expect games

By Brian Lockhart

The Ontario Provincial Football League is gearing up for the summer football season, however it may be a repeat of last year. In a statement issued by the League, they are still cautious about what might happen this summer.

“Over the course of the next few months, we will be closely monitoring new developments with a return to tackle football in mind and our planning teams will be planning for a fall season at all age divisions,” the league said.

Summer football traditionally gets underway on the May long weekend, however don’t expect to see the usual full-day of activities to kick off the season.

The League has expanded its programming this year to include Tyke, Atom, and Peewee divisions to the existing line-up of Bantam, Junior and Varsity.

However, the League also said it will be offering program options that ‘follow provincial and municipal health guidelines and restrictions as the province continues to respond to COVID.”

Depending on what alert zone centres are in, teams in the league will be expected to play accordingly. That means teams in a Grey Zone, will have virtual on-line training only.

In a Red Zone, there will be virtual training as well as skill developments.

Orange, Yellow, and Green zones will have virtual training, skill development, group training and non-contact football – meaning flag football.

The Orangeville Outlaws hosted a flag program last year later in the summer after the regular football season was cancelled. The program proved to be very popular and the Club will be doing again this year with a start scheduled for late April.  Teams will be playing at Alliston Christian School.

Even if some football centres get the green light to go ahead with full contact this summer, they may not have anyone to play. 

If Health Districts are under a current alert that is different from another Health District, teams won’t be able to travel to meet up.

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