FCTC Return to tennis Health and safety Policy (Valid from 29th May 2020)

With the first minister’s announcement on the 28th May 2020 confirming that we are moving to phase 1 of the lockdown recovery in Scotland, Forthill Community Tennis club is pleased to announce the following information to our members: 

Based on guidance received from Tennis Scotland and the completion of a risk assessment this week, our courts will be open and accessible for members and non-members to use (via our clubspark court booking system) from Friday 29th May at 8am. The club’s position on the safe return to tennis is outlined in our policies and procedures guidance below. This should be adhered to at all times, allowing Forthill to minimise the risk of reversing the decline in transmission and infection rate which currently allows us to play. All policies and procedures will be reviewed regularly by the tennis committee and is subject to change, based on the public health measures put in place by the Scottish Government and further guidance from Tennis Scotland. For fuller information, please view the Tennis Scotland operating procedures which inform this document, please visit https://www.lta.org.uk/globalassets/news/2020/guidance-for-tennis-venues--players-in-scotland---covid-19.pdf

Public hygiene and safety measures for players

• Based on Tennis Scotland guidance, players are only permitted to play either a) singles with someone from out with their household, or b) doubles with people entirely from their own household. 

• All court gate entrances have the most UpToDate guidance from the LTA (positioned underneath the court number) to advise players on socially distanced tennis.
• Courts 2 and 5 remain CLOSED for use, and should only be accessed if a ball rolls on during play.
• All players who intend to book a court and play tennis at FCTC will be responsible for their own hand washing and hand sanitation while at the club. FCTC will not be providing any hand sanitiser for players at this time. 
• All players are advised (where possible) to wear gloves when using the gates to access the courts.
• To minimise the risk of infection spread, the clubhouse and gym buildings will remain CLOSED at all times. This means that there will be no access to changing rooms, toilets, bar or first aid facilities onsite at any point during your booking. 
• Players will be responsible for their own first aid provision based on the point above regarding the continued closure of the clubhouse facility. It is advised that you carry a first aid kit with you in your tennis bag at all times. 

Court booking system

• All players (members or otherwise) must now make court bookings via our clubspark booking platform in order to play tennis at FCTC. You must create a login (or sign in if you are already a member) and then proceed to the court booking module, where you can find further guidance on how to complete a court booking if required. Our clubspark booking module is located on our website https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/ForthillTennis/Booking/BookByDate#?date=202005-28&role=guest
• Court bookings have initially been limited to two bookings within a 7day period to help create equal playing opportunities for everyone to access the courts. This will be reviewed regularly by the committee, and any changes will be communicated to you in due course. 
• You can book a court upto 28 days in advance of your chosen booking. 
• There will be daily spot checks at the club to ensure compliancy with the court booking system. Anyone who is deemed to be partaking in tennis activity without a prior booking will be reported to the committee, who will review on a caseby-case basis. 
• Players will be required to access their courts by the specified court gate only. 
• Players are required to vacate their booking 10 minutes prior to the end of their booking slot to allow safe social distancing from one booking to the next. 
• Players are advised to arrive no earlier than 10 minutes before their booking to allow safe social distancing to occur. 

Equipment and court usage

• All players will be responsible for providing their own tennis balls (Marked) and racquets when playing. FCTC will not be providing any equipment to members or other participants.
• When players enter the court, they must leave their bag at the back of the side of the court they are playing on, and not at the net. 
• Players will not be permitted to swap sides of the court at any point during their booking, limiting the risk of an increased infection rate. 
• Players should send any spare / loose balls back to their playing partner or another court using their racquet or their feet only – DO NOT USE YOUR HANDS.

Court maintenance 

• A member of the court maintenance team will wipe down and clean the gates and net posts daily, prior to the first / next booking occurring.  
• The courts will be brushed by a member of the court maintenance team on a daily basis prior to the first booking of the day. 
• The nets on courts 1,3,4 and 6 will be measured as regularly as possible to ensure they remains fit for play at all times.
• The courts will be watered three times a week by the club coach. 
• All benches surrounding the club entrance or wider club facility and strictly not for use by players to minimise the risk of increased infection spread. 
• Any member who wishes to brush their court after play is advised to use gloves while handling any brushes and return them to the position they were found. 

All queries should on the policy should be submitted to our Club secretary David Hunter by emailing David.w.hunter@hotmail.co.uk.

Yours in Sport, 

FCTC committee