Start of California high school sports on hold. CIF blames lack of state health guidelines

High school sports – both practice and competition – won’t start until January at the earliest, the California Interscholastic Sports Federation wrote in a statement late Tuesday afternoon.

The rise in positive coronavirus cases throughout the state has forced the California Department of Public Health to put off any guidance on youth sports until next month.

Until those guidelines are released, all sports are on hold.

The impacted sports in the Central Section in Season I, or the winter sports, are football, boys and girls volleyball, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls water polo and boys and girls cross country.

Organized workouts in those sports had already started in the section.

Football season-openers were expected Jan. 8. But with a minimum number of formal practices before football games resume, the delay could lead to a season starting in late January at the earliest.

The CIF also announced the cancellations of all regional and state championship events in those sports to allow athletes in Season II a longer season, which would have been cut short for those not making postseason.

And, this is all predicated on how quickly counties can get a control of the pandemic.

“The CIF is confident this decision is a necessary and reasonable action for our member schools, student-athletes, and school communities in light of the current statewide crisis,” the CIF said in a statement. “This revision to the CIF State 2020-21 Season 1 Sports calendar offers our Sections and Leagues the flexibility and needed time to plan for the return to practice and competition once updated guidance is provided by the CDPH.”

Additionally, boys volleyball is moving to the spring season.

This story was originally published December 1, 2020 at 6:12 PM.