With a bevy of COVID-19 protocols in place, youth football is finally ready to hit the field for the 2020-21 season.
The White Rock-South Titans will play this week, including a handful of games set for South Surrey Athletic Park.
The gridiron action begins Friday night in New Westminster, when one of White Rock’s two junior-bantam division teams plays the Royal City Hyacks at New West’s Mercer Stadium. White Rock’s second junior-bantam squad plays Sunday afternoon at South Surrey Athletic Park against the South Delta Rams.
On Saturday, the Titans’ peewee team will play the visiting North Delta Longhorns at South Surrey Athletic Park, with kickoff set for 1:30 p.m.
On Sunday,White Rock’s atom-division team will host the Surrey T-Birds at 9 a.m., while the Titans’ flag-division team – which will play five-per-side this season – will travel to Delta’s Dennison Park to play the North Surrey Seahawks at noon.
A second atom division game is also on the schedule after White Rock plays – the Westside Warriors are set to play South Delta, beginning at 11:15 a.m.
Under normal circumstances, the minor football season would have started in late August or early September, but the ongoing COVID pandemic, as well as wildfire smoke, delayed play until this week.
New protocols for the upcoming season include teams playing nine-on-nine instead of the usual 12-per-side; players must wear long sleeves and gloves; and players must stay two metres apart while on the sidelines. The number of coaches on the sidelines are also limited, among other new rules.
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