Coronavirus guidance for sport and leisure facilities

This guidance is for the opening of indoor and outdoor sport and leisure facilities. It has information on how to work, operate and participate in sport and gym/leisure facilities in Scotland. This guidance is for the resumption of ‘non-contact’ sport initially, with further contact to be reviewed and considered further.

This guidance will be reviewed on a regular basis and restrictions may be reintroduced, and approval may be withdrawn if circumstances change either nationally or locally.

From 10 October new temporary restrictions will apply across the central belt. The central belt is defined below:

• Ayrshire & Arran Health Board, comprising East, North, and South Ayrshire
• Forth Valley Health Board, comprising Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, and Stirling
• Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board, comprising Glasgow City, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, Renfrewshire, and West Dunbartonshire
• Lanarkshire Health Board, comprising North and South Lanarkshire
• Lothian Health Board, comprising the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, and West Lothian

Temporary restrictions that apply to sport and leisure from Saturday 10th October within the central belt area are:

• Indoor snooker and pool halls and indoor bowling alleys will close in these areas for 2 weeks from 10 October
• Contact sport for people aged 18 and over will be suspended for the next 2 weeks with an exception for professional sport
• Indoor group exercises will not be allowed, although current rules will remain in place for under 18s

The general guidance on sports and leisure facilities looks at three key areas that employers and facility operators will need to consider as part of their planning: 

• assessing risk - involving the workforce in a risk-based approach to a safer workplace for both staff, customers and participants
• workforce planning - supporting those who should come to work, and those who should not
• operational guide and checklist - changing the environment to protect your workforce, customers and participants

This is a free service. 

Providers and operators of sport and leisure facilities, who are ready to open safely following public health guidance: 

Outdoor

• Sports courts (including MUGA’s), pitches and athletics facilities

Indoor

• sports halls and gymnasiums
• courts, tracks and pitches
• gyms and exercise areas
• dance and fitness studios
• indoor bowling halls
• hot tubs, hydrotherapy pools, whirlpools and spa pools

Indoor and Outdoor

• swimming and diving pools
• ice rinks
• velodromes
• equestrian yards and arenas
• wheeled facilities (skate parks, BMX parks)
• golf/driving ranges
• boxing/martial arts/combat facilities
• gymnastics and trampoline halls
• climbing facilities
• other sporting facilities including but not limited to, target sports, snowsport and water sports facilities

Further guidance is required on saunas and steam rooms. They should stay out of use for the time being.

Visit the Scottish Government website for more information and to read the full guidance.