USA Gymnastics Sanctioned Event Mandatory Face Coverings for All State and Regional Championship Events

Effective immediately, USA Gymnastics requires that all participants and spectators wear a facial covering and maintain social distancing throughout the duration of any USA Gymnastics State/Regional Championship event.

Facial coverings should be fitted or cone-style and consist of multiple layers of fabric. Bandanas, neck gaiters and masks with valves are not permitted. Meet directors should have disposable masks available for participants who arrive without the appropriate facial covering.

  • During all competition and training sessions, coaches must wear a facial covering at all times, and maintain social distancing when not spotting.
  • During competition and training sessions, athletes must wear facial coverings at all times outside of during the performance of gymnastics.
  • All other participants, judges, sanction staff and spectators are required to wear a facial covering at all times and maintain social distancing protocols.

Please note, that failure to comply with the mandate may result in sanction revocation and/or event disqualification.

Meet Director must clearly communicate the required facial and social distancing protocols in both pre-event and on-site communication. USA Gymnastics has developed signage and flyers to help meet directors with communication of face coverings and social distancing. Click here to view.

Face Mask Medical Exemption Policy: Participants with a medical mask exemption must present a letter signed by their physician stating that a mask exemption is required. The letter does not need to include the medical reason for a mask exemption. Meet directors should provide face shields as an alternative to masks for those are not able to wear a mask for a medical reason.

And as a reminder, all meet directors have the authority enforce and require measures that will provide participates a safe event environment. Specifically, meet directors have the authority to:

  • remove and/or disqualify any participants; clubs, coaches, athletes, judges, other sanctioned event staff and spectators who fail or refuse to comply with local ordinances, such as non-compliance of facial covering and/or social distancing mandates.
  • eliminate and/or reduce the number of spectators in order to maintain the appropriate social distancing protocol. Meet directors are expected to communicate all restrictions clearly to all parents/guardians and are encouraged to seek creative solutions for parental viewing to comply with Safe Sport requirements such as: allowing one person from each club to live stream their athletes on a private club page and/or live streaming the entire event using a third-party vendor.
  • require the use of a facial covering and social distancing protocols throughout the duration of a USA Gymnastics Sanctioned event, even in the absence of such mandates in the state or local area. Meet Directors should clearly communicate the required facial covering and social distancing protocols in both pre-event and on-site communication. USA Gymnastics recommends and highly encourages to the use of facial coverings. Click here to view the Return to Competition Guidelines for other event considerations. USA Gymnastics has also developed signage and flyers that may help meet directors with on-site communication for face coverings and social distancing. Click here to view.

We recognize that meet directors are encountering a considerable number of challenges in producing and conducting events and are thankful for all meet directors do to keep participants safe during this unique competitive season.