Pennsylvania’s Department of Health has ruled that all winter sport athletes must wear face coverings “while actively engaged in workouts and during competition.”

The order pertains to all winter sports - basketball, wrestling, swimming, and indoor track. Coaches, officials, spectators and school personnel who attend the events are also required to wear masks.

While there are some exceptions, for the most part masks will be the norm whether participating or watching.

“We are providing the school’s athletic programs the same recommendations that the state is recommending regarding masks,” said Brian Downs, the Public Information Officer for the Lehigh Valley Health Network.

Some controversy does surround the issue. The World Health Organization has stated people should not wear masks when exercising or engaging in cardiovascular activities because ‘sweat can make the mask wet more quickly which makes it difficult to breathe and promotes the growth of microorganisms.”

There are exceptions to the mask mandate

The Pennsylvania Department of Health has issued a mandate that calls for winter sports athletes to wear masks while competing.

All 10 school districts in the Times News coverage area are abiding by that request.

There are exceptions to that rule, however.

Athletes can petition to not wear a mask while competing.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health will allow the athlete to be exempt from wearing a mask “if wearing a face covering would either cause a medical condition or exacerbate an existing one, including respiratory issues that impede breathing, a mental health condition, or a disability.”

For its part, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) - the governing body of high school athletics across the state - has decided to allow each individual school to decide if masks should be worn during competitions.

Since the DOH released the order, however, local school districts have been in compliance and high school coaches are making the necessary adjustments during their practices.

Marian boys’ basketball coach John Patton said the ruling has a definite effect upon every facet of athletic preparation and competition.

“Coaching now is different,” Patton said. “The players wear masks when we run our drills and we’ve included more break times so they can get used to them before we play games.”

Consequences will likely come when athletes exert themselves in the heat of competition. Masks soaked with sweat will need to be replaced during stoppages of play. It’s possible that a mask can fall off or come undone and that may cause officials to stop the action.

Patton took into consideration how the rule will impact coaching his players.

“It’s likely we will have to substitute more freely since the pace of the game may get some players winded long before they normally would,” he said. “That means teams with deeper benches may have an advantage.”

Panther Valley boys’ basketball coach Pat Crampsie mentioned that players and coaches will have to communicate through voices muffled by mouth coverings.

“Now when our point guard calls a play, we have the other four on the floor repeat the call out loud so we’ll all be on the same page,” Crampsie said. “We’re a very young team this year so along with bringing them through the growing stages all young players go through, we have to be sure they’re coping with wearing masks, too.”

Crampsie admitted that if he shouts directions to his team when his players are on the other end of the court, he may find himself lowering his mask to get more volume.

“It might be inadvertent during the heat of the action,” he said.

“Wearing masks will be an absolute struggle,” said Jim Thorpe wrestling coach, Shawn Albert. “During our practices, the kids are having trouble breathing.”

Albert explained that wrestling is a sport where contact at the face level can frequently cause bloody noses, which will complicate a hygiene issue with face coverings. With normal sweat and spit that occurs during a match, a mask might protect the opponent from the virus, but it can be unsafe to the oxygen intake of the mask wearer.

In addition, wrestling officials, who have to pause matches when headgear comes loose and shoelaces come untied, will now have to determine if a mask torn off a wrestler’s face is an intentional act or just the result of an aggressive move.

“I understand the reasons for wearing masks and we will obviously comply,” said Albert. “The problem I see is a lack of leadership. The state mandates masks, but the PIAA wants to allow each school district to decide.

“Then you’re going to have some teams wearing masks and others will not. There should be a uniform decision. We all wear masks or we all don’t.”

Will face coverings dictate style of play?

Patton, coaching his 22nd year of basketball at Marian, believes the mandate may affect a team’s offensive game plan.

“You might see more half court sets than up-tempo fast breaks to keep the players from needing time outs to catch their breath,” he said.

Crampsie said the mandate will not change his coaching philosophy.

“The game situation will dictate how we use our bench and how we run our offense and not the masks,” he said

Basketball officials will have to adjust with how they officiate games. Long time PIAA official Dan Rossino explained the issue of whistle blowing.

“If we have to blow the whistle, we’ll have to drop our masks and that means there will be a bit of a delay to call a foul or stop the action,” he explained.

Rossino said that officials could possibly use hand held air whistles or special masks that open at the mouth, but they come at a much higher purchase price.

Patton, Crampsie, and Albert all agree that since the mandate is being followed by most, if not all, area schools, there is no advantage during competitions.

They also agreed that the most important thing is that high school kids will be getting a chance to do something they love.

“Our kids are out of the house and they’re playing basketball,” said Crampsie. “They need an outlet. Whatever it takes for them to have a season is fine by me.”

“Kids just want to play sports and they’ll do whatever they have to do so they can,” said Albert.

“There is no precedent for any of this,” said Patton. “The kids will police each other about wearing masks because they just want to play.

“That’s especially true for the athletes who also play spring sports and missed their entire season last school year, because they’re fully aware there is no promise the season will be fully completed. All we can do is go game-by-game and hope for the best.”