Frequently asked questions on the national coronavirus restrictions

Adults: Indoor sport and physical activity can only take place for individuals or single households. This means that group sessions and exercise classes, and indoor sports/activities that require more than one person (for example, badminton, bowls etc.), cannot take place unless you’re playing with someone from within your household/support bubble.

Children: Children will be able to attend organised indoor children’s activity, including sport permitted in Step 2. Organised indoor children’s sport and physical activity must be formally organised by a qualified instructor, club, national governing body, company or charity and follow sport-specific guidance where appropriate. Children's indoor sport and physical activity sessions can be done individually or in groups of 15, in line with guidance from the Department for Education and out of school setting guidance.

Parent and child: These activities can take place indoors and outdoors with a limit of 15 attendees. Children under the age of five do not count towards the attendee limit.

Personal training cannot take place indoors in people’s homes in Step 2, unless the premises are classified as a business premises.

Anyone acting in a workforce capacity (for example volunteers, match officials, coaches and instructors) are exempt from the rules on gathering, however, they must remain socially distanced from players where possible during play/activity.

For more information on personal training sessions please see CIMSPA advice UKActive advice on their respective websites.

Adults: Organised contact combat sports can take place indoors for adults in Phase 1 (padwork only) of the combat sport framework, in line with the relevant national governing body guidance. It can only take place individually or in one to one coaching sessions in line with wider government restrictions on access to indoor facilities.

Children: Organised contact combat sports for children (under 18s) can take place in Phase 2 of the combat sports framework, in line with the relevant national governing body guidance. Groups should follow the Out of School Setting guidance on numbers within a session which is available on the government’s website.

National governing bodies for contact sports have developed action plans in line with the government’s Combat Sport Framework, which takes into account the level of risk of their sport and how they can work to mitigate it to minimise Covid-19 transmission risk.

Match officials, medics and coaches are also not required to wear face coverings while present in a work or volunteering capacity.

However, those coaching combat sports should follow their national governing body’s combat sport framework action plan, which may specify that you need to wear a facemask. This is to mitigate the closer contact elements of the activity.

Where it’s necessary for them to be present, supervising adults shouldn’t mix with others from outside their household or support bubble. More information on safeguarding and return to play can be seen here.

This doesn’t prevent people from viewing recreational or organised sport that’s taking place in a public space, e.g. a park, in groups of up to six people or two households.

However, spectators shouldn’t be actively encouraged for sporting activities taking part in public spaces.

Sporting events that are intended to attract spectators, including ticketed events, or events that are likely to attract a significant number of spectators, e.g. a major marathon, shouldn’t take place in a public space, or on private land, until Step 3.

Public spaces include, but aren’t limited to:

• parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, forests
• public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them)
• the grounds of a heritage site
• playgrounds.

National governing bodies providing sport formats for disabled people will set out how they can deliver this provision in line with existing guidance on social distancing and Covid-secure measures.

There’s no limit on numbers, however, government guidance on organised sport must be followed.

This can be in addition to others from your household, support bubble or one person from another household – this could be a coach. 

Up to two carers for a disabled person, needing continuous care, aren’t counted towards the gatherings limit on two or more people exercising outside.

Any sports coaches or trainers undertaking one-to-one sessions should ensure they’re complying with relevant national governing body safeguarding policies and procedures and conduct a thorough risk assessment before engaging in any sessions. This should include particular consideration for under-18s and vulnerable adults. 

Every customer or visitor aged 16 or over needs to provide their name and contact details.

The NHS Covid-19 app 'check in' option is a way to record this information. However, you must still have a system in place to collect, and securely store, names and contact details for those who don't have access to a smartphone.

To support NHS Test and Trace, you must hold records for 21 days. This reflects the incubation period for coronavirus, which can be up to 14 days, and an additional seven days to allow time for testing and tracing.

For further information please see the government's test and trace guidance.

You can do so using the government’s instructions.

If you’ve more than one venue, you need to create a separate QR code for each location. You can add multiple locations in the service.

Further information and resources can be found here.