Central Football chief executive Darren Mason said primary schools wanted more time to get organised for the requirements of getting back on the field following the Covid-19 measures.
He was pleased the Pacific Premiership was getting under way only a week after the target date of May 30.
New Zealand Football and representatives of the seven federations had weekly catch-up calls, and Mason said he had pushed hard for a May 30 start.
“I wanted a date that was realistic, not so far in the future that people would think we weren’t going to have a season. I thought it was a date we could meet if things went well. We’re a week out, but that’s fine. If you had said a month ago we’d be playing on June 6, I would have taken that with both hands.”
New Zealand Football and the seven federations recommend people use the iDMe contact-tracing website to create iDMe for their smartphone. This enables team members and spectators to record their presence at a match. Each ground has a unique five-letter venue code. This code is entered into iDMe on the smartphone. Venue codes will be displayed at grounds so people can enter them when they attend matches.
Contact details for more than one person can be stored on one smartphone.
Those without a smartphone can visit the iDMe website on a computer and register their attendance online before they leave home.
The alternative to the iDMe option was a paper-based system, Mason said.
“Our concern with that sort of method is ensuring a piece of paper completed with contact details ends up in the right place and doesn’t get lost in the bottom of someone’s football bag,” he said.
“The iDMe system is purely for contact-tracing purposes. There’s no way, legally or morally, that we would be releasing that information to anybody other than the Ministry of Health for contact tracing if it was needed.”
He acknowledged people might feel suspicious about the use of a smartphone to transfer contact details.
“From our point of view, there’s no way we would be using that information for anything other than the intended use.”
After one month, the information submitted would be destroyed, he said.
Navigating a course for teams to get back on the field had its challenges.
“We seemed to be constantly waiting for government updates,” Mason said.
“That’s not a criticism. It’s just that as we came out of Level 3 to Level 2, we were waiting for more information around gathering sizes, and what you could do under certain levels. We’ve not really had the ability to plan that we’d like. Clubs are in the same boat.
“The whole idea is to enable us to get people back out playing football. Even when we get to Level 1, I imagine social distancing and contact tracing will be maintained where possible. Even at Level 0, we should probably look at doing things a little differently.”
One of the changes players would notice this weekend was the absence of the “respect” programme, in which they lined up before their game and shook hands with every opponent.
Referees had been asked to take a low-key, “sensible” approach to players spitting on the ground or celebrating a goal by high-fiving. A quiet word to the player should be enough.
“It’s about making sure we don’t put anyone at risk when they don’t need to be at risk,” Mason said.
Similarly, clubs would be advised that gathering limits were a matter of personal responsibility.
“First and foremost, anyone who goes to watch a game of football this weekend has a requirement to provide contact-tracing information. That’s up to the individual. We’re not going to expect clubs to police that or ask people to show they’ve been registered. I don’t think it’s fair to ask volunteers to do that.”
He also hoped that — for this weekend at least — if players or supporters could see numbers heading past a hundred at one game, they would head home sooner rather than later.
“If we go to Level 1 next week, maybe the limit on gatherings won’t be an issue for the following weekend’s games.”
Mason said Central Football staff were grateful for the co-operation of the clubs.
“The clubs have worked really hard, and been receptive to guidance and supportive of what we’ve been doing to get them on the field.
“In trying circumstances, they’ve been fantastic. They’re all volunteers, doing a great job.”
