Czech League of American Football getting ready for August 15 launch

AFI | American Football | 05/11/2020

Graphic: Igor Lazarevic

Earlier this month, the Czech Association of American Football, CAAF, decided they would like to hold a season after all with the men’s senior league hopefully scheduled to start August 15.

The CAAF had originally postponed the season which was scheduled to start on March 29, for a month due to the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19. Like leagues in every other country in the world, with the situation changing almost daily and with governments planning to ease restrictions, the CAAF had been holding out hope that they could salvage some form of a season.

With the easing of the lockdown in the Czech Republic which includes prospective relaxing of restrictions on sports, the CAAF would like to launch the men’s league in parallel with the traditional fall leagues (women, juniors, and youth).

Hence, all leagues with seasons of more than six games in duration will launch on August 15. One week later, leagues with fewer than seven games will start. The men’s leagues will run to the beginning of November with an age restriction of anyone born 2001 and earlier (19 and older). Junior players will not be able to play in both the men’s and junior teams at the same time.

Coronavirus in the Czech Republic

So far, there have been 8,123 cases of the coronavirus in the Czech Republic with 280 deaths attributed to the virus.

In early April, just three weeks after the first lockdown, the government allowed people to cycle and jog in parks and forests without face masks, so long as they remained two meters apart from others. Sports facilities, including golf courses, were also reopened in early April, while later in the month some gymnasiums and fitness centers reopened. The first retail outlets were permitted to reopen in early April including home improvement stores, building supply stores and bicycle stores. On May 11, outdoor areas of bars and restaurants will be allowed to re-open. By the end of May, indoor restaurant services will then be allowed, providing the situation warrants it.