NISA Announces Fall Tournament
Fri, Apr 4
NISA Official Update
Apr 27, 2020
The National Independent Soccer Association's (NISA) COVID-19 Task Force continues to work with medical experts, the US Soccer Federation and the other professional soccer leagues to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 global environment as well as assemble NISA's Return to Play (RTP) protocol for its clubs. The RTP protocol will be comprised of three phases, 1) Preparation, 2) Return to Training, and 3) Return to Match Play. NISA will also continue to adhere to guidelines from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as mandates from the State and local governments.
NISA's Spring Season launched in February and had been scheduled to end in June ; however due to the global impact of the COVID-19 virus, this has become an unrealistic time frame for the league to get back to the pitch to complete the season. As a result, The National Independent Soccer Association is officially announcing the cancellation of the balance of the Spring Season while at the same time announcing Fall Season details. NISA and its member clubs look forward to welcoming the NY Cosmos and New Amsterdam FC to the league's competition in the fall. The intent is to start the season in August and end in November. At this point, the league is preparing to play in one of three environments: 1) closed door, 2) open door with a limited number of fans, and 3) open door. The environment will be predicated by best practices as determined by NISA's COVID-19 Task Force, comprised of medical experts, along with guidance from the CDC and concern for the health and well being of our players, staff, and fans.
The National Independent Soccer Association is also planning its inaugural NISA Independent Cup, a competition between a collection of NISA clubs and select high level amateur clubs. It's anticipated the Independent Cup will be a regional competition behind closed doors and take place between Mid-July and Mid-August. Details of the clubs participating and the competition format will be forthcoming. NISA Commissioner, John Prutch, acknowledged that there are still many details that cannot be worked out today, such as whether or not spectators will be allowed to attend matches and when exactly clubs will be allowed to return to training. "The world has changed, and with it, so must we. Whether you're an athlete or a business, you can adapt to unique challenges. At NISA, these shifts are being made in fundamental business strategies using creative, adaptive, and strategic solutions to resume play when it is safe and reasonable to do so with continued advisory from top medical experts. The path to achieving these goals is fluid as we adapt to an ever-evolving landscape, and we will proceed with care and ensure all of the appropriate steps are in place as we move forward," John Prutch, NISA Commissioner.
