All players at all levels of football in Ireland can engage in full contact outdoor training in pods of 15 from Monday, May 10, under the new Government guidelines.
All adult, amateur and youth (U19) teams can return to training from Monday and the FAI has confirmed with the Government that all teams can engage in contact training.
FAI Head of Grassroots Ger McDermott said: “We have informed all our clubs today of this most welcome news from Government.
"The return to training for our adult amateur and Youth (U19) teams will now coincide with the return to contact training in pods of 15 for all our players.
"We have updated our Safer Return to Training Protocol to reflect this and have shared this with our clubs and made it available online at www.fai.ie
“Football has proven itself to be a safe environment for all our players and volunteers through this pandemic and we again thank all our clubs and stakeholders for their commitment and adherence to the Government guidelines.
"We are getting closer to a return to play for all our teams and we thank the Government, the Expert Medical Group and Sport Ireland for their help in getting us to this point.”
Meanwhile, League of Ireland captains will wear the Head In The Game armband during the month of May to raise awareness of mental health.
Each captain from the SSE Airtricity Premier & First Division, and Women's National League will wear the armband in each match during May which is observed as mental health awareness month.
Head In The Game is a supporter led mental health campaign aimed at helping members of the Irish football community.
The movement was established in September 2020 following the tragic passing of Dundalk FC videographer Harry Taaffe by six Dundalk FC supporters determined to create a discussion and break down the stigma of mental illness.
Head In The Game officially launched with the social media video and original poem “The Floodlights” to highlight the importance of a specific mental health campaign in football.
The campaign aims to provoke a discussion about mental health and well-being to create awareness about mental illness. Head In The Game is partnered with two mental health charities, Jigsaw and Shine, to help signpost people towards professional services.
Speaking today, Head In The Game chairperson Dean Arrowsmith said: "We’re ecstatic about this initiative in conjunction with the FAI, and I want to thank them on behalf of the group for their support in getting this off the ground, they’ve been great.
"May is mental health month and we really hope this is a conversation starter amongst players, coaches, staff and fans. If it helps one person then it’ll have been worth it.
“Thanks to the clubs, captains and the FAI for really getting behind it. Our charity partners Jigsaw and Shine also want us to pass on their thanks."
You can make contact with Jigsaw or Shine when you visit www.jigsaw.ie or www.shine.ie.
