Premiership clubs are to push Scottish football’s Joint Response Group for answers over their decision to keep social distancing for players in place as society opens back up.
SPFL clubs were bemused to be told last week that squads must maintain two metre protocols off the park in order to identify and isolate unvaccinated contacts in the event of a positive case.
The costly rules - which cover all levels of the professional game in Scotland - mean cash-strapped clubs must continue to use multiple buses for travelling to games, avoid car sharing, ensure social distance is maintained for pre-match meals and give up areas such as hospitality and gyms to use as makeshift changing rooms.
That’s despite the Scottish Government relaxing the rules for the rest of society on Monday and players being tested twice a week.
The SFA /SPFL JRG directive followed the government’s insistence on maintaining close contact criteria and leaders are understood to be sympathetic to clubs' plight.
But Record Sport understands representatives from a handful of top flight clubs will seek clarification on the decision at Wednesday's scheduled meeting of the JRG.
Motherwell boss Graham Alexander urged the authorities to bring the game into line with society at the weekend.
He said: “There needs to be a relaxation, as we are a part of society. We aren’t outwith it.
“If we are going from one set of rules to another it is quite difficult as we are breaking those boundaries.
“We see things that contradict each other.
“Something happens in society and football seems to be chasing its tail and catching up and I don’t see why.
“Would I like to see them revisit the decision? Yes, I think so.
“We need to have common sense as we know there’s still a pandemic and we can’t be ignorant of that as we want to be safe.
“But we see a lot more freedom outside and it’s the contradictions about what is safe and what isn’t.
“We get tested every week and we speak to the players about things. We can control a lot of things but outside the football environment there is a lot of freedom.
“So it makes it hard to control in here if there is freedom outside.”
The JRG said in their email to clubs last week: “The Scottish Government have confirmed that the criteria by which contacts of positive cases will be identified remain as they currently are.
“This means that whilst physical distancing has been removed, should any club personnel test positive, the current 2m criteria will be used to identify others who would then be required to self-isolate.
“This includes all changing areas, gyms, dining and travel arrangements as per the current protocols.
“We appreciate this news may not be what was expected and an assumption of a return to normality may have been made.
“As ever, these are complex issues and the consequences of any relaxation of protocols need to be carefully considered.
"Our primary focus remains to ensure the safety of all club personnel and the integrity of competitions.”
