WEST LEBANON — An adjustment in the way the National Federation of State High School Associations approaches COVID-19 pandemic restrictions for sports is unlikely to have an immediate effect on the Twin States.

The NFHS, in a statement approved last week and released Tuesday, said its sports medicine committee was dropping high-, medium- or low-risk designations for sports. The Indianapolis-based organization said research now indicates “prevailing community infection rates appear to be the strongest predictor for high school athletes being infected, and proven cases of direct transmission of coronavirus in the athletic setting remain relatively rare.”

Vermont Principals Association associate executive director Bob Johnson said the change in philosophy came as a surprise. Since the VPA is taking all direction for high school athletics from Gov. Phil Scott’s restart committee, the NFHS statement isn’t likely to force any immediate adjustments.

“It had a factor in the fall, but it won’t affect the rest of the year,” Johnson said on Wednesday morning. “At this point, the only sport that is really up in the air would have been lacrosse, and we didn’t see that as high-risk; we see it as medium-risk. I don’t think this will have an impact on us at all.”

Considered high-risk, Vermont football initially wasn’t going to go forward last fall until coaches convinced the state to support seven-on-seven touch play. The same designation fell upon wrestling, which isn’t being sponsored for Vermont high schools this winter.

Johnson said the VPA forwards NFHS documents to the governor’s office for consideration in its plans. Scott has yet to give the OK for winter interscholastic competition, although schools were allowed to begin team practices two weeks ago after a period of socially distanced individual instruction. Johnson is hopeful the VPA will get some guidance from Scott’s office at his semiweekly COVID news briefing on Friday.

“All I can tell you is when we get the word, schools will be ready to go,” Johnson said. “We’ve been very conservative. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it.”

The VPA has approved an extension of the winter season through the end of March, if needed, to complete state tournaments. The association’s Activities Standards Committee also has given the nod to stretching spring tournaments to late June.

New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association executive director Jeff Collins likewise sees little impact from the NHFS announcement.

Since Gov. Chris Sununu permitted the resumption of youth sports last summer, the NHIAA has left it up to member schools to decide what programs they felt comfortable supporting during the pandemic.

“As day-to-day operations go, it doesn’t impact us because the governor in our state gave the green light to all sports, regardless of risk category,” Collins noted on Wednesday morning.

The NFHS said social contact rather than sports participation appears to drive sports-related COVID-19 spread. Non-contact sports show lower infection rates than contact sports, as do outdoor over indoor activities, but facemask use indoors brings those numbers into line with outdoors.

Greg Fennell can be reached at gfennell@vnews.com or 603-727-3226.