Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday lifted the ban on spectators at high school sporting events this fall — with a rather large caveat.

The strict limits on crowd sizes remain in effect, rendering the new guidance from the governor's office largely moot for some sports.

Only 25 attendees are still allowed at indoor events and 250 at outdoor activities because of COVID-19 restrictions. Those numbers include the members of the teams and other essential personnel.

Previously, spectators were not permitted to attend any sporting event, regardless of the crowd limits. Only athletes, coaches and game staff were allowed at events.

The policy change, which came with no prior notice and was updated on the governor's website early Wednesday afternoon, leaves school districts with a new set of conundrums.

“All it's done is create more stress for schools,” said Bill Mylan, Butler Area High School athletic director.

Mylan has crunched the numbers.

Counting his football players, cheerleaders, media, game staff, athletic trainers and emergency personnel, Mylan said his total would be roughly 125.

He said if he limits the visiting team to 75, that leaves him only 50 spots to play with.

Not enough for even every parent to attend.

“How do I decide what 40 or 50 parents get in?” Mylan asked.

For some sports, the lifting of the ban allows everyone who wants to attend an event the ability to be there.

“Now you've created from an athletic director's standpoint an unfair playing field for parents of all sports,” Mylan said. “Soccer may get two parents for every player; cross country, every parent can come and watch. Football? Football gets maybe one.”

Mars athletic director and football coach Scott Heinauer also had mixed feelings about the lifting of the ban.

“This helps in some sports, but doesn't solve all sports,” Heinauer said.

While he said it is a step in the right direction, Heinauer had hoped for a different approach when it came to the numbers.

“I think that all parents should get to see their son or daughter play, no matter what,” Heinauer said. “To be fair, each participant should get two tickets and you have a percentage of what your stadium or gym holds to sell tickets to everyone else.”

Karns City girls soccer coach Tracy Dailey has been an ardent fighter for allowing fans at games this fall.

She said her reasons for wanting spectators in the stands goes beyond letting parents see their kids play.

“I look at it as a safety issue, honestly,” Dailey said. “If someone got hurt in years past, a parent was always there, or a close friend of the parent was there — someone to help out. With the ban in place, if I go to Forest Area and a player gets hurt seriously, what do I do? Do I leave my team to go to the hospital with her? She's a minor. There's liability there.”

With the ban lifted, Dailey said she has that parental safety net again.

She said the atmosphere at games will also improve.

“Karns City is so community fan-based. These kids play for their community,” Dailey said. “We have people coming just to come and watch soccer, not because they have a daughter on the team. They come to support athletics.”

While some sports will see a big benefit from having fans in the bleachers again, indoor sports like volleyball and hockey are still up against a losing numbers game.

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League released a statement that it could not play varsity games with the 25-person indoor limit in place.

The PIHL's season was set to begin in October.

Volleyball coaches were already scrambling to figure out how to have players, officials, scorekeepers and coaches in the gym and remain under the strict 25 limit.

Some Butler County volleyball coaches said they were going to go as far as keeping their bench in the school hallway and sending runners out to retrieve a substitute when needed.

The new guideline does nothing to change that dilemma.

“We've been working on that scenario for weeks and we're ready,” said Butler High School volleyball coach Meghan Lucas. “My (volleyball) parents have been great and are making plans to tailgate and still watch the game via livestream.

“We have no control over any of this,” she added, “but we can control how we react and make it a positive.”

As a senior volleyball player, Knoch's Quinn Hughes finds the situation bittersweet.

She said she is happy she gets a season, but is saddened that her parents can probably still not watch her play in her final season.

“Now, at least, some of the other seniors playing fall sports will be allowed to have their families come and watch,” Quinn said. “I'm still really disappointed about the limit of spectators in the gym. Allowing at least the seniors' parents of the home team to come and watch shouldn't be a big deal. There is enough room in a gym to spread people out.”

North Catholic volleyball coach Amanda Fetter boiled it all down to this: “Honestly, I am just thrilled to death that we have a season.”