The American Legion baseball season has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Massachusetts Athletic Committee announced on Monday.

The committee is following the actions of the American Legion National Organization, which canceled all regional tournaments as well as the national world series.

“This is a sad day in deed for American Legion Baseball in Massachusetts and marks only the second time since 1926 that there will be no Program, let’s hope life returns to normal in time for the 2021 season,” state chairman Richard Paster said in a statement.

The Department of Massachusetts left open the possibility that teams could play this summer. However, the department has removed itself from the equation.

In a post on the Massachusetts American Legion Baseball website, there are a number of directives should teams try and play this summer:

■Teams that continue playing shall be participating in an event not sponsored, nor endorsed in any manner by The American Legion National Organization and/or The Department of Massachusetts, but sponsored and endorsed solely by the group the team is named.

■Any team that continues is not playing as an American Legion National Organization nor Department of Massachusetts “registered” baseball team nor is it playing in an American Legion National or Department of Massachusetts Organization baseball program.

■The complete cancellation of the season means there are no “national or department rules,” nor are there “national or department guidelines,” as there is no American Legion national or Department of Massachusetts involvement.

■If an American Legion Post or other type of sponsored team has a program, then that team is having a team not authorized, nor endorsed by The American Legion National nor Department of Massachusetts Organization.”

■Those teams that conduct this season will need to determine their own rules, guidelines, schedules, insurance coverage, etc.

■The Department of Massachusetts will return all Department registration fees as soon as practicable.

Mike Moran can be reached at mmoran@gazettenet.com. Follow on Twitter @mikemoranDHG.