TYLER PACOS
Special to The Leader
The NFL is already seven weeks into the 2020 season, and has had quite the challenge to face this year due to COVID.
Games are being rescheduled every week and tests are being performed every day.
It has been a very busy seven weeks for the league so far.
Despite all the extra steps the league is taking, the NFL isn’t the only league that has “reopened” since the start of the pandemic.
Almost every major sports league has begun to hold practices or games since being forced to halt all play and meetings back in March.
Some leagues have traveled around the country to face opponents, such as the MLB and NFL.
Other leagues did something that would allow no fans at all: the bubble format.
The NBA and NHL have just recently completed their “bubble” playoff for-mat, and were able to do so successfully with no cases reported throughout all teams and staff personnel that were granted access to the bubble.
Nevertheless, these two leagues have all games inside an arena or stadium under normal circumstances, so the bubble format seemed to be the only option. For the MLB and NFL, all games are held outside in open air stadiums, except for a handful of NFL teams who have a roof on their stadium with proper ventilation so air from the outside is able to circulate in. The league has also left it up to the teams to allow a limited number of fans into the stadium, depending on the state COVID-19 protocols.
The NFL conducts testing on a daily basis for every team player, coach and staff member that travel with the team and even when they host a home game.
When a player or staff member has a positive test, they are automatically put into isolation along with anyone who comes into close contact with them.
Once they perform two negative tests, they are al-lowed back with the team.
The league has been very good at rescheduling games so that it gives the teams time to recover and reset.
Masks are not required during games, but they are required during practices, meetings and during travel.
Coaches always wear masks, even during the games.
If these rules are not followed, the team will be fined at first, but if caught more than once, the con-sequences could include losing future draft picks — which, in most cases, can be worse than a fine. Given the circumstances, COVID is still a prominent issue in America as of right now, and there is no definite answer as to when it will be over and when the world will return back to normal.
The NFL and other leagues have stepped up during these unfortunate times, and have been able to help fans and players return to some sense of normalcy by resuming play safely.