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Monday the NFL and NFLPA took another step toward the NFL re-opening for training camp. The league and players’ union have jointly released a set of protocols to help guide clubs as players return to the facilities.
There is optimism around the NFL that the 2020 NFL season will be able to start on time amid the Covid-19 pandemic. But in order to do so safely, the NFL is putting protocols in place to try and mitigate the risk of infection around team facilities as much as possible.
The NFL issued protocols to clubs this morning laying out plans for players’ return to club facilities, including physical distancing, facility cleaning and disinfecting, equipment cleaning etc. pic.twitter.com/mNzpnqfb0h
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 8, 2020
The new protocols also include guidelines for the cleaning and sanitizing of the clubs’ facilities, as well as instructing clubs to promote social distancing among players while indoors.
The protocols instruct clubs to do such things as reconfigure locker rooms to allow space between players, conduct strength and conditioning sessions in small groups, and to conduct position group meetings remotely whenever possible.
In a joint NFL-NFLPA memo to clubs, teams will, among other things, be required to have 6 feet of space between lockers upon re-opening pic.twitter.com/z7eVvhs9fQ
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) June 8, 2020
There will likely be other rules and recommendations given out by the joint task force as we get closer to the start of training camp.
And while there is still no guarantee that the season will start on time, it’s good to see the League and the players working together to try and get back to business in as safe a manner as possible.