The NFL has determined the protocols that the Kansas City Chiefs and 31 other teams must follow in order for players to return to team facilities. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer revealed a memo sent to NFL teams on the agreed-upon protocols between the NFL and NFLPA for opening team facilities up to players.
The league has broken policies up into a number of different categories including facility access, physical distancing, facility disinfecting, equipment disinfecting, personal protective equipment and compliance with protocols. It’s a lot to take in, so here is a quick summary of the most important parts:
- Facility access is broken up into four categories. Restricted, Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3.
- Tier 1 includes players, coaches, trainers, doctors and head equipment manager.
- Tier 2 includes personnel staff, ownership, football ops, PR staff, and other staff members.
- Tier 3 includes in-house media and broadcast personnel, and others who provide essential services that don’t require close contact with individuals.
- Tier 1 and Tier 2 individuals are ones that will have direct access to players and staff members.
- NFL must submit a list of individuals and accompanied tier access at least 7 days prior to the first mandatory report date for players.
- Clubs must create a separate entrance for Tier 1 & Tier 2 individuals if they don’t already have one.
- Those with access to restricted areas must undergo daily screening and questionnaires related to COVID-19 before entering those areas.
- Locker rooms must be reconfigured to permit 6-feet apart social distancing measures.
- Strength and conditioning workouts are limited to small groups, must be staggered to allow physical distancing and time for sanitization of equipment.
- Team meetings are to be conducted virtually or outdoors whenever possible.
- Common spaces must be sanitized before players arrive and after they leave (I.E. locker rooms, meeting rooms, weight room).
- Equipment such as helmets, shoulder pads, and so on are to be disinfected after each game.
- Players have to personally disinfect all personal items when they enter the team facility (phones, wallets, etc).
- Players must have access to personal or single-use towels.
- Players can no longer share water bottles.
- Masks are to be required except for when they interfere with specific athletic activities.
- Teams must maintain a supply of PPE for medical staff to treat players who become symptomatic.
- Teams will be certified on a monthly basis for compliance with these protocols.
Right now, there remains no official report day for players to return to facilities. As teams get these protocols in place, we should find out a better timeline for when players might return to team facilities.