(Newswire.net — October 13, 2021) —
The interrupted professional sports season of 2020 is not a distant memory, and most major sports were excited at the prospect of a return to normal in the 2021 season. And while things certainly got off to a decent start for many leagues, the Delta variant that is now circulating the world has caused a whole new string of restrictions, closures, and a step back in some of the reopening measures.
As the NFL prepares to start its 2021/2022 season and gyms are reopening, it has laid down the gauntlet and made it very clear that it will do everything in its power to minimize the effects of the pandemic in the upcoming season.
Setting Extremely High Standards for COVID-19 Safety Protocols
The NFL is set to start its 2021 season in less than a month now, and both the players and the fans are getting hyped. And while things will certainly be as normal as possible, the NFL has decided to set the bar high where COVID-19 measures are concerned. While not exactly a vaccine mandate, the league has decided to take some very strict measures, which are meant to strongly encourage all players to get vaccinated.
Included in its recently announced measures will be:
- Fines of $14,650 are levied against each unvaccinated player every time they are found in violation of COVID-19 safety restrictions and protocols. Should a player choose not to take part in testing, the fine will be a whopping $50,000.
- If a game is canceled due to an outbreak of COVID-19 that is spreading through unvaccinated players, the team will have to forfeit the game. You can see how a few forfeits could play a huge role in a team’s standings, as a forfeit is calculated as a loss.
- Then there’s the fact that if a game is forfeited, the players on both teams won’t be paid that week. It will be up to the affected teams to deal with the lost revenue, not the league.
What this means for fans, however, is that the season should look much more normal and the hope is that not many games will be canceled. You may want to stock up on your fan gear now so you can be ready for the start of the season.
How Many Players Are Vaccinated?
The good news is that the league is doing quite well where vaccinations are concerned, with many reporting more than 85% of players being fully vaccinated. It won’t be surprising to see this number increase the closer we get to the season opener, thanks to the strict rules and regulations.
Not Everyone Is On-Board with the New Measures
Just as you would expect, there is some backlash to the newly announced measures. This means there will be some who aren’t on board.
So if you’re hoping for an exciting and great NFL season, it looks like all the pieces are in play and are ready to go.