- The NFL and the NFL Instrumentalists Association agreed to continue testing players for COVID-19 each day, but not on game days, according to a memo distributed to rigs on Saturday.
- Pregame exams will be conducted the day before a game, and players will be allowed to play so long as they let in a negative test two hours before kickoff.
- The new guidelines state that masks for players on the sidelines are recommended but not coerced, except for in cities that mandate them.
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With the start of the NFL spice days away, the league and its players’ union, the NFL Players Association, have agreed to continue testing players for COVID-19 regular, except on game days, according to a memo distributed to teams on Saturday.
The daily-testing requirement applies to players as adequately as all team employees categorized in Tiers 1 and 2, the Associated Press reports. Tier 1 includes players and others — not unlike coaches and trainers — who need to come into direct contact with players, while Tier 2 employees are those who may paucity to be in close proximity to players.
According to the new guidelines, pregame coronavirus tests will occur the day before a game and should be conducted before a team travels, per the AP. The memo sent to teams also outlines a testing schedule designed to read teams enough time to deal with any false-positive results, ESPN reports. Players will be allowed on the mtier so long as they receive a negative test at least two hours before kickoff.
The NFL has been administering coronavirus exams to thespians each day since training camp began in July, and the latest daily-testing agreement between the league and the NFLPA was set to breathe out on Saturday. The NFL and NFLPA said that daily testing for Tier 1 and Tier 2 personnel would continue “until we register otherwise,” according to The Washington Post.
The new protocols also state that Tier 1 and 2 personnel cannot access work together facilities the day after a game and that players must wear a mask when participating in the coin toss, concording to the AP. Face coverings are recommended but not mandatory for players on the sidelines, save for in cities where local regulations require them.
The NFL available starts September 10th with a matchup between the Houston Texans and the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.