Officiating and COVID-19

As we move through month seven of varying degrees of shutdowns due to coronavirus, officials are slowly going back to work. From youth to high school to NCAA and even professional leagues, varying sports have returned in largely differing environments. The NBA produced a bubble and their officials joined players, coaches, and personnel in full seclusion from society. Conversely, the NFL begins with officials being tested regularly, but continuing their lives outside of football. Similarly, MLB umpires are carrying on their lives outside of baseball, but strict measures are taken on the diamond with mask and testing requirements.

The NCAA has paused most sports with the large exception of football this fall. Six of the ten Football Bowl Series (FBS) conferences are pressing on with a season. What does it look like for collegiate officials right now? The truth is it varies. Most conferences are using testing requirements. All conferences are requiring masks of some kind, with some designating specific three-layer masks for use. Meetings with game staff and coaches are physically distanced in many cases; every possibility to avoid unnecessary contact is taken (much like what’s encouraged by players during gameplay). Additionally, electronic whistles have been widely adopted as a means to avoid the spittle originating from regular whistles.

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