Learn the word “pods” when it comes to hosting fans in NFL stadiums during a pandemic. And be sure to read the terms and conditions on these tickets, which now include boilerplate language that protects teams from a COVID-19 outbreak among fans.
Several team sources told Yahoo Sports that “podding” treat wins with multiple franchises aimed at hosting fans safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. It comes as teams have significantly secured claws in their ticket terms during the press ahead of the 2020 season.
At least three teams – the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs – have started offering or are preparing to offer ticket packages to fans who place themselves in “pods”, which will become a clustered form of seating purchased by fans who will be attending games together. Difference from previous years: These clustered pods will be placed to keep them safe from other pods.
“Remember if you’re going out to dinner with a couple or a group of friends,” one team source told Yahoo Sports. ‘That is allowed in some places, so you go out with your masks on, and you sit together in the restaurant, where you are safely separated from other groups at other tables. That’s basically your pod. … You’ve committed to eating dinner in the pod with the people you’ve arrived at – people you probably know – and then you’ll be kept separate from others who have their own pods. . There are still some details that need to be worked out with concessions and others [stadium] amenities in terms of bathroom and entrance and exit, but that’s the concept nice.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Wednesday made a reference to the podcasting system in comments to the media, and essentially knew the hand of the league over what has been a pressing question for months about how teams can safely design the presence of fans .
He also referred to what many NFL teams have to do with planning for fans on a purely day-to-day basis: In essence, the best-placed plans could now be dramatically changed by local and state guidance by the time that the season begins in September.
‘As you know, you’re dealing with a bit of a moving target, and I’m not trying to diminish the aspect of its moving target, but we’m very unique in the fact that we have the suite capacity that we have some extra control over us, ”said Jones of AT&T Stadium. “We also have a stadium that has 3 million square feet. … When looking at a number [of fans] do not think that number will be added in the stadium – they are not.
‘It will be in pods of possibly five, 10, 15 different people. Our stadium is well-suited to put together numbers of people who have chosen to come and watch the Dallas Cowboys play. I will not speculate on a number. ”
NFL fans who are allowed to participate in games this fall must agree to a COVID-19 exemption when purchasing tickets and could sit in “pods” that are well spaced from other “pods.” (Robin Alam / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
What will podding look like?
According to the teams that spoke with Yahoo Sports, the pods could vary anywhere from four seats to anywhere in the teens, depending on the size of the ticket ban purchased by groups of fans. Depending on the number of tickets purchased, NFL teams have already developed a level of functionality that places groups of specific sizes in designated locations.
One source familiar with the ticketing deck used by NFL teams said there is software that makes teams easy to break seats and also offers options on how seats can be arranged, depending on the parts that make you out of black. The source described the classification of fans in the stands as “checkerboards”.
The size of the checkerboard and how the pods will be played is left to each team – in accordance with what local and state laws will allow for assembly in stadiums. That format could also change from one game to the next if in accordance with COVID-19 regulations which could change over time.
Two teams expressed that determining how fans on stage could be the easiest hurdle left a more complicated problem to keep fans safely away from each other in concourse areas, bathrooms and possible concession line.
“There is a lot of work that goes into preventing traffic accidents, as we call them,” said one source from the team. ‘We even walked the stadium a lot on foot to see it with our own eyes and by talking about how to tackle the problem areas before they happen on a game day. … there will be a lot of manpower involved, sure, just to get people moving. And I think there’s the possibility of restricting movement by providing food to people or just making concessions to what we bring to the seats, instead of the fans migrating to food. ”
COVID-19 clauses added to ticket sales
Teams expressed the constant reach to eliminate possible commitments in motion – but some other mitigation will take place long before fans enter the stadiums this season. Once teams have rolled out potential ticket purchases, each franchise boilerplate has added “Infectious Disease” or “COVID” clauses in the “Terms and Conditions” section.
“Have you been looking at the terms and conditions on the tickets lately?” one source close to ticket sales said. ‘You might want to take a turn through the language. … It’s now like five pages. ”
Yahoo Sports has reviewed the terms and conditions for team cards throughout the league, all of which had some version of a clause reimbursing the franchisee of litigation involving COVID-19 infections.
From the Cowboys (chapters text is the emphasis of the team):
HALF REALITY OF ALL RISKS, ODORS AND HAZARDS ASSOCIATED IN THE EVENT AND RELATED INCIDENTS, INCLUDING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY (INCLUDING DEATH), THE RISK OF EXPOSURE TO COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, VIRUSES, BACTERIA OR DISEASES AS THEIR CAUSES, ILLNESS, AS lost, stolen or damaged property, whether or not before, during, or after the event, however caused and or inside or outside the stadium, and hereby waives all claims and potential claims regarding such risks, dangers and dangers. AN INHERENT RISK OF COVID-19 EXPOSURE TO EVERY PUBLIC CITY WHEN MEN ARE PRESENT. COVID-19 IS AN EXTREME CONTAGIOUS DISEASE THAT CAN LEARN AND DEATH. INSIDE THE CENTER OF DISEASE CONTROL AND FORGIVENESS (“CDC”), SENIOR BURGERS AND DOSES WITH SUBSTANTIVE MEDICAL FACILITIES ARE INSTALLABLE VULNERABLE. By submitting the grounds of the STAGE AND STAGE, FREE HOLDERS WORK ALL RISKS RELATED TO EXPOSURE TO COVID-19. “
From the Patriots (bold and capitalized text is the emphasis of the team):
‘I voluntarily accept all risks, dangers and dangers, including the risk of personal injury (including death), the risk of exposure to communicable diseases, viruses, bacteria or diseases, and the risk of lost, steel or damaged property, invasion by every event I attend at Gillette Stadium, and whether I attend before, during, or after any such event. AN INHERENT RISK OF COVID-19 EXPOSURE TO EVERY PUBLIC CITY WHEN MEN ARE PRESENT. COVID-19 IS AN EXTREME CONTAGIOUS DISEASE THAT CAN LEARN AND DEATH. INSIDE THE CENTER OF DISEASE MANAGEMENT AND TRAFFIC, SENIOR BURGERS AND DOSES WITH UNDERSTANDED MEDICAL FACILITIES ARE INSTALLABLE VULNERABLE. BY ENTERING THE STAGE AND STAGE GROUNDS IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALSO RISKS OF COVID-19 EXPOSURE.”
Two team sources said such language on infectious diseases is expected to remain a staple of the language of NFL ticket removal going forward.
As one source put it, “This is the new normal in our world.”
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