The NFL has required that only fully vaccinated staff, with a maximum of 50 people, have locker room access while players are present on game days.
In a memo sent to the 32 teams and obtained by The Associated Press, the policy takes effect immediately. Staff covered by the policy include coaches, athletic trainers, equipment staff members, a general manager, a team security representative, three club communications media staff and a staff member clubhouse support.
Players are not required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but the NFL has reported that more than 90% of them are.
“Non-club affiliated media will not be permitted in the changing rooms,” the note dated Wednesday read. “In the event that a player requires medical attention in the dressing room or if a club chooses to take drug and steroid samples on match day, a medical professional or sample collector… can access the players’ dressing room without being included in the maximum of 50 people with dressing room access, provided they are fully vaccinated.”
A team COVID-19 protocol coordinator can also access the locker room to manage Kinexon devices (which are used for contact tracing, social distancing and locating a person) or to perform disinfection required by the league protocols not counting towards the 50 maximum. All of these individuals must be fully vaccinated.
The teams wrap up the three-game preseason this weekend. The regular season begins Sept. 9 with Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay hosting Dallas. The first full slate of games is September 12.
Although the NFL has returned to in-person media availability, none will be in the locker room. There are press conferences and availability in small groups as long as physical distancing is maintained, and for match days there will be post-match press conferences with coaches and players. Teams that have a room where they are comfortable bringing a player in for physically distanced media interviews have that option. Zoom calls with the media are no longer mandatory.
“The decision by the NFL and the NFL Players Association to close locker rooms to independent media in 2021 is disappointing, but not unexpected, given the current state of COVID-19 across the country,” said Lindsay Jones of The Athletic, president of the Professional Football Writers of America. “However, the PFWA believes there are ways to safely reopen the dressing rooms to journalists this season, and regaining access to the dressing rooms in the near future remains our top priority.
“Our members have overwhelmingly agreed to adhere to strict COVID-19 protocols, including mandatory vaccinations in order to have face-to-face interviews with players and team staff, and to have access to the stands. press releases, wear masks indoors, and submit to regular COVID testing, and we will continue to do so The relationships established during locker room access and the resulting reports, both after games and during practice week, are at the heart of NFL beat coverage. This allows fans to get a deeper insight into players beyond their performance on the field, and a better understanding what’s happening on the field; NFL coverage will suffer without it.
“A return to in-person press conferences this summer during training camp was a positive development, but not the long-term solution. We look forward to continuing our conversations with teams, league and NFLPA officials. to find ways to enable independent media to do our job of providing the kind of coverage NFL fans deserve.”
Most professional sports have not allowed locker room access during the pandemic. Major League Baseball’s 2021 season began with video conferencing similar to last year until the league adjusted its policy in June to allow vaccinated reporters on the field before the game to interview players. Most teams continue to host managers’ availabilities before and after the match via video conference, and journalists are still not allowed to return to clubs.
Neither the NHL nor the NBA allowed locker room access, although the NBA during the later rounds of the playoffs offered press conferences for limited vaccinated media. The WNBA recently began allowing in-person interviews at practice after the Olympic break, before and after games. Journalists must be vaccinated and can conduct individual interviews with social distancing. But there is no access to the changing rooms.
It is only in motor racing, where there are no real clubs, that access to the media has opened up more widely.
IndyCar, which says all of its drivers are vaccinated, essentially has pre-pandemic 2019 access rules for the media. She finally opened the garage this year to all accredited media. The pre-race enclosures, a sort of so-called mixed zone requiring social distancing, remained, but the drivers come to the media center and have real access.
NASCAR, which has only five Cup drivers who have publicly stated they were vaccinated, has reduced media access. At the end of May, he reopened the garage to vaccinated media and Zoom interviews ended, but only the race winner came to the media center. The following four finishers were available post-race on pit road in a paddock.
Canceled protocols now no longer include garage access to not only media but also drivers. The pre-race enclosure has been moved outside for the top 20 drivers, and media must be screened, with a buffer between drivers and media. The race winners are now back for Zoom interviews, with the next four finishers available on pit road.
The PGA Tour started with only Zoom interviews before tournaments and a socially distanced mixed zone for players on request during the tournament. Access gradually increased for players on the side, socially distanced, and training areas opened in July. The dressing room remains closed and players do not come to the media center for interviews.
