With the start of the fall football season just around the corner and COVID-19 being an issue for nearly eight months now, many questions are up in the air for both players and the audience. On August 21 the Florida High School Athletic Board voted that all high schools in the state could begin practice on August 24 and start games only a mere two weeks later. With this decision comes plenty of questions on how this season is going to work with social distancing still in effect.

The most obvious question is about the players. Many people are wondering if the players will have to wear masks, the answer is no. Currently there is no state ordinance regarding a mask during gameplay (which is going to make maintaining social distancing quite difficult since no masks will be required during gameplay). On the contrary players will be required to wear masks at any and all times that they are not involved in physical activity. Since football is a contact sport, it is difficult to think about how the state plans to maintain social distancing to keep the players and coaches, on both sides of the ball, safe.

The student body and local fans are the second concern that comes along with this football season. Questions like; “Can we even go to games?” “Will we have to social distance in the stands” and “What about pep rallies?” are floating around every school in the state as we try to adhere to the guidelines that keep us safe from COVID-19. The answers to these questions are more bittersweet than anything, being that games will have an audience; however, seats will be on sale to reserve because of social distancing guidelines. Pep rallies will most likely be cancelled for the 2020 football season. 

It would be an understatement to call the 2020-21 football season odd, but it could be a lot worse if this season didn’t even happen. The most important thing is that the players, student body, coaches, and parents stay as safe as possible while enjoying this football season and expressing school spirit.