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Saturday, October 10, 2020, 09:39
NFL to penalize talking to refs without a mask
By Reuters
Saturday, October 10, 2020, 09:39 By Reuters

In this Feb 1, 2017 photo, the NFL shield logo is seen following a press conference held by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (not pictured) at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. (GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)

Any coach who approaches a referee without wearing a proper face covering now can be slapped with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

A memo sent to teams Friday from Perry Fewell, the NFL’s senior vice president of officiating administration, authorizes officials to throw the flags. It is a response to complaints from the NFL Referees Association about coaches and other sideline personnel pulling down their masks to yell at officials from close range.

 It is a response to complaints from the NFL Referees Association about coaches and other sideline personnel pulling down their masks to yell at officials from close range

“We have seen multiple occasions where head coaches have removed their masks to communicate with game officials during games,” Fewell wrote in the memo. “Doing so creates unnecessary, increased risk for the game official, the head coach, and others, and is inconsistent with the requirement that face coverings be worn at all times. 

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“Consistent with all other individuals on the sideline, game officials are entitled to your respect as they perform their job duties during the pandemic.”

The league’s COVID-19 protocols require everyone on the sideline to wear a face covering except for players who are actively involved in the game. The referees only remove their masks to announce penalties.

ALSO READ: Pandemic to test NFL's resilience

The NFL fined five coaches US$100,000 each -- and their teams US$250,000 -- for failing to wear masks properly in the early weeks of the season.

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