Project Restart and Social Distancing

[Glassman]

Substitutes are sitting in the stands five or six sits (and several rows) apart. Okay, social distancing... but they'll be on the pitch if called upon?

Also, at the end of the game, what's the point in all this elbow-to-elbow or forearming/spudding when immediately after that some are cupping the back of their subject's head or even putting a hand on the player's face?

I get that they're doing all they can to minimise contact/risk but are they?

[Miocene]

Given the clearly professional haircuts a lot of the players had, clearly not taking it that seriously. There's a BBC article on the subject, but can't find it at the moment.

[Puggit]

I haven't watched any - but I believe players are still spitting too.

Never understood that - I never felt the need to spit when I was younger and doing sports!

[48k]

Glassman said:

Substitutes are sitting in the stands five or six sits (and several rows) apart. Okay, social distancing... but they'll be on the pitch if called upon?

Also, at the end of the game, what's the point in all this elbow-to-elbow or forearming/spudding when immediately after that some are cupping the back of their subject's head or even putting a hand on the player's face?

I get that they're doing all they can to minimise contact/risk but are they?

I agree - posted as much on the Spurs thread the other day.

Watched a warm up and as the players jogged back in they came in one by one, 2m apart, and the commentator noted "players coming back in to the tunnel after the warm up following social distancing rules". Fast forward to the first corner and it's the usual bear-hugging/shirt pulling stuff that happens week in week out. The players have either all been tested and cleared so it's safe to play full contact in which case social distancing is irrelevant, or they haven't in which case it is relevant all the time which means it's impossible to play football. They can't have it both ways. Accept of course it seems that they can, because reasons. I don't understand why football and footballers are somehow magically different to any other sportsmen and sport, and society in general.