Baseball is back, and so are the fans. This year’s Spring Training gave both fans and players a preview of what the 2021 regular season will look like, at least from a fan’s perspective. At a reduced capacity, all fans in attendance will be required to sit in pods and, most importantly, wear a mask throughout the game.

The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, the Spring Training home of the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals, and the other twenty-eight organizations put in strict policies to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. In a stadium that can hold approximately 8,000 fans, there was a capacity limit of 1,600 fans this year. All fans in attendance are required to wear a face covering at all times except when actively eating and drinking and were required to sit in their ticketed seating pods

Seating pods range between two and six seats. Each fan in their ticketed pod must know all the fans in their ticketed pod. Due to third-party ticket sellers such as StubHub and Seat Geek, it was common during Spring Training. It will continue to be a common occurrence during the regular season where two separate ticketed parties would have tickets for the same pod, which meant that they would be sitting next to one another. If one fan in the pod does not know a fan, all fans in the pod will have their seats rearranged by the box office to limit the Coronavirus spread. It is asked and recommended that all fans attending ballgames purchase tickets through the team’s website for a stress-free experience at the ballpark, so fans do not have to go through the trouble of going to the box office to have their seats rearranged. Zip ties separate pods in the seated areas to allow for at least six feet between pods. The outfield seating for fans at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches featured spray-painted squares that can hold up to a maximum of six fans per pod. Ropes were displayed between six and twelve feet from the stands to the field to limit how close fans come into contact with the players and coaches.

All fans in attendance ages two years and older must wear a face-covering except when actively eating and drinking. During spring training, ballpark personal such as ushers were seen actively walking up and down their sections to enforce mask wearing. Any fan not wearing a face covering will be asked to wear one, and if the fan refuses, it could ultimately lead to the fan being asked to leave the ballpark. Cash is not accepted at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches this year, so they have had to use their credit cards to pay for parking, food, and souvenirs which will be expected at most ballparks 2021 regular season. Contactless ticket scanners were set up at the Ballpark entrances of the Palm Beaches and will continue to be used throughout the regular season across Major League Baseball.

After a successful 2021 Spring Training ensuring all fans were in a safe environment, Ballpark of the Palm Beaches General Manager said in a statement to NBC WPTV in regards to the safety changes, “By the end of the year, fans were telling us they liked it, so I do think the hand sanitizer is here to stay, the touchless, cashless ballpark is here to stay, and ultimately these things that make that fun experience easier, faster, quicker, better,” Status said, “People who came out to the ballpark this year, they knew what they bargained for. They agreed to wear masks, to come to a ballpark with lesser capacity, you know.”

Safety protocols will continue into the 2021 regular season to ensure all fans are in a safe and comfortable environment.