NFL and NBA set to use SafeZone tag for COVID-19 contact tracing when training resumes

American sports leagues NFL and NBA have reportedly adopted the use of the SafeZone tag for contact tracing and social distancing during training camps before their respective leagues begin after the coronavirus lockdown. The NBA season is slated to restart on July 30, at the Walt Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports complex. The NFL, on the other hand, is scheduled to begin on September 10, barring any developments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both leagues have adopted strict social distancing measures and coronavirus protocols have been placed to ensure that the leagues can run smoothly. 

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NFL, NBA use SafeZone tag for coronavirus contact tracing 

According to CNBC, NFL players will be given a wearable smart tag when they return to training this week, that will monitor their social distancing measures, and tap how long do these interactions occur. The NBA has also seen the use of these devices at the NBA Bubble campus in Orlando. The SafeZone tag, developed by Kinexon, is one of the latest devices the NFL and the NBA are set to use to monitor social distancing and the maintenance of protocol in their respective camps. The SafeZone tag alerts users when they break social distancing rules and monitors who they are in close contact with.

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The German-based company had been working with more than 100 sports teams for years to develop efficient performance tracking tools but shifted to coronavirus contact tracing amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Unlike their performance tracking devices, where coaches and physios are provided with valuable insight through precise location and movement tracking, the SafeZone tag only measures the proximity between people and the length of time interactions occur. The devices were also used by the DFB (German Football Association) during the Bundesliga restart. For privacy purposes, the company said the data will remain anonymous during the course of the NBA and NFL campaigns. 

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Players in the NBA bubble were provided with respective coronavirus contact tracing devices before training began in the Orlando complex. However, the SafeZone tags are only mandatory for league officials and members of the media. CNBC further reports that the devices will not be used by the NBA to find GPS locations of their respective owners. The coronavirus contact tracing device is the size of an Apple Airpods case and can be sported as a wristband, as an ID Card or can be placed in equipment during games and practice. The device turns red when a player or staff member comes within six feet of another person, and sounds an audible alarm within five seconds. 

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The NFL has made the coronavirus contact tracing device mandatory for everyone with teams resuming training this week. The NFL provided the teams and players with procedures and protocols to follow during the season amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and has issued that the SafeZone tags must be worn during team activities, practice and team travel. The players and staff will receive the devices each day when they check-in and will return it back during the end of the day so that data can be recorded and the device can be disinfected. In an event of a player or staff testing positive for COVID-19, the device will have a record of everyone they have been in contact with.

(Image Courtesy: nfl.com, nba.com)