Texas Rangers will have full capacity for games at the Globe Life Field in 2021, health and safety protocols, ticket information

Citing Governor Greg Abbott’s executive order to allow Texas business to open fully, the Rangers became the first major professional team in North America to announce plans to allow 100% of the stadium’s capacity for games in 2021.

The club will determine the use of masks, but also emphasized the need for “voluntary membership” from fans, as it expects to host up to 40,518 fans for the April 5 home debut at Globe Life Field. Club officials said there would be a “three attack” policy on mask warnings before any action was taken. The governor’s orders allow companies to determine their own mandate policies.

Tickets for a single game for two March shows and home games in April will go on sale on March 22. Ticket sales dates for the coming months have not yet been announced. Part of the Rangers’ opening will include free tickets for several local frontline health professionals to exhibit against Milwaukee on March 29-30.

“We are very excited that the Governor’s Office has authorized the full opening of the Globe Life Field at the start of the 2021 Major League Baseball season,” said Rangers and COO President, Business Operations, Neil Leibman. “We are totally confident that we can do this in a responsible and safe way. There is a lot of pent-up demand from people who want to attend events in a safe environment.

“They want to watch baseball and would like to watch it in the new stadium with the roof open,” added Leibman. “So I think with all the protocols that we are following, we will be extremely responsible and provide a very comfortable environment for someone to enjoy the game without worrying about whether we are going to be a disseminating event.”

The Rangers cited the CDC’s guidelines and were in contact with local public health officials about their policy, but declined to say whether they had consulted an independent external expert on infectious diseases and their spread.

Despite the aggressive opening of the state, the Rangers will, however, assume the position alone. Houston Astros may increase seats as the season progresses, but they do not plan to fully open seats at Minute Maid Park, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Anita Seghal, told the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday.

Other MLB clubs have started announcing plans to allow fans with limited capacity to participate in the games in 2021, but neither team has announced a permission for more than 21,000 fans (42.6 percent of the capacity) that the Colorado Rockies will allow to watch the games at Coors Field. The Rockies received special variation from the state of Colorado in order to allow many fans. The state of Maryland recently announced that sports facilities can allow up to 50% of capacity, but the Baltimore Orioles has yet to announce official plans.

MLB officials have repeatedly said they would postpone local health officials to determine the appropriate capacity, but the league offered no official comment on the Rangers plan. MLB launched a long set of COVID protocols to protect players and staff before spring training, but they did not include anything regarding the size of the crowd.

In Arlington, the Rangers will install plexiglass dividers on top of the shelters and bullpens to help further protect against the spread of COVID. Plexiglass barriers will allow fans to sit in the front rows of seats, which was previously prohibited as part of the MLB protocols. But, Rangers officials said, buffer zones have been “refined” for this year.

Except for the rain, the Rangers play all games at the Globe Life Field with the roof open in the near future to improve ventilation. In case the roof needs to be closed, the Rangers cited a state-of-the-art ventilation system that has been used frequently in the 10 months since Globe Life Field started allowing customers to enter, first for high school graduation, then for MLB postseason games, the National Finals Rodeo and a recent college baseball tournament. More than 400,000 fans have participated in events at Globe Life Field since May.

All transactions will also be cashless and will be measures of social distance taken at the entrance and exit.

At the heart of Rangers’ plan, however, is reliance on fans to fulfill the mask’s mandate. Executive Vice President of Commercial Operations, Rob Matwick, said fans would not be allowed to enter without a mask. Masks will be provided for those who do not arrive at the stadium with one. Fans could only take off their masks while eating and drinking, which can be a blurred line.

“We will need the cooperation of the fans, there is no doubt,” said Matwick. “I always think about voluntary compliance. So, first of all, let’s ask the fans to help us comply with the rules. what we are going to do is ask yes to help us comply with the rules. Actively eat and drink; I think ‘active’ is the keyword. If people are walking around with a sealed bottle and [no mask], it becomes a little more challenging. We need fans to help us. “

It is not yet clear how the Rangers would apply the mask policy to fans who violated the mandate. Matwick said he mentioned that the team would like to take a “three-stroke” approach during games for people who need kind reminders. When a fan would be asked out – and who would do that – was not detailed.

“We obviously have the right to do this if they are not following the rules,” said Matwick. “I mean, it’s like using obscene language or any other rough rule that we have. We have the right to ask someone to leave. Can we do this? Absolutely. Do we want to do this? No we do not. But I think there is a simple way to avoid this: just stick to the rule. “

The biggest problem is probably the opening day, usually a sell-out. After that, the frequency usually drops dramatically. The Rangers, for example, have averaged just 26,000 fans per game in each of the past two years at Globe Life Park. During the 2019 season, they drew less than half of the stadium’s capacity for 31 of the 81 home games. But before the pandemic, Rangers also relied on the new stadium to attract crowds.

Another issue related to the opening day – unauthorized use – will be prohibited in the parking lots around the stadium.

After the opening day, the team plans to use several sections as “distant seats”, with tickets sold in groups of groups with adequate social distance between seats. The number of sections used for distant seats may vary based on the overall demand for tickets.

A look at the club’s ticketing policies and protocols:

Health and safety protocols for games this year at Globe Life Field:

• Masks are required for all fans, except when actively eating or drinking in their seats, including all areas of the lobby and when entering the stadium

• Hand hygiene stations will be available throughout the stadium.

• Globe Life Field will remain penniless. All tickets will be digital and only credit cards will be accepted at the stands and points of sale.

• Bags will not be allowed, except those with medical reasons or manufactured diaper bags that accompany babies and young children.

• The health and safety protocols for the seat and the playing field are still being finalized between Rangers and the Major League Baseball.

Ticket information for a single game:

• Tickets for a single game for all March and April games, except the first one at home (April 5), will go on sale on Monday, March 22, at 10am at texasrangers.com or by calling 972RANGERS. This includes exhibition games against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 29-30 and 13 games of the regular season in April.

• Ticket information for a single game for the rest of the regular season schedule at home will be announced at a later date.

Season ticket information:

• All ticket holders for the Rangers season will have full access to the seating locations with tickets for the 2021 season, starting with exhibits against the Brewers.

This story will be updated.

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