NJ Clarifies Outdoor Gathering Limit For High School Football

NEW JERSEY — The high school football teams still playing games during Thanksgiving week in New Jersey will be able to have spectators, after Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday clarified the impact of the change in the limit on outdoor gatherings.

The limit on outdoor gatherings is 150 people starting Monday, down from 500, under an executive order Murphy signed last week to try to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

Initially, Murphy said that would apply to all youth and high school sports outdoors and would include the game participants, meaning high school football games scheduled for Thanksgiving week were in jeopardy of being played without spectators.

That meant parents and guardians would not be able to see their children take the field for the last time.

On Friday, Murphy said the limit will apply to spectators only, with football players, coaches and team personnel not counting toward that limit.

Most of the high school football teams in the state will have completed their abbrieviated seasons by Sunday. Some were able to play all eight games, but the coronavirus has taken a toll: There have been dozens of games canceled and as of Friday, more than 60 teams had ended their seasons early due to the virus, NJ.com reported.

The Brick Township football team was among those, calling off its game with Raritan earlier this week.

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