The Royal Dutch Football Federation made public on Thursday a protocol by which it will be allowed to complete between 20% and 40% of the capacity of the stadiums during the start of the 2020/21 season and The sale of tickets to fans of the visiting team will not be allowed.
The document, of about 80 pages, He proposes to the clubs to divide the assistants into different groups. First there will be fans who buy individual tickets, which they must sit keeping a safety distance of 1.5 meters, that is, leaving about four seats free for each one that is occupied.
If two or three people live in the same house, they will not be obliged to keep the safety distance between them. This exception will also apply to people between 12 and 18 years old, although young people will have to be 1.5 meters from adults who are not their relatives.
By last, Children under 12 years of age will be totally exempt from complying with the safety distance and may sit in any seat.
The protocol does not recommend that spectators wear a mask, something that in the Netherlands is only mandatory on public transport.
One of the Federation's fears is that there will be crowds at the beginning or at the end of the matches. To avoid it, They recommend that the clubs establish time slots according to the entrance of each spectator.
On the other hand, the highest body of Dutch football rules out selling tickets to fans of visiting teams due to their “unfamiliarity” with the seating arrangements.
Also, “the animosity” that could arise between these groups and the local fans “can generate unwanted tensions and discipline is currently required,” the protocol says.
The practical application of the document will depend on each club, it was pointed out from the Dutch federation, and from the distribution of the stands, which varies according to the stadium.
These rules will apply for the first matches of the 2020721 season, which will begin on September 12, and the relaxation of the rules will depend on the de-escalation measures announced by the Government.
The protocol does not mention any prohibition to chants in stadiums or shouts to celebrate goals, something that was suggested last June by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.