Wearing masks required on bench in PBA bubble

Even if it follows the successful concept of the NBA bubble, the PBA is still trying to one-up it.

Among the stricter health and safety protocols that the PBA is proposing is for all players on the bench to wear masks during games in the bubble.

“Kung mapapansin ‘nyo sa NBA, kapag ‘yung mga players nasa bench, hindi sila naka-mask. Dito, ang in-impose ng PBA sa kanilang protocol, ‘pag ikaw ay nasa bench, kailangan mong mag-mask,” said Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Vince Dizon in a press conference on Tuesday, September 29.

(If you notice in the NBA, the players aren’t wearing masks. But here, the PBA is imposing a protocol that you have to wear masks on the bench.)

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial added that only the players on the court and the 3 referees can opt not to wear a mask during the game. 

“Iyon ang ibinigay na protocol sa amin [ng IATF]. Ang wala lang mask ay ‘yung sampung naglalaro sa court at tatlong referees. So labing-tatlong tao lang ang walang mask. Lahat naka-mask. Iyon ang ibinigay na protocol, susundin po namin,” said Marcial.

(That was the protocol that the IATF asked us to impose. The only ones who won’t have to wear a mask are the 10 players on the court and the 3 referees. So only 13 people won’t have to wear a mask. Everyone should wear a mask, and we will follow that protocol.)

For now, Marcial said violators of this protocol would only be given a verbal warning, but he would make sure that the teams would abide by the rules.

Aside from this, the PBA will not allow families to enter the bubble at any point of the season, even in the semifinals and the finals.

In the NBA, families of the players have been allowed to enter the bubble after the first round of the playoffs.

“Hindi tayo magpapapasok ng pamilya, sorry po. ‘Yun ang pinag-usapan namin ni Secretary Vince, na kahit semifinals o finals, wala talaga. ‘Di katulad ng NBA na pinapayagan, tayo po ay hindi magpapapasok,” added Marcial.

(Sorry, we’re not going to let family members in the bubble. That’s what we agreed on with Secretary Vince. Even during the semifinals or finals, no family member will be allowed to enter, unlike in the NBA.)

In case a player has to leave the bubble to attend to a family emergency, the PBA will not allow the player to enter the bubble again. 

“Papayagan po namin umuwi kung talagang emergency po, pero hindi na po sila makakabalik. Once na lumabas ka, hindi ka na makakabalik,” said Marcial.

(We’re going to allow people to go home if it’s an emergency, but they cannot come back into the bubble.)

The PBA earlier announced that hefty fines would be handed out to players who will leave the bubble without permission.

A player caught leaving the bubble without permission will have to pay a P100,000 fine, will not receive salary from his team for a month, and will be given a five-game suspension in the following conference. 

The PBA also discourages the players from doing high fives and fist bumps, in accordance to FIBA’s protocols for the resumption of basketball leagues.

No penalties will be given, but the PBA will make sure that the players know it’s discouraged.

The 2020 Philippine Cup is set to restart on October 11 in Clark, Pampanga. – Martin Mendoza/Rappler.com