NFL, Congress Wary of Rising Drone Incursions During Games

American lawmakers and major sports leagues—including the NFL, NCAA, and others—seek greater authority to ground rogue drones.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, October 12, 2023 at 04:28 PM ET

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The latest incident occurred over the weekend during a college football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Maryland Terrapins at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. [Courtesy: Ohio State University]

Key Takeaways:

Unauthorized drone incursions over sports stadiums are rapidly increasing, causing frequent game disruptions and raising significant safety concerns among sports leagues and lawmakers.
Despite FAA regulations prohibiting drones over large stadiums during events, local law enforcement and stadium security currently lack the authority to prevent or neutralize rogue drones.
Only federal agencies like the FBI and DHS have counter-drone capabilities, which are rarely deployed for regular-season games, and their authority is set to expire soon.
Bipartisan legislation is proposed to grant state and local law enforcement the power to jam or take down unauthorized drones, a measure supported by major sports leagues to address the growing threat.

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In football, there are many routes a receiver can run. There’s the “slant,” where the player runs a few steps forward before cutting across the field. An “out” or “comeback” calls for a cut toward the sideline.

Then there’s the “go” route, typically a straight sprint down the field—coaches sometimes refer to this as a “fly.” But it appears some drone pilots have misinterpreted the terminology as a cue.