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 at U.S. sports stadiums are rapidly increasing, with the NFL reporting 2,500 incidents in the 2022 season, posing significant safety threats to fans and disrupting games.
Despite existing FAA flight restrictions around stadiums, local law enforcement and stadium security lack the authority to counter or remove rogue drones, a power currently limited to federal agencies like the FBI and DHS, who rarely deploy for regular-season games.
New bipartisan legislation aims to extend drone jamming and takedown authority to state and local law enforcement, supported by major sports leagues, but faces concerns about potential overreach, while the overall surge in drone ownership indicates a growing challenge.

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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.