Safety Netting at Sports Events

[SpyderEdgeForever]

What are your views on what level of protective netting and other guards should be placed at stadiums and other sports events? I have heard both sides: On the one are those who say people should be aware that if they attend a sporting event such as a hockey game, or baseball game, there will be the potential of flying balls and pucks and things that can do damage, and its "buyer beware".

On the other hand, there are those who say that individuals and families should have the confidence that if they attend these events, they will be protected from out of control or foul balls.

As some of you may have seen in the news lately, there have been incidents where foul balls have struck audience members and injured them. A friend of mine who is an avid baseball fan has this attitude: If you go to a ball game, expect there to be flying balls. He likes the idea of almost no or very low netting because then he may be able to catch a foul ball and keep it.

What are your views on this? I have heard that at times people have been killed at hockey games in the past when hit by flying out of control pucks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Brittanie_Cecil

[El Gato]

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[awa54]

Ever been hit by a hockey puck? It's so fast that you might not be able to duck it (especially at a pro game) and if you do the person behind you will eat it... I'm all for netting along the back boards at hockey rinks, especially since there has been at least one death associated with a deflected slap shot. BTW, the glass at hockey rinks is pretty damned close to bulletproof, and for good reason :D

If you enjoy the potential for "accidents" then go watch the motor sport of your choice at a track that just has plain 'ol chain-link around it, sooner or later you'll see someone badly hurt or killed by a piece of 100 mph debris.

[Echo63]

Here in Australian Football League matches there is netting behind the goals, before the game (while the teams warm up, and people take their seats)
once the game starts the nets are taken down, organisers assume the crowd is watching the game, and would notice a bright yellow ball heading towards them.