NFA Softball Tournament takes place in Gulfport with safety guidelines in place

130 youth softball players from all across the southeast region have taken over the Gulfport Sportsplex this week for the 2020 National Fastpitch Alliance Home Lenders National Championship.

- 130 youth softball players from- all across the southeast- region have taken over the- gulfport sportsplex this- week for the 20-20 national - fastpitch alliance home - lenders national championship.- news 25's grace boyles has more- about how the tournament is - keeping players, coaches, and - fans healthy and safe.- - stadiums and ballparks- around the world haven't seen - action since early march due- - - - to the coronavirus pandemic.- gulfport, however, has welcomed- back softball.

The- national fastpitch alliance is- hosting a youth - softball tournament at the- - - - gulfport sportsplex while still- taking precautions to help limi- the spread of covid.- one major change is the - scheduling of games - throughout the day.

- dale palmer, nfa executive- director: "we put games a two - hour and a half time- gap.

So, we were allowing a - minimum of 30 minutes between - games so we didn't- have two teams at one dugout at- the same time."

- spacing out the games allows fo- one team to leave a field - before the next team scheduled- - - - to play on the field even enter- the sportsplex, cutting the - total number of - people in the ballpark at one - time in half, says palmer.- grace boyles, news 25: "some of- the new covid-19 guidelines hav- made players- give up game traditions - including chewing sunflower - seeds in the dugouts- and post-game handshake lines."- dave palmer, nfa executive- director: "it's hard to get out- of old habits.

As long as - there's been softball and - baseball, after the game's over- the cordial thing to do is to - say 'hey good game guys.'

So- what we've done or what we've - seen done now is the- teams will walk out-- out of th- dugout after the game and just- wave and say 'hey - great game girls' and then we'l- walk off and go our separate- way."

- each team is also given a bucke- of balls to use through out all- of their games to prevent teams- from touching and playing with- the same ball as their- competitors.- spectators are also subject to- the new rules.- only two household members of - each player on the- field are allowed to watch the- games.

Fans are also encouraged- to wear face masks until they - find a- place to watch the games, 6 fee- away from other fans.

- dave palmer, nfa executive- director: "it's hard to get use- to, but we know it's- best for us right now."

- in gulfport, grace boyles, news- 25.

- - -