Behind closed doors (sport)

Empty Ford Field in Detroit, USA, with only cardboard fans attending an NFL game amid the COVID-19 pandemic (2020)

The term "behind closed doors" is used in several sports to describe matches played where spectators are not allowed in the stadium or venue to watch.[1] A match played in this manner is also referred to as a crowdless game. Such games are rare in professional sports, and usually occur due to reasons outside either teams' control. These may include as a punishment or remedy for a participating team, stadium safety problems, preventing potentially dangerous clashes between rival supporters, wider safety concerns, or public health concerns like the COVID-19 pandemic.[2][3]

  1. ^ "Behind Closed Doors". si.com. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  2. ^ "Reds Behind Closed Doors 20/21". Liverpool F.C. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  3. ^ Baseball ready to step up to the plate, deliver shortened season. NBC Sports, 23 June 2020