Allowed Indoors but Not Outdoors? Inconsistent Quarantine Rules for Sports Facilities

Indoor sports facilities like gyms
Regulations eased to 1 person per 8㎡

Inconsistent rules applied to outdoor sports
Gatherings of 5 or more prohibited in soccer, futsal, etc.

On the 18th, when indoor sports facilities in the Seoul metropolitan area resumed operations, citizens were exercising at a gym in Seoul. The quarantine authorities eased some social distancing measures for multi-use facilities such as cafes, indoor sports facilities, and singing practice rooms in the metropolitan area. From this day, cafes are allowed to serve customers on-site until 9 p.m., and gyms can operate with a limit of one person per 8 square meters. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporters Byungdon Yoo, Donghoon Jung] Although the quarantine authorities have eased some measures against the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) to reduce the burden on self-employed business owners, confusion at the field level is intensifying. Due to the lack of clear standards, each local government has different regulations, causing inconvenience to citizens. It has been confirmed that outdoor sports facility operators, including soccer fields and futsal courts, are preparing for legal action against the quarantine authorities.

Since the 18th, the quarantine authorities have applied new quarantine rules that lift the ban on gatherings at indoor sports facilities such as gyms under the condition that usage is limited to one person per 8㎡ (2.4 pyeong). While maintaining social distancing level 2.5 (level 2 in non-metropolitan areas), regulations on indoor sports facilities have been somewhat relaxed. However, for outdoor sports facilities such as soccer fields and futsal courts, no clear standards have been presented, causing confusion between facility operators and users. The two conflicting regulations are ‘one person per 8㎡ or less’ and ‘ban on private gatherings of five or more people.’ Without any special notice from the quarantine authorities, businesses resumed operations and began accepting reservations from the 18th.

However, as of the 20th, the third day after the easing of quarantine measures, confusion continues. Each local government has either failed to provide clear answers or has given different answers. In Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, after receiving a flood of inquiries from users, the city initially responded that “soccer and futsal gatherings are possible as long as the usage limit of one person per 8㎡ or less is observed,” but later that same afternoon corrected its position, stating “futsal also falls under private gatherings and is therefore not allowed.”

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, which serves as the quarantine control tower, has also failed to provide a clear stance. Despite multiple inquiries to the headquarters regarding the matter, the only response received was that local government regulations must be followed.

This is not the first time the government’s pinpoint quarantine measures have sparked controversy. Last year, on November 29, when the metropolitan area’s social distancing was raised to ‘level 2+α,’ the quarantine authorities allowed boxing gyms to operate but prohibited kickboxing, citing that kickboxing is a more intense exercise, drawing criticism for ‘desk administration.’

Some outdoor sports facility operators are preparing for lawsuits and protests. The National Outdoor Futsal Facility Association stated, “Outdoor sports facilities like futsal courts have a playing area of about 826㎡ (approximately 250 pyeong) and about 10 to 12 players per game, making them safer than indoor facilities allowed under the quarantine authorities’ guideline of one person per 8㎡.” They argued, “The quarantine measure that allows indoor facilities but prohibits outdoor ones lacks both standards and fairness.” They also lamented, “Since there are no standards for outdoor sports facilities like futsal courts, some regions such as Jeonju and Daejeon allow futsal court operations, so why is it not allowed in the metropolitan area?” They plan to request the government to create detailed guidelines so that they can resume business operations.