PLL Postpones Start of 2020 Season, Exploring Options for Delayed Start

The PLL announced Friday afternoon that it will postpone the start of the 2020 regular season, which was set to begin on May 29 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

PLL Co-Founder and Atlas LC midfielder Paul Rabil is "confident we will have a 2020 slate of games," but it is unknown as to when those games will begin and what kind of season we will end up seeing.

"The health of our players, coaches, fans, and colleagues are of paramount importance to us as we go through this unprecedented time," said PLL Co-Founder and CEO Mike Rabil in a news release Friday afternoon. "As a league, we will continue to adhere to guidelines administered by the CDC, respective state governments, and our hosting venues. This was a difficult decision for our league, but a necessary measure to ensure the safety of all parties."

Earlier in the week, Mike Rabil brought up three scenarios for the 2020 season: the full schedule of games with a delayed start, an abbreviated schedule with a delayed start, and the third possibility now being considered is some sort of “quarantine tournament” that has been proposed by other sports leagues. 

Rabil did not go much into whether or not the league plans to have fans present at games, and he said the league is consulting with health organizations, league stakeholders, and other pro sports organizations to make a safe decision for the future of the league. 

Rabil also announced that the PLL College Draft will be postponed to sometime in mid-May and the draft will be held virtually on NBC Sports. The number of rounds, which at this time is four, could also be "flexed" depending on the number of available seniors in the player pool. 

The league has put together an internal committee to plan for how to best approach the 2020 season. The committee consists of current medical staff and infectious disease specialists and experts. 

The league hopes to have updates as early as the beginning of May.