Florida’s second largest athletic conference bans drones

August 20, 2015 / Athletic Administration
The Broward County Athletic Association (Florida) is the latest sports governing body to ban drones at high school sporting events.

Florida's second largest athletic conference will prohibit drones at games.
Florida’s second largest athletic conference will prohibit drones at games.

The organization made the decision Tuesday to prohibit drones at games, one week before kickoff to the high school football season. While drones will still be permitted during practices and workouts, the BCAA believed it was a safety hazard to allow drones to fly over crowds of fans.

From the Sun Sentinel:

While federal law curtails the use of drones by pro sports teams, the federal government currently does not regulate their use at the high school level. The devices are seen as no different than a model airplane, which may be flown “for hobby and recreational purposes,” according to Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

Broward joins the ranks of several state athletic associations with similar drone bans, including Ohio, Delaware, North Carolina, Washington, Minnesota and Kentucky, according to a May report in Forbes.

At the moment there is no such regulation for Palm Beach County schools.

“I think the ban is a smart idea,” Flanagan AD Aly Guzzo said. “I still don’t trust drones because of the chance they’ll come down and hurt someone.”

Minnesota made the decision earlier this month to ban drones at postseason events, also citing fan safety. Other states will likely adopt similar policies in the near future.


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