NBA to require referees to have coronavirus vaccine

The National Basketball Association (NBA) will require referees working games during the coming season to be vaccinated against coronavirus, the league said on Saturday.

The announcement comes after the league and the National Basketball Referees Association reached an agreement, which will not enforce the requirement for referees with religious or medical exemptions.

The referees have also agreed to take any recommended booster shots.

“Any referee who does not get vaccinated and is not exempt will be ineligible to work games,” the league said in a statement.

The NBA will require all coaches and staff who interact with players to take the vaccine, The Athletic reported on Friday.

The move comes as a growing number of arenas have said they will require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to attend games when the 2021-2022 regular season starts on Oct. 19.

The players, who are represented by a powerful National Basketball Players Association, are not required to be vaccinated but 90% of the players already are, NBPA executive director Michele Roberts told Yahoo Sports last month.