The Toronto Blue Jays today announce the plan to extend the protective netting at Rogers Centre, as part of the club’s commitment to improve fan safety while preserving the live baseball experience. The extended netting will be installed before Opening Day (Thursday, March 26).

The new protective netting will be extended down the length of the first and third baseline walls, to Sections 113C & 130C, respectively, tapering off to the curve before the foul poles. The height of the extended netting will match what was in place behind home plate during the 2019 season (30 feet), and the colour and knotting will be the same as well. 

In order to maintain the current netting height without adding support poles, the field facing walls of the dugouts, media bays, and baseline walls have been shifted forward to ensure the net can run flush along a cable around the lower bowl. These modifications will reduce foul ball territory; however, despite the change, Rogers Centre still will have one of the largest foul ball territories in Major League Baseball.

Player and fan interaction is one of the most memorable parts of a trip to the ballpark. Additional information about the netting, including how fans will be able to access the field and interact with players, will be communicated prior to Opening Day once the netting is in place.

In August of 2019, the Blue Jays committed to extending the protective netting at both TD Ballpark in Dunedin and Rogers Centre for the 2020 Spring Training and regular seasons, respectively.