Sounders Boost Match Capacity With New Vaccinated Sections

SEATTLE — The Seattle Sounders are preparing to welcome more fans at home matches this month, joining the Seattle Mariners and other teams that have started to offer seating with fewer restrictions to fully vaccinated ticketholders.

Adjusted spectator guidelines from the state allow for large outdoor venues to surpass the 9,000 capacity cap by designating sections for people who at least two weeks past their full course of COVID-19 immunizations.

On Tuesday, the Sounders said it would designate a handful of sections for fully vaccinated supporters at Lumen Field, beginning with the May 23 match versus Atlanta United.

"The ability to host vaccinated sections inside Lumen Field is an important milestone in the fight against COVID-19," said Peter Tomozawa, the Sounders' president of business operations. "I know we all want to see those limited vaccination sections turn into a full stadium of support for our team, and vaccines are how we get there. We encourage anyone who hasn’t gotten their shot yet to do so, whether at a Sounders match or elsewhere in the community. It’s how we’re going to save lives, protect our community and do more of the things we love."

Here's how the vaccinated seating sections work:

• Includes the Emerald City Supporters section in the south end of Lumen Field (lower 121-123) and sections 304-309 in the east 300 level.
• “Fully vaccinated” indicates that on the date of the match, it has been at least two weeks (14 days) since an individual and anyone they are purchasing a ticket for (16+) received the second dose in a two-dose vaccine series (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna) or the single dose of the one-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson).
• Fans 16 and older who are fully vaccinated and show valid vaccination documentation can purchase tickets.
• Children older than two and less than 16 years of age can sit in a fully vaccinated section, but must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of kickoff using a PCR test or within 24 hours of kickoff using a rapid test. There is no onsite testing available. Testing must be completed independently prior to matchday.
• The Emerald City Supporters sections are only for those that are 16 and older who are fully vaccinated.

To qualify for a seat in the full capacity sections, ticketholders 16 and older must be fully vaccinated by match day and present proof of their vaccination status at check-in. Children between the ages of 2 and 15 can also sit in the vaccination section if families present proof they recently tested negative for COVID-19.

Here's what counts as proof of vaccination:

• Vaccination card (which includes the name of the person vaccinated, type of vaccine provided, and date the last dose was administered).
• A photo of a vaccination card as a separate document.
• A photo of the attendee’s vaccination card stored on a phone or electronic device.
• Documentation of vaccination from a healthcare provider, electronic health record or state Immunization Information System record.

For fans who have not reached their fully vaccinated milestone, tickets are still available for household pods, physically distanced from others. Visitors 18 and older who have yet to receive their first COVID-19 dose can still get vaccinated for free right inside the stadium, choosing between the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or the two-dose Moderna vaccine.

Learn more about the Seattle Sounders' vaccinated sections on the club's website.