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Phillies fans can enter Citizens Bank Park via facial recognition starting Monday

That’s thanks to what the MLB has dubbed “Go-Ahead Entry."

Phillies Bryce Harper celebrates his two run fifth inning home run against the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 5.
Phillies Bryce Harper celebrates his two run fifth inning home run against the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 5.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer / Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

Next week, Phillies fans will be able to get into home games with just a scan of their face.

That’s thanks to what the MLB has dubbed “Go-Ahead Entry,” a facial recognition-based entry system that launches Monday at Citizens Bank Park. The stadium will be the first to offer the option to fans, with additional ballparks to begin employing the systems in 2024, the MLB said.

To use Go-Ahead Entry, fans can register for the program via the MLB Ballpark app in a process that includes a facial scan. The program, which the MLB calls “the ultimate hands-free, free-flow experience,” is voluntary, and can be used by fans 18 or older with an MLB Ballpark account.

After registering with the program, fans can enter Citizens Bank Park through the first-base gate, where scanners will recognize their faces, automatically scan tickets associated with their account, and allow them entry into the park. Groups may enter through the Go-Ahead entry gate together, and only one person in the party needs to be enrolled in the program, so long as everyone’s tickets are on that person’s account, the MLB said (yes, even children under 18).

As a result, folks using Go-Ahead Entry won’t need to stop or use their phone to access passes to get into games.

Data-wise, the MLB said that Go-Ahead Entry cameras will scan your face and create “a unique numerical token associated with you.” After that, the facial scans are to be “deleted immediately,” so that only the token will kept and associated with your account.

If scanners are unable to match your face at the gate, tickets can still be scanned from the app. And for the super fans, don’t worry — you still should be able to wear whatever face paint scheme you like, as “the vast majority” of items that obscure your face aren’t likely to impact the scanners. But MLB advises against wearing several items — such as a hat, glasses, and mask — at once.

More information about the Go-Ahead Entry program is available via the Phillies’ website.