‘You can kick their balls, but you can’t touch them!’ Long Island county executive makes hilarious gaffe while explaining new social distancing rules for tennis courts amid the coronavirus pandemic

A New York county executive has been left red-faced after making a hilarious gaffe during a press conference that announced the reopening of tennis courts.

On Friday, Executive of Nassau County Laura Curran announced that tennis courts have reopened in time for Memorial Day on Long Island, during a press conference held in Eisenhower Park.

But things quickly went awry as Curran gave a breakdown of how players should approach ball handling.

'Every player, unless they're from the same household, has to bring their own tennis balls so that you don't touch other people's tennis balls with your hands,' she began.

'You can kick their balls, but you can't touch them!' she says, pausing just long enough to realize the accidental innuendo.

'I'm going to blush, sorry,' Curran admits.

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Nassau County Executive Lara Curran (center) told Long Island residents 'You can kick their balls, but you can't touch them' in reference to new tennis court rules 

Colleagues and others who attended the press conference failed miserably to contain their giggles as Curran continued. 

Curran begins laughing partway through, but regains her composure to finish out the press conference. 

'To avoid confusion between whose balls are whose, you can use a sharpie to put an X or someone's initials on them,' she said.

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People attending the press conference barely held in their giggles as Curran continued with the funny guidelines

Footage of Curran's press conference soon made it to social media, where thousands of people got a kick out of the blunder.

'This could be a cold open for #SNLAtHome,' one amused user said.

Several users admitted to having a childlike humor. 

Several social media users called footage of the press conference hilarious on Twitter

Tons of users commented that Curarn's comments sparked a childlike humor in them 

Others took the opportunity to make some jokes of their own.

'Honey, let me write my name on your balls I don't play with the wrong ones,' one person wrote.

'I'm marking my balls with a Sharpie right now so I don't get them confused with somebody else's,' another said.

Other users followed Curran's lead and shared jokes about making tennis balls before visiting Long Island courts

JShapen: 'I'm marking my balls with a Sharpie right now so I don't get them confused with somebody else's'

But the overall response was that people were grateful for a dash of humor amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

'I mentioned this to some of you yesterday,' one woman wrote, 'By far my favorite press conference during the pandemic. Nassau County Exec's Tennis Ball Rule, Don't Touch Other Player's Balls!'      

'This is the kind of public advice I'm here for,' one man said.  

Twitter users were thankful for a laugh as several Americans struggle through the coronavirus pandemic 

Footage of the press conference brightened up this users's day on Sunday

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ThisWasMash: 'This is the kind of public advice I'm here for' 

One person wrote: 'Too funny. Thanks I need this today!' 

Curran added that Memorial Day car parade will be held in place of usual festivities. 

'In order to make sure that we do honor our fallen, Nassau County will hold a Memorial Day car parade on Monday, May 25,' she said.

'The parade will lead right here to Eisenhower Park, to the veteran’s memorial.'