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    • Fan interference may result in you being ejected from games. Here's what else.
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    Fan interference may result in you being ejected from games. Here's what else.

    Kathleen William Posted on

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    Sports fans pay a lot of money to see the action up close, but high ticket prices do not give spectators the right to interfere with or disrupt the game.

    That's exactly what happened Tuesday in Game 4 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Two Yankees fans were ejected for fan interference after they pulled the ball out of Mookie Betts' glove on a foul pop fly down the right field line.

    Fans were banned from Game 5 of the World Series in New York because of their “outrageous and unacceptable” behavior.

    There are many instances where fandom can veer into unruly territory. Here is a list of unacceptable offenses that could result in you being ejected from a professional sports venue and possibly banned:

    Go to the field/court

    Entering the playing field is an absolute taboo. Regardless of whether a fan chooses a streak or a protest, interrupting the game by entering a sports field or court is automatically grounds for expulsion and often a criminal charge – after all, it is trespassing.

    Two shirtless fans were ejected and arrested after running onto the field during Super Bowl 58 between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas. They were each charged with prohibited behavior at a sporting event, a misdemeanor.

    In October 2022, an animal rights activist walked across the field at Levi's Stadium with a pink flare during a Monday Night Football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the 49ers. The protester evaded security until he was taken out by linebacker Bobby Wagner and defensive end Takkarist McKinley. The fans were then removed.

    “Your actions have consequences,” Wagner said.

    In April 2022, another animal rights activist was removed during an NBA playoff game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves after he ran onto the court in the middle of a game at Minnesota's Target Center. She was immediately attacked on the square by security and dragged away.

    Throwing objects

    Fans are allowed to shower their favorite sports teams with cheers, but that's about it. Throwing something else is a surefire way to get out early. The MLB Fan Code of Conduct strictly prohibits “interference with the game, including throwing objects onto the field.” The NBA, NHL and many other leagues have similar rules. NHL fans often throw hats onto the ice for a player's hat trick (three goals), but other items are prohibited.

    In May 2021, a Celtics fan was arrested on assault and battery with a deadly weapon charges for throwing a water bottle at Kyrie Irving after an NBA playoff game in Boston. There have been several fan incidents in the NBA this month. The New York Knicks announced that a fan was banned from Madison Square Garden for spitting on Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young as he fielded the ball during a first-round playoff game against the Knicks. The Philadelphia 76ers also handed out a lifetime ban to a fan who threw popcorn at Russell Westbrook's head.

    “The level of disrespect, the amount of fans just doing whatever they want — it’s just out of their own pocket,” Westbrook said. “There are certain things that cross the line. Any other situation… a guy coming out on the street and throwing popcorn on my head, you know what happens.”

    Earlier this month, the SEC fined the University of Texas $250,000 after the Longhorns' game against Georgia was briefly delayed because Texas students threw trash and debris onto the field at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium following a controversial call . The SEC said the penalty was imposed “to disrupt competitive opportunities for both teams and endanger competitors.”

    Offensive language

    Foul words, derogatory or insulting expressions and obscene gestures are prohibited at sporting events.

    In 2021, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James had two fans ejected from their courts at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis after he said they behaved “outside the line of play with obscene gestures and words.” During the game against the Pacers on November 25, James pointed and gestured pointedly at a man and a woman in the front row, causing an arena official to usher fans away.

    “When obscene gestures and language come into play, it cannot be tolerated,” James said. “There's a difference between cheering for your own team and not wanting the other team to win, and things I would never say to a fan and they shouldn't say to me either.”

    Battle

    Fights are grounds for immediate exclusion. Social media videos of fans getting into physical altercations with rival fans have flooded the internet in recent years. Not only are fans not allowed to argue among themselves, they are also not allowed to get physical with the players.

    The most infamous example is the “Malice at the Palace” brawl, when a brawl broke out between members of the Indiana Pacers, fans, coaches, staff and players of the Detroit Pistons during a November 2004 game in Michigan. The fight between Pistons and Pacers players started after a hard foul. The brawl escalated after a fan threw a beer at Ron Artest (now Metta Sandiford-Artest) as he sat on the scorer's table. Artest immediately ran into the stands and confronted a fan he believed was responsible, and a brawl ensued, resulting in the suspension of a total of nine players, including five Pacers. Artest was suspended for the remainder of the season and all fans involved in the brawl were banned from Pistons games indefinitely.

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    Kathleen William
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