What does South African law say spectators of all ages can and can't do at a stadium or big sports event? Searches, entry and removal, prohibited items, alcohol, tickets, pitch invasions, abuse, stadium bans, parking and disability access.
The Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act 2 of 2010 (SASREA), in force since 2 August 2010, covers sporting and other events (s1):
That takes in professional football, rugby and cricket at the big stadiums, as well as large road races and other events that meet these tests.
SAPS rates every event low, medium or high risk (s6). Medium- and high-risk matches get a police-chaired safety and security planning committee and a venue operations centre with a police commander (s15, s17). At high-risk matches, any ticket sales on the day must be at least 1 km from the stadium or at a place the committee sets (s19(5)).
Full text: Act 2 of 2010 on gov.za.
Yes. A peace officer (as defined in the Criminal Procedure Act, which includes police officials) may search you, and any vehicle or container you control, when you enter a stadium or venue, looking for prescribed prohibited or restricted objects or substances, and can seize anything prohibited they find (s20(2)). The organiser or stadium owner may appoint peace officers in writing to be in charge of searches and seizures at the event (s20(1)).
To do this, a peace officer may ask you to (s20(4)):
Along a route (for example a road race), an access control officer who reasonably suspects you have a prohibited item can ask a police official at the event to search you (s20(3)).
If you refuse, you can be refused entry or asked to leave the stadium, venue or route (s20(6)-(7)).
Officers doing access control or searches must display an accreditation card showing their appointment (s20(5)).
Under SASREA you can be kept out or removed if you:
Admission of all spectators can also be stopped or restricted by a prohibition notice if their admission would pose a serious risk to anyone (s21).
Access control officers and peace officers must display an accreditation card showing their appointment (s20(5)).
SASREA itself doesn't list specific items. It works in two layers:
For medium- and high-risk events, the planning committee also sets measures to control prohibited or restricted objects, prohibited substances and tobacco for that event (s16(1)(d)).
So the exact list for your match comes from the regulations and the conditions printed on or linked from your ticket, and can differ between events.
SASREA doesn't ban alcohol at stadiums outright. Instead:
Reselling (s5(2))
Without the prior written authorisation of the event organiser or stadium/venue owner, nobody may, for a commercial purpose (whether for profit or not):
This is an offence carrying a fine and/or up to 10 years' imprisonment (s44). The ban is on commercial reselling; the Act doesn't separately deal with passing a ticket to a friend.
Ticket conditions: breaching a ticket condition or the written conditions of entry to a stadium, venue or route is also an offence (up to 10 years) (s44(1)(l)).
What a ticket must show, at minimum (s19(7)):
Buying on the day: SAPS can ban ticket sales at the stadium on match day. If day-of sales are allowed at a high-risk event, they must be at least 1 km from the stadium or at a location set by the planning committee (s19(4)-(5)).
Throwing objects (s44(1)(p))
Throwing, kicking, knocking or hitting any object without authorisation at or towards the playing area, an area next to it where spectators aren't generally allowed, or any area where people are or may be, is an offence carrying a fine and/or up to 10 years' imprisonment.
Going onto the field or into restricted areas
SASREA doesn't name pitch invasions as a separate offence. It deals with them through designated areas: zones the planning committee marks out where only accredited people may go. Every entry point must have a notice saying so (s18(2)).
These are criminal offences under SASREA (s44(1)), each carrying a fine and/or up to 10 years' imprisonment:
Behaviour like this can also be the "historical behaviour" behind a spectator exclusion notice barring you from future events (s1, s22).
What stewards do (s4(4)(b)): marshal and oversee the safe flow of spectators, give event and safety information, usher, and help with emergency evacuation. Stewards and volunteers may not do security work unless they are registered security officers (s4(7)).
What the law makes an offence (s44(1)(n)-(o)):
Both carry a fine and/or up to 20 years' imprisonment. Obstructing the SAPS authorised member or VOC commander carries up to 10 years.
Access control officers can refuse you entry or ask you to leave if you refuse a lawful search or appear intoxicated or under the influence of a prohibited substance (s20(6)). They must display an accreditation card showing their appointment (s20(5)).
Spectator exclusion notices (s22)
If the National Commissioner (SAPS), the event safety and security planning committee, the SAPS authorised member or the VOC commander has reasonable grounds to believe that a person's or group's attendance may disrupt the event or cause injury or damage to property, the authorised member or VOC commander can issue a spectator exclusion notice to that person or group. The Act's definition says this can be based on historical behaviour or reliable current information.
Appealing (s36, s42)
Whole-crowd restrictions (s21): where admitting spectators poses a serious risk to anyone, SAPS can issue a prohibition notice stopping or limiting spectators at a stadium, venue or route.
Around a stadium, venue or route the planning committee can mark out traffic-free zones on public roads or other areas. Every entry point must have a notice saying access is limited to accredited people and vehicles (s20(9)).
SASREA builds disability access into stadium standards and event planning: