Violence at sporting events: Level remains stable
Violent incidents can occur at sporting events – especially ice hockey and football matches. fedpol operates the HOOGAN information system to support the cantons. Among other things, it records the details of people who have been issued with a stadium ban.
The HOOGAN information system records data on people who have behaved violently at sporting events in Switzerland or abroad. At the beginning of July each year, fedpol publishes the latest figures on the persons and measures recorded in HOOGAN. Data on a specific person remains stored for three years after the last measure against that person has expired. The data are then deleted.
HOOGAN serves as the basis for the electronic presentation of the Swiss Sport Situation Report (Gesamtschweizerisches Lagebild Sport , GSLS Report), which is used to analyse matches based on incidents.
| Number of people and active measures in HOOGAN | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active measures | 995 | 645 | 469 | 519 | 533 |
| People subject to active measures | 622 | 431 | 315 | 332 | 357 |
| Persons newly recorded | 216 | 68 | 115 | 183 | 171 |
| Persons deleted | 270 | 250 | 338 | 286 | 270 |
| Total of persons recorded | 1 525 | 1 343 | 1 120 | 1 017 | 918 |
There was a slight increase in violent incidents in both 2023 and in 2024. The level was unusually low between 2020 and 2022 due to the Covid pandemic.
Swiss Sport Situation Report (GSLS Report)
After each match day, the partners involved (police, sports associations and SBB) provide fedpol with security-related information on violent incidents. fedpol analyses the data on incidents at every football or ice hockey match and produces the GSLS report once a year. In the 2023/2024 season, 1,220 matches were assessed and the results published in the GSLS system. Particularly serious violent incidents occurred at 99 matches.
Swiss Sport Situation Report (GSLS Report)
-
2019/2020
-
74
-
75
-
1 001
-
-
2020/2021
-
4
-
22
-
1 077
-
-
2021/2022
-
81
-
145
-
953
-
-
2022/2023
-
94
-
124
-
982
-
-
2023/2024
-
99
-
141
-
980
-
- Particularly serious violent incidents
- Violent incidents
- No incidents or incidents of little consequence in a general social context
The statistics in the GSLS Report show that violence has returned to pre-pandemic levels since the 2021/2022 season. The figures are stable, with a slight upward trend. This is also reflected in the HOOGAN figures (see table), which again rose in 2024 when compared with the previous year. For example, the number of people against whom active measures have been imposed increased. Identifying violent fans often takes time, with the result that measures are not taken immediately after an incident. This is also reflected in the statistical data.