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Best Practices for Mitigating Fan Alcohol Abuse at Sports Stadiums

By Megan Gates
19 January 2026

Focus on Fan Misbehavior

What starts as fun back-and-forth bantering between rival sports teams’ fans at a game can quickly turn into arguments and even physical violence when fans are under the influence of alcohol.

In a recent survey of sports spectators who had attended a game in the last year and observed disruptive behavior, 85 percent of respondents said they had witnessed alcohol abuse at the event. Seventy-one percent had also observed fan violence outside the venue, closely followed by 70 percent who witnessed fan violence inside the venue, according to research from the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4).

To limit this behavior, many venues hosting professional sports leagues follow guidance from the Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition on serving alcohol. Watch the video below to learn more about this guidance.

 

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