Presentation of the country's main security and sports institutions and bodies

• Ministry of Youth and Sport
• Ministry of Internal Affairs
• Ministry of Justice
• National Sports Agency
• National committee on sport safety and security: An informal body that gathers at irregular intervals. It comprises representatives of public and private sectors as well as representatives of sports associations according to current needs.

Independent sports safety bodies

There are municipal independent building authorities that in general:

• order the removal of the building    
• order the necessary adjustments    
• order maintenance work to be carried out    
• order urgent security work    
• order the evacuation of the building   
• announce the building permit
• announce the commencement of construction proceedings
• order an oral hearing and a local investigation   
• announce the commencement of territorial proceedings and orders oral hearings and local inquiries    
• accept proposals or initiate and conducts territorial proceedings    
• perform State construction supervision
• impose fines for violations of the Building Act, etc.

Safety licensing and inspection are carried out by the respective municipal building authorities. As for the club licencing, each club has to receive permission from public authorities such as Police of the Czech Republic, Fire Brigade, Sanitary authorities, etc.

Main sports in the country (by number of members)

• Football
• Ice Hockey
• Volleyball
• Basketball
• Athletics
• Floorball

National Olympic Committee

• Czech Olympic Committee, Benesovska 6, 101 00 Prague 10

Main sports federations and leagues

• The Czech Football Association (FORTUNA LEAGUE)
• The Czech ice Hockey Association (TIPSPORT EXTRALEAGUE)

National football authorities

• The Czech Football Association, Atletická 2474/8, 169 00 Prague 6 – Strahov,
• League Football Association, Voctářova 2449/5, 180 00 Prague 8 - Libeň

Relevant good practices in the S4 domain

• Information not available

Last major sporting events organised since 2000 and key elements of their legacy

• World Championships (2004, 2015)
• European Football Championship U-21 (2015)
• UEFA Super Cup (2013)
• European Athletics Indoor Championship (2015)
• FIBA Women World Championship (2010)
• European Volleyball Championship (2011)
• Biathlon World Championship and World Cups (2013, 2018 )

Future major sporting events organised and/or co-organized within the next 5 years

• Ice Hockey World Championship (2024)
• European Basketball Championship (2022)
• Biathlon World Championship (2024)

The country's main sporting competitions

• Football FORTUNA league and FN LEAGUE (1^st and 2^nd Division)
• Ice Hockey TIPSPORT EXTRALIGA and CHANCE LIGA (1. and  2. Division)
• Volleyball UNIQUA EXTRALEAGUE

National supporter organisations or National team supporter organisations

There is no official organisation in the Czech Republic representing supporters. 

National legal framework on sports safety and security, including specific legal provisions on:

List of main laws and regulations

• Act on promoting sport (Sport Act) no. 115/2001
• Criminal Code no. 40/2009 and Criminal Procedure Code no. 141/1961
• Act on Administrative misdemeanours no. 251/2016
• Act on the Police of the Czech Republic no. 273/2008
• Act on Fire Protection no. 133/1985
• Act on health protection against harmful effects of addictive substances no. 65/2017
• The Right of Assembly Act no. 84/1990
• Agreement on cooperation within policing of football matches between the Police of the Czech Republic, League Football Association and Football Association of the Czech Republic

National/local coordination bodies

• Under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior, an informal body gathers at irregular intervals. It comprises representatives of public and private sectors as well as representatives of sports associations according to current needs.

Share of safety and security responsibilities (inside/outside of sports venues)

Based on Act on promoting sport, the safety and security responsibilities inside the stadia are on organiser of the sport event/owner of the stadium.

• Section 7a – Duties of the owner or organiser of the sport event
  • Pursuant to paragraph 1, is “owner of sport facility or person entitled by the owner to organising a sport event (organiser) are obliged, if it is necessary for the security of people and property, to take appropriate measures in order to arrange safe and secure environment during the sport event and to issue and publish stadium rules determining rules of behaviour for spectators as well as for stewards.”
  • Pursuant to paragraph 2, “if the security of people or property is seriously endangered and despite taking all possible measures by the owner or organiser of the sport event the order is not restored, the owner or organiser of the sport event are obliged to call for interrupting or cancelling the ongoing sport event and without undue delay ask for cooperation of the Police of the Czech Republic.”
  • Pursuant to paragraph 3, “if there is a serious threat to the security of people and property as a result of inadequate measures taken by the owner or organiser of the sport event and the Police of the Czech Republic is forced to restore order, the Police of the Czech Republic is entitled to reimbursement of the costs incurred”.
• Section 7b – Authorisation of the Ministry of the Interior
  • Pursuant to paragraph 1, “In case of serious violation of duties stated in section 7a by the owner or organiser, the Ministry of the Interior may decide, on the basis of a notification by the municipal authority or on its own initiative, that a particular sport event be held without visitors for up to 1 year.”

Responsibility for public order outside the stadia is on the Police of the Czech Republic, based on the Act on the Police of the Czech Republic.

Stewarding/Private security

Regulated by internal documents of the Czech FA such as Club Licensing, Competition rules etc. All documents are based on and in compliance with up-to-date legislation, i.e. Building Act etc.  

Sports venues safety regulations, licensing, certification and inspection

The same as mentioned in answer above.

Sport-related hate speech, racism and other types of discrimination

Hate speech, racism and administrative misdemeanours are prosecuted and punished pursuant to Criminal Code or Act on Administrative Misdemeanours. For instance:

• Section 355  - Defamation of Nation, Race, Ethnic or other Group of People of the Criminal Code or Section
• 356 - Instigation of Hatred towards a Group of People or of Suppression their Rights and Freedoms of the Criminal Code
• Section 404 - Expressing Sympathies for Movements Seeking to Suppress Human Rights and Freedoms

Pyrotechnics and other forbidden items

Act on Fire Protection no. 133/1985 Coll., as amended

In keeping with Section 27 Para 2 letter b) of the Act on Fire Safety at Sports Events (football and others), attended by a crowd, the regional council may, by ways of a regional regulation, determine conditions necessary to provide for fire safety. A municipality may, in keeping with Section 29 Para 1 letter o) of the Act on Fire Safety at Sports Events, issue a generally binding regulation to guide fire safety requirements at events attended by crowds.

Section 9 of the Government Decree No. 172/2001 Coll., to implement the Act on Fire Safety at Sports Events as amended by the Government Decree No. 498/2002 Coll., stipulates the contents of the fire safety documentation required for events attended by a crowd. The fire safety documentation required for events attended by a crowd includes the following:

a) Types of events attended by a crowd, which require municipal or regional conditions;

b) Fire safety requirements at events of the above type and their implementation;

The Ministry of Interior – Central Fire Brigade Headquarters – issued a methodology to standardise the above fire safety documentation. The methodology for the purposes of the fire brigades at regions – Regional Decree – stipulates fire safety requirements at events attended by a crowd. The regional methodology serves as a source for various fire safety related rules issued by the regions. Violators of the Fire Safety Act – legal persons and physical persons doing business – may be sanctioned in keeping with Section 76 Para 1 and 2. A physical person not doing business may be sanctioned in keeping with Section 78.

Customer service and role of supporters and local communities

Mentioned in internal documents of Football Associations such as a need for establishing SLO, refreshment stalls, etc.

Social-educational preventative measures

The same as above.

Alcohol/drug policy

Pursuant to Act on Health Protection Against Harmful Effects of Addictive Substances no. 65/2017 Coll., as amended, Section 11 Para 2 letter g), it is prohibited to sale or serve alcoholic beverages or otherwise facilitate their consumption at sports events (including football matches) except for an alcoholic beverage containing not more than 4.3% by volume of ethanol and wine.

Specific sport-related misbehaviour typified as crime

The most common crimes committed by supporters are:

• Section 358 – Disorderly Conduct - Whoever commits publically or in a publically accessible place gross indecency or disorderly conduct especially by attacking another, disgracing a grave, historical or cultural memorial or grossly interferes with preparation or course of an organised sport event, congregation or ceremony of people, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for up to two years.
• Section 145 – (Grievous) Bodily Harm - Whoever intentionally harms another person’s health shall be sentenced to imprisonment for six months to three years.
• Section 158 – Fight - Whoever intentionally endangers the life or health of another person by taking part in a fight, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for up to one year.
• Section 228 – Damage to a Thing of Another - Whoever destroys, damages or renders useless a thing of another and thus causes damage not insignificant on property of another, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for up to one year, to prohibition of activity or to forfeiture of a thing or other asset value.

Specific sport-related misbehaviour typified as misdemeanour

The most common misdemeanors (administrative offences) are:

• Section 5 – Administrative offences (misdemeanors) against public order
  • Pursuant to paragraph 1 “A person commits an offence by:

(a) disobeying the official's calls in the exercise of his/her powers;

(b) disqualifying an official from exercising his/her powers;

(d) breaking the night's calm;

(e) raising public outrage;

(f) contaminating the public space, public object or public utility or neglect the obligation to clean the public space;

(g) damaging or unauthorised occupation of a public space, a publicly accessible object or a public utility, in the case of cases which cannot be sanctioned under other laws;

(i) violating the conditions imposed for the protection of public order during sports, cultural, and other social events or in places intended for recreation, tourism or burial;

(j) on the way to an organised sporting event, at such a match or on the way back from such a match, the face is obscured in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to identify.”

• Section 7 – Administrative offences (misdemeanors) against the civic coexistence
  • Pursuant to paragraph 1 “A person commits an offense by:

(b) harming another person.

Exclusion policy (banning orders/exit bans)

There is no special “football law” that would affect criminal acts perpetrated by sport supporters. All criminal acts related to sport events can be effectively prosecuted according to current Criminal Code no. 40/2009 Coll., as amended and Criminal Procedure Code no. 141/1961 Coll., as amended.

• Criminal Code

Section 76 – Prohibition of Entering Sport, Cultural and other Social Events

• Pursuant to paragraph 1, “the court may impose a sentence of prohibiting the entering sport, cultural and other social events for up to ten years, if an offender committed an intentional criminal offence in relation to visiting such an event.”
• Pursuant to paragraph 2, “as an individual sentence prohibiting entering sport, cultural and other social events may be imposed if with regard to the nature and gravity of the committed misdemeanor and the character and circumstances of the offender the imposition of another sentence is not necessary.”
• Pursuant to paragraph 3, “prohibition of entering sport, cultural and other social events consists in prohibiting an offender from participation on stated sport, cultural and other social events for the time of execution of this sentence.”

Section 77 – Execution of a Sentence of Prohibition of Entering Sport, Cultural and other Social Events

• Pursuant to paragraph 1, “during the execution of a sentence of prohibition of entering sport, cultural and other social events, the convicted shall be obliged to cooperate with a probation officer in a prescribed way, especially to adhere to a designated probation plan, perform designated programmes of social training and correction, programmes of psychological counselling and, if the probation officer considers it necessary, also to appear according to his/her instructions at a designated unit of the Police of the Czech Republic during the time imminently related to proceeding of the prohibited event.”
• Pursuant to paragraph 2, “time served in imprisonment shall not be counted into the time of execution of a sentence of prohibition of entering sport, cultural and other social events.”

Even less serious misbehaviors can be punished according to current legislation.

• Act on Administrative delicts
  • Pursuant to section 5, paragraph 3 and 4, a fine may be imposed for the above mentioned offenses as well as restrictive measures consisting in prohibition of entering sport, cultural and other social events.
• Measures taken / envisaged by States to meet the objectives of the Convention

The Act on Administrative Misdemeanours is going to be amended (now in the Lower House of Parliament, and unfortunately postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic) banning the use of pyrotechnic devices in general and toughening punishments for illegal use.

Act on Promoting Sport is going to be amended allowing establishing National database of risk supporters in order to facilitate their exclusion. At the moment, only the Police have an internal database of risk persons that can be used just for police purposes.

Existence of specific safety, security and/or service public policies

YES (multiagency approach regulated by the informal expert body under the umbrella of Ministry of Interior)

Existence of a national strategy on security, safety, and services

Information not available

Existence of (a) regional/ local strategy(ies) on security, safety, and services

Information not available

Major risks and trends on violence and disorder

Major risks are: using of pyrotechnic devices, vandalism, disorderly behaviour, clashes between fans. Football fans tend to attending other sports events such as Ice Hockey trying to adopt behaviour typical of football stands into ice Hockey arenas (i.e. using pyrotechnics).

Last major incidents which seem relevant and enlightening on the need to adopt an integrated approach to safety, security and service

Nothing to report

Evolution of total incidents over the last 10 years