FIFA'S flag rules explained as fans could face having them confiscated at World Cup
England supporters heading to Dallas Stadium for tonight's World Cup opener against Croatia have been warned their flags could be confiscated before they even reach their seats.
The England Supporters Club (ESC) has reportedly been told by stadium officials that fans won't be permitted to hang flags over the LED advertising boards lining the pitch.
Only small flags will be allowed inside the ground, and those must be hung on rails positioned behind the goals rather than draped anywhere else in the stadium.
The ESC has organised several large banners and flags of its own to be displayed behind the goals for the match, but casual supporters turning up with their own flag are reportedly likely to have them taken off them on the way in.
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Fifa sources said the restriction on hanging flags over LED signage came down to “safety and security reasons.”
It's not the first time fans have run into the rule either.
A number of Dutch and Japanese supporters had flags confiscated at the same venue during Sunday's 2-2 draw between the two nations, although fans say they haven't run into the same issue at other stadiums across the tournament.
What does Fifa's official flag policy actually say?
According to Fifa's own fan guide for the tournament, “small flags, banners and posters made of a fire-resistant material are allowed in the stadium,” while anything larger “must be approved in advance.”
Fifa also bans flags that are “political, offensive and/or discriminatory” in nature.
That rule was put to the test earlier this week when Fifa won a court hearing in Los Angeles to block Iran supporters from bringing the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag into matches, with the organisation classifying it as a political symbol.
Not everyone is convinced the policy is being applied fairly, though. Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, was at the Netherlands vs Japan game in Dallas and said the enforcement felt inconsistent with what fans have experienced elsewhere in the tournament.
He told the Guardian: “You were not really allowed to bring a flag in, or at least to show it, which is inconsistent with most Fifa rules and regulations, but also what was allowed at previous tournaments,” Evain said.
“Most of the flags were removed by the staff.”
Fifa criticised for unclear rules
He added that the problem went beyond just flags, pointing to a wider issue with how clearly Fifa has communicated its rules to venues.
“At a lot of the stadiums it hasn't been a problem, so it's hard to understand what is the actual policy and what is improvisation by the staff locally with the rules that they now have,” he said.
“There's no consistent rule, and when you look at what Fifa has published, there's a code of conduct that is very broad.”
Evain said basic questions remain unanswered for fans hoping to bring flags representing their region, city or club, rather than their country.
“It never clarified a lot of things, like what sort of symbols are allowed and not allowed,” he said.
“A lot of this is still up in the air, and I think there's a bit of learning by the venues, but also, again, inconsistency.”
Thomas Bamford