Football Related Offences and Football Banning Orders
Plain-English digest of CPS prosecution guidance.
AI-generated summary — not verbatim. This is a plain-English digest, not the official CPS text. It may omit detail or fall out of date. Do not rely on it for a charging decision — read the full guidance on cps.gov.uk and check the current legislation.
This guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) outlines the prosecution approach towards football-related offences, emphasizing the importance of collaboration with police, courts, and media. It covers the handling of Football Banning Orders (FBOs) under the Football Spectators Act 1989, including their implications and procedures. The guidance aims to foster effective prosecution practices that deter football-related disorder and protect public order at football events.
Key points
- Prosecutors must pursue Football Banning Orders on conviction whenever possible.
- FBOs can have a deterrent effect greater than the sentence imposed for an offence.
- The court must impose an FBO unless exceptional circumstances exist.
- Enhanced attention is required for football-related hate crimes.
- Media strategies should be adopted for enforcement actions at football matches.
- Collaboration with dedicated football officers is essential for proper prosecution.
- Youth offenders may require tailored cautioning strategies.
- Breaches of FBO may result in summary-only offences punishable by imprisonment.
- Conditional cautions should be limited to non-hate crime minor offences.
- Public interest considerations should guide prosecution decisions.
Public-interest factors
- Harm caused to law-abiding supporters and football communities.
- Impact on the reputation of English and Welsh football.
- Public confidence in local criminal justice agencies.
- Deterrence of future football-related disorder.
- Protection of football stakeholders from violence.
- Prevention of further incidents at regulated football matches.
This is a factual digest of guidance published by the Crown Prosecution Service. Digested 2026-07-15. BlueLineHub is independent and not affiliated with the CPS.