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Fighting during the Match, Torch, Insult and Entering the Field: Crimes and Penalties in Law No. 6222. Crime types, penalty ranges, escalation cases and trial process within the scope of the Law on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports have been updated as of 2026
A torch lit in the stands, a plastic bottle thrown onto the field, a fight around the stadium after the derby, or a swear word written on social media may be subject to criminal investigation under Law No. 6222. The punishment for these crimes, which are called "violation of Law No. 6222" in practice, ranges from a judicial fine to five years in prison. In cases of intentional injury and damage to property committed in the field of sports, no complaint is required and the penalty is increased by half. Almost every file is accompanied by a ban from viewing. In the guide, crime types are shown in a table, the established approach of the Supreme Court in torch, chant and injury cases and the points to be considered in defense are explained.
1. Where and to whom does the law apply?
Law No. 6222 does not only cover the interior of the stadium. Definition of sports field in Article 3 of the Law; In addition to competition and training areas, it also includes viewing areas, locker rooms, places where fans gather in groups before, during or after the competition, routes to and from the stadium, vehicles where teams or fans travel collectively, and places where teams camp. For this reason, the incident involving a group of fans gathered in a square hours before the match can also be evaluated within the scope of the Law.
The addressee of the law is not just fans. Athletes, club managers, technical staff, referees and press members are also included in the scope. The law also considers referees, observers, field commissioners and their representatives as public officials in terms of crimes committed against them in connection with their duties (Article 20). This rule directly aggravates the punishment in cases of insult and injury to the referee.
The table below summarizes the crimes included in the third part of the Law that are most frequently encountered in practice. Penalties are shown according to the current text of the Law.
Inserting a torch, flare, sharp or flammable material Article 13/2 6 months to 2 years imprisonment
Bringing or procuring these substances for the purpose of supplying them to the audience Article 13/3 2 to 5 years imprisonment
Disrupting the competition or training order by using these substances Article 13/4 1 to 5 years imprisonment
Disrupting order with a non-prohibited item (pet bottle, lighter, etc.) Article 13/5 100 days judicial fine
Insult that discriminates against religion, language, race, ethnicity, gender or sect Article 14/2 1 to 3 years imprisonment
Entering without a ticket or with someone else's card, having your card used art.15/1, 15/4 Judicial fine of at least 50 days
Selling tickets in unauthorized places or above their value Article 15/6 6 months to 1 year imprisonment for unauthorized sales, 1 to 3 years imprisonment for exorbitant sales; also judicial fine
Unauthorized entry into the field, locker room or athlete tunnel Article 16/1 Imprisonment between 3 months and 1 year or judicial fine
Disrupting the course or security of the match by making this entry. Article 16/2 1 to 3 years imprisonment
Intentional injury or property damage in the sports field Article 17/1 The penalty in the Turkish Penal Code is increased by half
Two general increments can be added to the ranges in the table. The penalty is increased by half for chanting crimes committed by carrying a banner, hanging it or writing it on the wall (Art. 14/3). The penalty of a person who commits any crime in the Law by covering his face fully or partially to hide his identity is increased by half (Art. 17/A-1). Additional Article 1 of Law No. 6136 applies to bringing weapons, such as unlicensed firearms, whose possession is already a crime, into the sports field.
3. The Real Question in the Torch Files: To Sting or Disrupt?
In cases where torches were lit in the stands, indictments are mostly based on Article 13/4 and a prison sentence of one to five years is requested. The Supreme Court clearly reveals the difference between the two paragraphs. Bringing the torch into the sports field and keeping it there, even for the purpose of celebration, constitutes the crime in Article 13/2. In order for the more severe article 13/4 to be applied, the competition order must be actually disrupted. According to the Supreme Court, disruption of order is the stopping of the normal flow of sports activities by an external intervention, and this result is an objective condition for punishment (Supreme Court 7. CD, E.2022/17905, K.2023/2885, 28.03.2023).
The same Chamber overturned the conviction under Article 13/4 due to the torch lit after the end of the match, on the grounds that there was no finding that the order was broken (Supreme Court 7. CD, E.2023/2228, K.2023/5321, 30.05.2023). The referee report, match observer report and stadium camera records are the main evidence showing whether the match really stopped or not. This distinction should be the defense's first question, as it raises the lower limit of the sentence from six months to one year.
According to Article 17 of the Law, no complaint requirement is required for intentional injury and property damage crimes committed in the field of sports, and the penalty determined according to the Turkish Penal Code is increased by half. Sports fields and the belongings in these areas are considered public property in terms of the crime of damaging property. Since the half rate increase was introduced by Law No. 7182, it can only be applied to acts committed on or after 12.07.2019 (Supreme Court 2nd CD, E.2021/7597, K.2023/13, 09.01.2023).
Even in cases of simple injuries, the victim's withdrawal of his complaint does not end the case. The Supreme Court of Appeals has accepted that a public lawsuit for an injury within the scope of Article 86/2 of the Turkish Penal Code in the field of sports is not subject to complaint and that waiver will not affect the verdict (Supreme Court 1st CD, E.2022/4591, K.2022/7852, 11.10.2022). However, CMK Article 253 includes cases of intentional injury other than the third paragraph of TCK Article 86, within the scope of conciliation, regardless of whether it is based on a complaint or not. Since Law No. 6222 does not contain a separate provision excluding mediation, the possibility of reconciliation between the parties should be evaluated separately on a case-by-case basis. Acts towards the referee Since the referee is considered a public officer in terms of acts related to the duties of observer, field commissioner and representative, injury to these people is evaluated within the scope of TCK Article 86/3-c, and insult is evaluated within the scope of TCK Article 125/3-a. In both cases, the punishment becomes harsher; Qualified injury remains outside the scope of mediation, and in the case of insult, mediation cannot be pursued in accordance with CMK Article 253/3.
Article 14 of the Law penalizes fans' public words and behavior that are perceived by those who hear or see them as threats or insults, regardless of whether they target a specific person or not. No complaint is required for a crime. An abusive chant chanted together without mentioning the name of a football player or manager is also included. Words and actions that denigrate sections of society based on religion, language, race, ethnicity, gender or sect constitute a separate and more serious crime.
The fourth paragraph added by Law No. 7182 also includes the commission of the same acts through all kinds of written, visual, audio or electronic mass media. Posts targeting a specific person may also constitute the crime of insult under Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code. Statements that encourage violence in sports, to the extent that they do not constitute a crime, lead to an administrative fine and a one-year administrative ban in accordance with Article 22.
Court in charge: Crimes within the scope of the law are tried in the criminal courts of first instance appointed by the Board of Judges and Prosecutors as specialized courts (Art. 23/1).
Banning from viewing: Applied as a protective measure once the investigation begins; With the provision, it turns into a security measure. Their duration and removal methods are also discussed in the banning guide for this series.
HAGB and postponement: Postponement of the announcement of the verdict, postponement and alternative sanctions are possible for crimes other than match-fixing and incentive bonus. Even when these decisions are made, the ban from sailing lasts for one more year after it becomes final (Art. 18/6).
Short-term imprisonment: A prison sentence of thirty days or less given to a person who has not been sentenced to imprisonment before must be converted into an alternative sanction in accordance with Article 50/3 of the Turkish Penal Code. For this reason, the Supreme Court overturned the 25-day prison sentence given to a defendant who lit a torch in the stands (Supreme Court 7. CD, E.2024/851, K.2024/6635, 10.09.2024).
Deprivation of rights: In case of a prison sentence of one year or more, the person is also prohibited from serving in the management and control bodies of sports clubs and federations (Art. 17/A-2).
Compensation: The perpetrator and the club he supports are jointly responsible for the damage caused to the property in the sports field; The club that paid the damage may have recourse against the supporter (Art. 17/2).
A fan was recorded on camera lighting a torch in the stands after the final whistle of the match. In accordance with Article 13/4 of Law No. 6222, a lawsuit was filed against him for disrupting the competition order by using prohibited substances and a prison sentence of one to five years was requested. There are no referee reports and match minutes in the file, and the indictment is based only on the footage.
Since the torch lit after the match ends cannot stop the normal flow of sporting activities, the objective condition in Article 13/4 has not been fulfilled. In the defense, first of all, the referee report, observer report and records showing the match time should be requested, and it should be claimed that the act can be described as bringing the torch into the sports field within the scope of Article 13/2 at most. The Supreme Court has also given a reversal decision in this direction in similar cases. Changing the nature of the crime reduces the penalty range from six months to two years; This strengthens the possibility of HAGB and alternative sanctions. It should also be checked whether the start and end dates of the navigation ban are clearly indicated in the provision.
What does "opposition to Law No. 6222" mean?
It is a general expression describing the allegation that one of the crimes defined in the Law has been committed. Since which paragraph is applied in the concrete file determines the penalty range and opportunities such as HAGB and postponement, the article and paragraph in the indictment must be checked.
Is the fight outside the stadium after the match also within the scope of this Law?
Yes, if the fight broke out in a place where fans gathered in groups or on the route to and from the stadium. The Law's definition of sports area also includes these places. Provisions of prohibition from attendance are also applied for offenses of injury, insulting or threatening cheering, and damage to property committed by fan groups outside of sports fields.
The other party withdrew its complaint, will the case be dropped?
No. Since there is no complaint required for intentional injury and property damage committed in the field of sports, giving up does not drop the case. Conciliation is a separate institution and is evaluated according to the nature of the crime.
Is it a crime to swear at a team or a player on social media?
Posts containing threats or insults may be evaluated within the scope of this Law in accordance with Article 14/4. Posts targeting a specific person may also constitute the crime of insult under Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code.
If I get an HAGB decision, can I go to the stadium?
The ban from navigation continues for one year after the HAGB decision becomes final. Entering the stadium before this period expires is a separate crime that requires a judicial fine of at least two hundred days in accordance with Article 15/1.
Accepting the qualification of m.13/4 in the torch files without investigating whether the match was actually stopped or not.
Thinking that the case will be closed automatically once you reach an agreement with the victim.
Not questioning whether aggravating circumstances such as increasing face coverings or increasing banners are supported by concrete evidence.
Failure to take into account that verbal argument against the referee would be more severely qualified as an insult to a public official.
Neglecting the signature obligation while the investigation is ongoing and causing a new criminal file to be opened.
Crimes in Law No. 6222 are an area where the same incident can result in very different penalties under different paragraphs. Details such as the distinction between the introduction of the torch and disruption of order, whether the referee is considered a public officer or whether the act was committed before or after 2019 can determine whether the result will be a prison sentence or a judicial fine. Banning from sailing, deprivation of rights and liability for compensation have long-term consequences beyond the criminal case.
Küheylan Law Firm; It provides legal support for fans, athletes and club managers in investigations and prosecutions within the scope of Law No. 6222, regarding the preparation of defense, the correct determination of the nature of the crime, the management of conciliation and HAGB processes, and the requests for banning measures.
Important Legal Notice: The legal explanations contained in this guide have been prepared by Küheylan Law Firm for general information purposes and do not constitute legal advice. In sports law, federation instructions change frequently, objection and application periods are short; Since each file has its own unique conditions, it is recommended to get support from a lawyer before taking action. © 2026 Küheylan Law Firm. All rights reserved.
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