Violence in sports

Other tactics that are outlawed, but less seen, are pushing an opponent with forceful intent to the floor or ground, kicking, or hitting repeatedly after the round has ended.

High school, college, and even professional sports teams often include initiation ceremonies (known as hazing in the USA) as a rite of passage.

A 1999 study by Alfred University and the NCAA found that approximately four out of five college US athletes (250,000 per year) experienced hazing.

[3] Usually, underlying political and/or theological issues helped fuel riots related to sporting events in the Roman era.

In periods when theatre was considered a form of mass entertainment, there were phenomena of rival fans supporting rival actors or theatrical teams, occasionally leading to violent outbursts having many similarities to present-day violence of sports fans – the Astor Place Riot in 1849 New York City being a conspicuous example.

There was a collective sigh of relief from security experts in the USA when England failed to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup.