Football fans have form.
First of all, they know how to party.
- Drums
- The chanting/sing-a-longs
- Vuvuzelas
- Fireworks
But are they the sport fan equivalent of that one friend that always takes it too far?
- Laser pointers
- Riots
- General fire.
We have seen images of laser light on players' faces emerge from several matches in the last round of qualifiers for Russia 2018.
Wednesday night's final qualifier in Lima between Peru and New Zealand was no exception.
On Thursday, Twitter had a chat about this:
It might have been "disgusting" but it's not surprising.
In Australia, laser pointers are on the list of fan favourite items banned from football events by the national body.
That list also includes fireworks (surprise) and "missiles of any description".
Of course, passion for the world game should be expressed as wildly as one can safely do so.
(We should have had a live feed on our sports desk as the Socceroos kicked goal three last night ... )
But, when the world converges on Russia next year, what rules are fans likely to face?
Next stop: Russia
FIFA has released its Stadium Code of Conduct for the World Cup and the list is long.
Laser pointers are on there, so are vuvuzelas.
FWIW, bullet-proof vests, corsets, rollerblades and umbrellas longer than 25 centimetres and drones are also banned.
Other prohibited items:
5.1.15. musical instruments and wind instruments for producing loud sounds (including vuvuzelas). The only exceptions are horns and pipes.
5.1.16. paper rolls or paper in reams, excluding banners and posters that meet the requirements of this section or as otherwise permitted by the event organisers.
5.1.17. body protection gear: bullet-proof vests, body protection gear used in martial arts or extreme sports, or corsets (except when prescribed by a doctor).
Check out the code of conduct for the full list.
