New fan laws: What do we think?

Look, we've already touched on this, but this whole fan law is a mess because it tramples over three fundamental rights. First off, you can't be punished twice for the exact same thing. Then there's the issue of retroactive laws—they’re passing legislation now to punish stuff that happened before the law even existed, which is just wrong. And third, they're handing out penalties after the rehabilitation period has already lapsed. It’s a total circus.

From what I gather, the District Court keeps tossing these claims out without a second thought. I haven't heard if anyone has taken a fight to the Supreme Court yet, but honestly? I bet this would get shredded if it ever made its way to a European court.

Sam Brown20 said:Did they get a ban or just file an appeal? Because I know appeals don't fly for stuff like this.

The ban is official. They haven't even responded to the appeal yet, even though it’s long overdue, which suggests the police are just sitting on these bans. Honestly, if someone wants the ban processed quickly, they shouldn't bother appealing—it just drags out the misery.

The latest news is that plenty of our guys are on the Rujevica Police Department's blacklist. 😬 The police won't allow anyone with a prior or current penalty to buy season passes or tickets. In any properly functioning country, that would be struck down in court, but we are where we are.

What does the police department have to do with an appeal ruling? 🤷

Look, this is about justice. And let’s be clear: there is an answer for every single one of these violations. I don't feel like typing out a manifesto on my phone right now, but honestly, it's a mistake to think we shouldn't be complaining. It's just a matter of time before this all plays out in the District Court.

rapidbadger44 said:Has anyone ever dealt with a ban while living and working in another country? Like, what’s the actual process for checking in or reporting back?

Well, I knew a guy who was already out of the country by the time his ban kicked in, so the whole border thing didn't really apply to him.
And then they were basically harassing people all over town asking where he was, this and that, and everyone kept telling them, "Look, the man is working abroad."
They kept looking for him, and once he found out, he actually went down to the station and called the local police department to explain everything to the officer on duty. That officer told him he just had to contact the specific court that issued the ban, and he wouldn't have to show up at the station every single weekend until it was resolved.
He thought he was totally in the clear, but then the very next day, some other cop shows up at his job and starts making a scene again—all that yelling, searching, and questioning... so eventually, the guy just lost it. He sent a power of attorney to his lawyer, and the lawyer went down to the precinct and basically asked, "Why on earth are you guys hunting my client? The man is working overseas just to make a living, and now you're saying you won't look for him anymore and everything just stops?" 😵 Still, he did go to court, and since the lawyer knows how to handle those higher-ups, it was peace and quiet after that once the lawyer stepped in. 👏

Nathan Brown4 said:The guy was already out of town when the ban hit, so the whole border thing is nonsense.
They were harassing people all over the city asking where he was, and everyone kept telling them, "Look, the guy is working out of state."
He’s still being hunted down, so eventually, he just goes to the station, calls the local precinct, and explains everything to the officer on duty. The officer tells him he needs to contact the specific court that issued the ban and that he doesn't need to show up at the station every single weekend while this gets sorted out.
In his head, he thinks it's handled, but then the next day, some other cop rolls up to his job causing a scene, making accusations, hunting him down... so finally, the guy loses it, sends a power of attorney to his lawyer, and the lawyer heads to the station to ask why the hell they are hounding his client. He's working out of state just to make a living, and suddenly they're like, "Oh, we won't hunt you anymore," and everything just stops.😵 He actually went to court, and since the lawyer knows how those higher-ups operate, there's been nothing but peace and quiet since the lawyer stepped in. 👏

I finished my three-month ban, and during that time, I was out of the US 99% of the time. I checked in with my home precinct to let them know my dates and sent them a formal letter; that should have been enough for the three months. But today, they called me saying I was supposed to check in via phone before every game, which I did.
I did it at first, but then they told me I didn't have to anymore. Plus, a colleague of mine would stop by the station every time to check if I was okay, and they always said they had my letter and that
everything was fine. Now, after three months of following those instructions, they've filed a report against me for failing to check in by phone. I'm not even in the US right now, so I don't know what kind of charge this is; I'll find out next week. The kicker is that I got the ban in the first place based on mere suspicion, not even an actual violation.

After all this, I've decided to move out of America for good. I don't even know which adjective to use to describe this, or who exactly hands down orders that allow them to treat us like this...

rapidbadger44 said:I served my three-month ban, and during those three months, I was out of the states 99% of the time. I notified my local precinct about when I’d be away and even sent them a formal letter—that should have been more than enough. At first, they had me check in by phone before every game, but then they told me I didn't need to anymore. Plus, my buddy kept stopping by the station to make sure everything was cool, and every single time, they just said they had my paperwork on file and that
it was all set. Now, after three months of following their rules, they’ve suddenly filed a complaint against me claiming I failed to call in. Again, I'm not even in the US right now, so I have no idea what this legal mess is about until next week. The kicker? I got the initial ban based on nothing but suspicion, not even an actual violation.

After dealing with this nonsense, I've decided to move out of America for good. I don't even have a word for it, but whoever issues these kinds of orders is absolutely unhinged.

My brother went through the exact same thing. He was studying abroad in Germany and wasn't even in town for a single national team match or an Indianapolis game. He completely bailed on sports after seeing the harassment I went through. He also got hit with a judgment based purely on suspicion. That happened back in 2010, right after the riots at the stadium caused by the police and that unfortunate incident where an officer lost an eye. That’s when they decided to crack down with these extreme measures. This country is a total swamp when it comes to the law and policing. In my opinion, nothing will change until there's a massive purge—arrests, trials, and convictions across the board.

Justin Cruz25 said:My brother went through something similar while he was studying abroad in Germany. He completely stopped showing up to any games, whether it was the national team or Indianapolis. He just checked out entirely after dealing with all the nonsense and harassment. He ended up getting flagged based on nothing but pure suspicion. This was back around 2010, right after those riots broke out at the stadium caused by the police and that unfortunate incident where an officer lost an eye. After that, they decided to go overboard with every possible measure. Legally speaking, this country is a total mess when it comes to policing. In my opinion, nothing is going to improve until there's a massive purge—arresting and convicting everyone involved...

How did he actually get flagged for the games? I’m running into the same issues with Indianapolis myself.

rapidbadger44 said:How did he handle the game tickets? I’ve got some stuff sorted for Indianapolis too.

Look, he handled all the college enrollment and residency paperwork through the mail. But whenever he actually showed up for a visit, he made sure to check in person. He’d let them know how long he was staying, that he wasn't hanging around those old crowds anymore, and roughly where he'd be on game days. He even gave them his cell number if they felt the need to track him down.

Bottom line is, every time he was in town, there was some new investigation or bureaucratic nonsense popping up, and he just reached his breaking point with it all.

After getting barked at with about a hundred different orders, they finally told me what someone else here already mentioned: just check in when I leave the country and then grab my confirmation stamp once I’m back stateside. We'll see how much of a mess it actually is when I get home.
I mean, honestly, who cares? Once that lawyer gets involved, they'll probably shut up and settle down.

So this is it. Now the USSF is basically making it official with their latest move—not only are they personalizing every single ticket, but they’re essentially "legislating" a ban on Category C fans. It’s like they’re punishing people for crimes that haven't even been proven, if you can even call them crimes, just based on some "vague suspicions." It totally flies in the face of basic legal principles like double jeopardy, not to mention it stomps all over the civil rights that everyone else in this country gets to enjoy without a second thought.

If people actually just roll over and accept this without any protests or a massive public fight, then fans have officially lost all their backbone.

3. Under the current rules, MLS clubs aren't allowed to sell tickets to anyone currently under a ban or any kind of restraining order preventing them from attending specific club matches or national team games —this also applies to anyone the FBI has flagged under that "Category C" designation for high-risk fans. As the organizers, the clubs are strictly required to implement whatever security measures are necessary to make sure these individuals don't step foot inside the stadium.

If my memory serves me right, I think basically anyone who's ever been slapped with a ban ends up falling into that Category C bucket...

That’s exactly my point.
These absolute lunatics are pushing this whole farce all the way to the finish line because nobody is stepping up to stop them, and honestly, the government, the courts, the media, and everyone else involved are just enthusiastically cheering on this total slaughter of legal and common sense as if it’s perfectly normal behavior.

Their whole objective is to just snuff out the entire fan culture. Unfortunately, there isn’t anyone stepping up to stop them, and honestly, I’m terrified that nobody even intends to. I don't even know if I'm smart enough to figure out the next move here; I really need to sit down and give this some serious thought.

Thomas Williams59 said:That’s exactly my point.
A bunch of psychos are pushing this farce because nobody stops them. The government, the courts, the news and everyone else are all cheering on this total lack of logic like it’s perfectly fine.

This is the real issue. It makes us fans look like the enemy against the rest of the country since the media has brainwashed everyone.

If this actually gains momentum, half the fanbase will find themselves barred from the stadium entirely. Honestly, this feels like just the opening salvo in a much larger collapse... We need to set our egos aside and refuse to let this happen. It comes down to a simple choice: we either take a stand together, or we settle for playing nice with criminals just to keep our seats in the stands.

We need to hire top-tier constitutional lawyers immediately. Don't waste a single cent on appeals if this goes through—our fundamental rights are being trampled, and if they get away with this, everything is going down the drain.

...in that case, make sure to check if your driver's license is still valid

boldtiger7 said:If this actually takes off, half the crowd won't even be able to get into the stadium anymore. Honestly, it feels like we're just seeing the beginning of the end...

It’s already happening, at least around here. 🙂 We're pushing 200 bucks.

rowdyheron2 said:The refereeing in this league is an absolute joke. It’s getting ridiculous at this point. You look at what happened during that match, and it’s clear the officiating is completely one-sided. One team gets every whistle, while the other side can barely breathe without being called for a foul. It feels like the refs aren't even watching the game; they're just looking for any excuse to penalize certain players. If this keeps up, the integrity of the whole league is shot. It doesn't matter how well a team plays if the guy in the black shirt decides the outcome before kickoff. We need accountability, and we need it now. This isn't sports—it's a circus.

This is an absolute disgrace. Pure insanity based on nothing but vague suspicion! If that’s how we play by the rules, then we should just throw Mommy, Bernie Sanders, Bill Clinton, Vidor, and Merkel straight into prison right now. We all have "reasonable suspicion" that they committed crimes, don't we? This law is a disaster and needs to be dismantled immediately. I don't care if we have to drag this case all the way to the Supreme Court—this is a dangerous legal precedent that can't stand.

I’m dealing with the exact same headache. Even though I don't have an official ban, I’ve been flagged under Category C. Just like most people in my situation, I was put on a watchlist after those flares went off during a match in France. Because of that "C" status, I can't buy personalized tickets, which basically means I’m blocked from entering most stadiums automatically—except for the local stadium where they aren't as strict about the tech. On other trips, I have to find workarounds, like using different names or trying to outsmart the security just to get through the gates. The worst part? Nobody actually told me why I'm being restricted, and I have zero clue how long these measures will last. Every time we travel for an away game, it’s a total gamble whether I'll even make it into the stands.