(Sports) Space Invaders: More People Than Ever Are Running Onto the Playing Field
Looking for a sure-fire way to wind up on television – and then behind bars?
Invading the field (or ice surface, if you're crazy enough to try it at a hockey game) is a bizarre but long-standing tradition across the majority of professional sports – and while the act of interrupting a professional sporting event never ends well for the perpetrator(s), that hasn't stopped hundreds from taking the plunge in recent years.
Even more fascinating (or disturbing, depending on your take on the matter): Fans are invading the playing field in record numbers around the globe.
Sportsbook Review took a deep dive into the numbers; here's what we've discovered about field invasions in general, along with which sports are most impacted, and whether the majority of invaders are naked, clothed, or something in-between. Enjoy!
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Field Invaders by Year, 2019-2023
| Year | Invaders |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 25 |
| 2020 | 14 |
| 2021 | 39 |
| 2022 | 64 |
| 2023* | 57 |
| 2023 (proj.) | 71 |
*Through Oct. 1
This table paints a rather clear picture about how significantly the field invasion phenomenon is growing in popularity. While 2020 saw a predictable drop in instances due largely to the global pandemic shutting down most pro sports, things picked up considerably the following year.
The 2022 calendar saw the field invasion trend reach new heights, with global sports averaging over five run-ins per month. And while the 2023 numbers remain incomplete, we're on pace to establish a new yearly record – and by a comfortable margin, too.
The sobering reality: 2022 saw a 156% increase field invasions compared with 2019, while 2023 is on pace to represent a 184% lift from that 2019 figure.
Field Invader Percentage by Region, 2019-2023
When it comes to drunk or misguided fans storming the field, the United States stands alone at the top of the heap. The highlight of the list: a streaker who sent an already-raucous crowd at the 2023 WM Phoenix Open into hysterics with his naked romp across the 16th and 17th holes.
The United Kingdom, no stranger to incidents borne out of rowdy fandom, is a close second when it comes to field invasions over the past five years. This region also has a wide range of leagues featuring at least one play-stopping fan interruption, with invasions in soccer, cricket, rugby, American football, tennis, and even a snooker run-in. Is nothing sacred?
One more intriguing trend: Australia and New Zealand have combined for 43 field invasions, with the majority of those coming on the rugby and Australian football pitches. My question is, what on Earth are these people thinking? The men who play these sports could crush just about anyone into a small cube in seconds. But hey, it's your life!
The countries listed in the above chart have all seen multiple field invasions since 2019; nations to also have fan run-ins in that span include Brazil, China, Ghana, Japan, Luxembourg, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.
Field Invader Percentage by Sport, 2019-2023
If you think about it, soccer is the perfect sport to feature unwanted fan interactions. After all, there's just so much space, and so few players occupying it. And unlike American football or rugby, the players you encounter likely don't have that bouncer build.
Rugby is a distant second on this list, with baseball placing third. Baseball field invasions are the most prevalent type of fan interruption in the U.S., with 22 Major League Baseball games paused due to invasion between 2019 and 2023. Thankfully, only one featured a fully nude interloper.
And to the decidedly un-bashful gent who somehow made his way naked onto the track shortly after the final lap of the 2023 F1 Australian Grand Prix ... good on ya, mate, I guess.
Field Invasion by Type, 2019-2023
| Type | Count | Rate |
| Fan | 107 | 54% |
| Streaker | 42 | 21% |
| Protest | 33 | 17% |
| Angry Fan | 9 | 5% |
| Serial Invader | 7 | 4% |
It'll come as no surprise to see that the majority of field invasions are perpetrated by normal (if slightly inebriated) fans who are simply unleashing their wilder side. Of greater concern, however, is the exponential increase in protesters halting major sporting events worldwide.
Of the 33 examples of field invasions via protest that have been documented over the past five years, all but three have occurred since the start of 2022. The biggest offender: Just Stop Oil, a UK-based environmental activist group that has disrupted Wimbledon matches, an Ashes cricket test and the World Snooker Championship, among others.
Americans have seen their share of protest stoppages, as well – including a pair of bizarre NBA invasions, one that saw a woman chain herself to one of the basket stanchions and another in which a woman attempted to glue herself to the floor.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Being a globally revered professional athlete has more than its share of perks – but there are major drawbacks, as well. And being the target of field invasions has unfortunately become a regular occurrence for two of the planet's most recognizable soccer stars.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been the target of eight separate fan invasions over the past five years, most recently a July 2023 incident at a Portugal vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina Euro 2024 qualifying match where a fan attempted to take a selfie with the Barcelona mega-star. Ronaldo was jostled in the ensuing struggle between the fan and security and was in visible pain.
Fellow soccer icon Lionel Messi has also been a frequent victim, targeted in six field invasions across five countries over the previous five years. And it didn't take long for his Major League Soccer stint to produce a fan stoppage, as an overzealous supporter attempted to approach Messi at a September game in Los Angeles before being forcibly intercepted by Yassine Chueko, a former U.S. army solder and Messi's personal bodyguard.
With field invasions expected to increase in frequency for the foreseeable future, don't be surprised to see more marquee players employ some form of additional personal defense beyond the standard stadium security.
Other Field Invader Trends
Here are some other intriguing trends we mined from field invasions over the past five years:
- As you might expect, invading the field of play is a largely male transgression. Of the 360 known participants of field invasions over the past five years, a whopping 93.6% are men.
- The title of "streaker" was given to any fan invader missing at least one important article of clothing – and yet, only 14 of the 42 invaders labeled as streakers were actually fully naked. Other entries in the streaker category included "short pants", "skimpy outfit", and "man with ladies lingerie", which happened here and here. Yes, twice!
- August was the busiest month for field invaders over the five-year span, with 23 violators. January saw the fewest fan interruptions, with just six.
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