“The slight rise may be explained by the increase in incidents associated with the use of pyrotechnic devices in the vicinity of sports venues, in gatherings of supporters (incentive actions for teams or celebrations of sporting successes) that followed the decrease in the general lockdown levels of the Portuguese population throughout the season”, explains the document released on 26 August.

The second edition of RAViD uses data collected between 1 September, 2020 and 30 June 2021 by the National Sport Information Point (PNID) and by the Authority for the Prevention and Combat of Violence in Sport (APCVD), which extended the visible difference in the gradual resumption of tests in the final stretch of 2019/20.

"The significant increase in the number of infractions raised by the security forces regarding the non-compliance with the duties of the promoters of sports events (clubs) is a second factor that explains the rise in the total number of infractions", adds the report, with a sum well below the 3,891 cases in 2018/19, the last full season without limitations caused by the pandemic.

From 2019/20 to 2020/21, the occurrences originated in the use of pyrotechnics (from 817 to 1,398), in the non-compliance with the duties of the promoters of sports events (from 114 to 315) and in others of an unknown nature (from 141 to 439) increased).

On the contrary, there were sharp declines in injuries (from 144 to 84), aggression (from 128 to 42), damage (from 98 to 16), inciting to violence, racism, xenophobia and intolerance (from 73 to 15), throwing objects (from 105 to 12), invasion of the playing area (from 42 to 12) and possession or consumption of drugs (from 15 to two).

Of the 2,335 incidents, 17 arrests resulted, down from 61 in the previous season, and the identification of 335 individuals, against 402 combined in 2019/20, with 88 percent (2,054) concentrated in football and 12 percent (281) dispersed by other modalities.

In addition to the expected predominance in games of the I League of football, whose infractions rose from 912 to 1,498, RAViD also registered incidents in other competitions, such as district (200), Campeonato de Portugal (112), training classes (109), Portugal Cup (85), II Liga (21), women's football (14), European competitions (10) and League Cup (five).

Within the 30 percent growth of infractions in football compared to 1,577 in 2019/20, 82 percent (1,225) in the I League were based on the possession or use of pyrotechnic artifacts, which resulted in 12 detained individuals, eight less compared to the previous season, and 248 identified.

In terms of sanctions, the PNID registered a decrease of 28 percent in the entry into force of measures prohibiting access to sports venues (160), 131 of which resulted from a decision by the APCVD and the remaining 29 determined by judicial authorities, in following the record of 222 shares set last season.

Six clubs gather 56 percent of fans subject to these measures, including 24 supports of Vitória de Guimarães, 22 to FC Porto, 18 to Sporting, 12 to Sporting de Braga, seven to Benfica and six to Famalicão, while 44 percent were from other clubs.

Pyrotechnics was worth half of the interdiction sanctions (52 percent), with 83 cases, followed by inciting violence, racism, xenophobia and intolerance (45), throwing objects (14), injuries (nine), invasion of the field (seven) and aggressions (two).

The report also exposes the activity of the APCVD, which, throughout 2020/21, issued 447 definitive convictions - compared to 371 of 2019/20 -, of which 158 determine prohibited access to the sports venues and 131 have already entered into force.

The introduction or use of explosive substances or devices, pyrotechnic or smoking articles is the main infractions (63 percent), ahead of violence (29 percent).

In 2020/21, the presence of the public at sporting events was rehearsed in games of professional championships, European competitions and the national team, being authorized from the second half of June, up to 33 percent of the venues capacity.