shooting at matches

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scubataff

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Martyn
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Whats the general rule for entry to rugby and football matches (pro games not amateur) with a DSLR?

Martyn
 
Its generally frowned upon. In most grounds even Old Trafford you are ok with an slr and wide angle / short lens, but anything conspicous e.g. a telephoto lens will get you gripped by the stewards.

In most of the top stadiums you may also have your bag searched so a massive camera bag is a no go!

I think the further down the pyramid you go, the more easygoing the rules / stewards
 
general rule is that its not allowed.. its against all ground rules at every stadia in the country at every level.. your not allowed to take a camera into the stands or terraces.. not even if licenced to be there

however the lower down the leagues you go.. the less bothered they are ... all premiership, chamionship and league grounds will probably stop you photographing if they catch you.. some non league will as well.

getting a licence is a different story :)
 
KIPAX said:
general rule is that its not allowed.. its against all ground rules at every stadia in the country at every level.. your not allowed to take a camera into the stands or terraces.. not even if licenced to be there

however the lower down the leagues you go.. the less bothered they are ... all premiership, chamionship and league grounds will probably stop you photographing if they catch you.. some non league will as well.

getting a licence is a different story :)
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Thanks for the replies guys, appriciated

Martyn
 
Same rule described by KIPAX extends to professional Cricket but saying that, I have only been asked to put my camera away ONCE.

I have taken shots with my DSLR at every Test Match I have been to at Old Trafford as well as at County games and Twenty20. However .... during a pre-season friendly with Yorkshire a couple of years ago, I was approached by a security guard who had been instructed to tell me to put my camera away - the ground was virtually empty, there was ice all over the place and I reckon those who look at the ground CCTV cameras had nothing better to do! Saying that, I was using a SIGMA 50-500mm lens at the time on top of a monopod so that may have had something to do with it.

A couple of years ago, when the Twenty20 finals were at the Oval, I rang in advance to find out what their policy was - got told that photography was not allowed but if I took a small camera, they saw nothing wrong with that ... I asked if I could take a camera with a long lens - say 9 inches (thinking about my 70-200mm and then shoving a teleconverter on it) - "No" came the reply. Seems that you CAN take a camera but not a good one!

Alan
 
I was sitting pitchside at Wasps for a Guinness Premiership match and right behind me on the other side of the barriers was a lady with a 1D3 and a 400 2.8 on it! I had a chat and she said that she just did it for fun.

From what I've seen, general premiership rugby will be more relaxed than top-flight footie or "big" rugby like Twickenham.
 
Tobers said:
I was sitting pitchside at Wasps for a Guinness Premiership match and right behind me on the other side of the barriers was a lady with a 1D3 and a 400 2.8 on it! I had a chat and she said that she just did it for fun.

From what I've seen, general premiership rugby will be more relaxed than top-flight footie or "big" rugby like Twickenham.
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Hmm, interesting.. will have to try my luck at Gloucester RFC
 
Better not mate,, Bruce Seabrook (I think thats his name) will have your guts for garters. He has all the rights there and is known for trying to protect them.
 
If you want to take some snaps pitchside, 5-A-Side football leagues can be quite good for that. Pitch Invasion in particular.

I shoot specifically for my mate's team, but I think if you approached the organisers and asked if you could shoot some of the more exciting matches, you'd swap some photos for their website in exchange for the privelege to shoot the matches and the credit for the photos, I think they'd be well up for that. Gets you a chance to shoot some football with no restrictions, however don't expect to see any well know celebrities :p
 
foodpoison said:
If you want to take some snaps pitchside, 5-A-Side football leagues can be quite good for that. Pitch Invasion in particular.

I shoot specifically for my mate's team, but I think if you approached the organisers and asked if you could shoot some of the more exciting matches, you'd swap some photos for their website in exchange for the privelege to shoot the matches and the credit for the photos, I think they'd be well up for that. Gets you a chance to shoot some football with no restrictions, however don't expect to see any well know celebrities :p
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Thanks
 
Five-a-side? Do it properly and get your decent lens out. You'll have no problems using a camera at Southern League level, as long as you pay to get in you'll be welcome. I know you said elsewhere that this weekend is a no go-er but we've got a good game against the runaway leaders on saturday and you'd have been more than welcome to come along to that.
 
tigerimages said:
Five-a-side? Do it properly and get your decent lens out. You'll have no problems using a camera at Southern League level, as long as you pay to get in you'll be welcome. I know you said elsewhere that this weekend is a no go-er but we've got a good game against the runaway leaders on saturday and you'd have been more than welcome to come along to that.
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Got a couple weekends away but will give you a shout when i'm back about coming along.. and as your another 40D user i can pick your brains
 
I've shot several times at Durham Cricket ground (domestic premier league and internationals) with 40D and 300mm lens on monopod both from a seat in the stand, and from the advertising boards around the perimeter and never, ever had any hassle. The stewards check my bag on entrance and there is no rule against photography there as far as they are all concerned.

I guess it's a specific rule for each ground set by those on the committee.
 
Tobers said:
I was sitting pitchside at Wasps for a Guinness Premiership match and right behind me on the other side of the barriers was a lady with a 1D3 and a 400 2.8 on it! I had a chat and she said that she just did it for fun.

From what I've seen, general premiership rugby will be more relaxed than top-flight footie or "big" rugby like Twickenham.
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I agree with Tobers. Rugbywise - A few of the grounds as long as you check with them are okay. I've got permission to take mine on Sunday to the London Irish match and even going on the pitch with it when our club's kids do the guard of honour. I've seen a few at other Premiership matches as well.
 
Scotty B said:
DSLRs are banned from all Premier league grounds in Scotland.
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I regularly take mine to a premier league ground in scotland.. & have managed to take picture with steward right beside me...maybe he likes me :)



on edit..
to make my quote a bit less stroppy sounding... sorry..
 
Digging up this thread because i had a couple of questions.

I'm planning on taking some shots of some of the twenty20 world cup games this summer and I was wondering what people's thoughts are on whether i'll be OK or not? I was looking at hiring out a 100-400mm L lens as well to assist me as I doubt my 70-200 f/4 L + 1.4 x extender will be sufficient. Do you think I'll be OK bringing a lens like that along to a game? I know cricket matches are usually fairly relaxed but given it's an ICC event you never know with those lot!
 
I was using 420mm this weekend at local cricket and was losing 3/4 of the pic when cropping in.. I am guessing you will be even furthur away... I would think even the 400 might not suffice.
 
The accrediation process for the 20-20 world cup has been pretty thorough so I reckon you might struggle. The agency had to send the ICC a copy of my passport even though I am ECB accredited. They are massively scared of any terrorist threat so I reckon there will be major searches on entry to ground and I doubt they will be very happy with the 400.

Might be worth giving it a go but what would you do with the camera if they wouldn't let you in with it?

Sorry :(
 
KIPAX said:
I was using 420mm this weekend at local cricket and was losing 3/4 of the pic when cropping in.. I am guessing you will be even furthur away... I would think even the 400 might not suffice.
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Yeah I figured even at 400 I would struggle, but I don't think I'll get much more than that without a tripod! :(

TheBionicDan said:
The accrediation process for the 20-20 world cup has been pretty thorough so I reckon you might struggle. The agency had to send the ICC a copy of my passport even though I am ECB accredited. They are massively scared of any terrorist threat so I reckon there will be major searches on entry to ground and I doubt they will be very happy with the 400.

Might be worth giving it a go but what would you do with the camera if they wouldn't let you in with it?

Sorry :(
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Yeah that's my worry - well that and the fact I'd be spending £60 to hire the lens out! I think I may have to give it a miss :(
 
Part of the contract you make when you buy a ticket for either Football League or Premier League game is that you assign copyright of every photograph you take inside the stadium on a matchday to the league. This has been the case since 1994.

Football Dataco work vigourously to make sure there are as few breaches of this as possible. I moderate a football message board and we've been threatened with legal action several times due to posters uploading their own photographs of the inside of grounds on matchday.
 
AB22 Easy Tiger said:
Part of the contract you make when you buy a ticket for either Football League or Premier League game is that you assign copyright of every photograph you take inside the stadium on a matchday to the league. This has been the case since 1994.

Football Dataco work vigourously to make sure there are as few breaches of this as possible. I moderate a football message board and we've been threatened with legal action several times due to posters uploading their own photographs of the inside of grounds on matchday.
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Interesting. Didn't know that.

What if you use someone else's ticket? :)
 
SuperAP said:
What if you use someone else's ticket? :)
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It'll probably say something along the lines of 'this little ticket that your mate bought/you got in the park outside is not transferable'.

Saying that, I've gone in on someone else's ticket before and sat with the opposition (Ashes game in Perth). Best day out I'd had for years!

Last year I took my P&S and 2.4x tele-converter in without hassle to The Oval. This year, I'll try the DSLR hidden at the bottom of my rucksack along with a beanbag. Being female does sometimes help as if they don't have a female security guard at the gate, you can just walk in - the men aren't allowed to frisk you!
 
CarolF said:
Being female does sometimes help as if they don't have a female security guard at the gate, you can just walk in - the men aren't allowed to frisk you!
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Unless you have some very worrying hiding place for your DSLR i don't think frisking is going to be a problem :eek::eek:

The men are of course allowed to look in your bag though ;)
 
It is against the ground rules at Leeds Carnegie ... Though quite a few do it from the stands ... I have myself... But it is not much use unless you are at ground level.
I expect they will tighten up now they are back in the premiership.
 
Is it worth me contacting the grounds themselves in the case of games like ODI's and ashes tests? I'm going to Edgbaston next week for the ODI there and again in July for the 2nd day of the Ashes test.
 
SuperAP said:
Interesting. Didn't know that.

What if you use someone else's ticket? :)
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Nottingham Forest FC Ground Regs on the copyright side.....
16 No person (other than a person who holds an appropriate licence) may bring into the Ground or use within the Ground any equipment, which is capable of recording or transmitting (by digital or other means) any audio, visual or audio-visual material or any information or data in relation to the Match or the Ground. Copyright in any unauthorised recording or transmission is assigned (by way of present assignment of future copyright pursuant to section 91 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988) to the Club.
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As for the ticket thing.. Its all non transferable.. :)

---

Forgot to add.

I do a fair few Rugby League Photos at Rugby League Conference level (a few divisions below professional level), and have had no problems with taking photos at games. I even did the finals day last year, and got talking to a couple of the pro guys who seemed happy enough to pass on tips between games.
 
Just spoke to Edgbaston cricket ground, basically they flat out said "no" to taking in a decent camera.

Bit frustrating that. I used to take my 400D to games (with smaller lenses) but now i've got a bit better camera and lens (70-200 f/4 L) it sounds like I won't be able to get in the ground!

I did ask for some kind of clarification on rules but they didn't have any and said not to bother bringing it because if you are turned away it's tough luck.

Bit frustrated by that really.
 
kelack said:
I agree with Tobers. Rugbywise - A few of the grounds as long as you check with them are okay. I've got permission to take mine on Sunday to the London Irish match and even going on the pitch with it when our club's kids do the guard of honour. I've seen a few at other Premiership matches as well.
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I took my kit to Saracens last season, was all set up and thirty seconds before kick off the stewards told me not to take shots during the game, only of the half time entertainment. At least that's the story I told my wife when I came back with shots of the cheerleaders.

I took plenty of shots of England v NZ at the Old Trafford test last summer without problems, but note the ticket for the ODI at Edgbaston is pretty clear on no photography.
 
Was surprised to see a few DSLRs + telephotos around Twickenham at the seven's last weekend.

I'm guessing that the moment you point it at the pitch the stewards haul you out? :)
 
mid_gen said:
Was surprised to see a few DSLRs + telephotos around Twickenham at the seven's last weekend.

I'm guessing that the moment you point it at the pitch the stewards haul you out? :)
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don't know about the sevens, but for the six nations and any concerts you would be hauled out. You're a long way from the pitch at Twickenham to produce anything useable though
 
I was thinking of taking my camera along to an evening session or two at Surrey later in the year. I'll give 'em a call and let you know how I get on.

How does it work in getting accredited by the way - presumably you have to have an agency/paper sponsoring you?
 
I was told I wasn't allowed to take pictures at a Southampton reserves match. This was at half-time though and I'd already racked up a few hundred snaps so I wasn't that bothered.

Ten minutes later, the same steward asked me if I was there to interview George Burley. I should have said "Yes, but you can go screw yourself now!"
 
There was a heck of a lot of DSLRs and video cameras at ewood park on sunday for a premiership game... some front row snappers... they will post there pictures wherever they want and do what they want wiht them.. I have had to throw most of mine away.. paper got about 20 and the rest no point keeping no matter how good they might be :(

Tis a cruel world..
 
I saw a guy with a DSLR at Stamford Bridge a week or so back. Looked like he only had the kit lens on though.
 
KIPAX said:
There was a heck of a lot of DSLRs and video cameras at ewood park on sunday for a premiership game... some front row snappers... they will post there pictures wherever they want and do what they want wiht them.. I have had to throw most of mine away.. paper got about 20 and the rest no point keeping no matter how good they might be :(

Tis a cruel world..
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Blackburn can ill-afford to turn punters away. In percentage terms, it's one of the emptiest in the Premiership.
 
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