Bochum bans coordinated jumping in East Stand after vibration assessment

Bochum have introduced a ban on coordinated jumping in the Ruhrstadion's East Stand after an engineering assessment identified vibrations that could make spectators feel unwell. The club and stadium owner announced the restriction on Wednesday, while confirming that the standing area can remain open at full capacity.

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The assessment was carried out as part of preparations to modernise the stadium. According to the joint statement, the stand retains its load-bearing capacity. The concern is that large groups jumping rhythmically together can produce a trampoline-like movement, with people unaccustomed to it particularly susceptible to discomfort.

The order applies to sections N2, O, P and Q and will be enforced at the home match against Arminia Bielefeld on October 11. The club explicitly distinguished choreographed jumping from ordinary goal celebrations, which are not covered by the prohibition. Bochum must implement and monitor the restriction on matchdays.

Radio Bochum reported that the city's building authority selected the jumping ban as an alternative to closing the stand. The station said a complete closure could follow if the club cannot effectively prevent the prohibited movements. The arrangement therefore keeps the area available to supporters for now, but does not remove the possibility of a more restrictive response if the order is not observed.

The club said it would explain the practical arrangements in the coming days and on matchday. Renovation of the East Stand is already included in the wider stadium project, avoiding a separate lengthy planning process. The restriction could be lifted when the planned work finishes in 2028.

WDR noted a previous German football case in Magdeburg in 2016, when the city imposed a jumping ban for a match against Hallescher FC. Measurements taken during an earlier fixture against Hansa Rostock had detected crowd-generated vibrations in the arena's North Stand. WDR reported that those movements exceeded a threshold associated with people feeling a need to flee, illustrating the spectator-comfort concerns that can accompany this type of structural motion.