Stop the selfies! German soccer club rewards fans who avoid their phones during games

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — A stadium selfie could soon cost fans of German soccer giant Borussia Dortmund after the club announced plans to reward those who leave their phones alone during the game.

Dortmund is offering signed jerseys and gift cards for club merchandise to fans who use an app which measures how often they unlock their phones at its stadium.

Arguing that “more and more fans are annoyed by selfies, streaming, and social media in the stands,” Dortmund says supporters can volunteer to use a “fan mode” in the club's app, starting Saturday with a home game against Eintracht Frankfurt .

Fan mode will measure how often the phone is unlocked during the game — not counting the halftime break — and award points to people based on how little they use the device, with prizes on offer for those with the most points. Each time the phone is unlocked, the user loses points.

“Over 81,000 people in the stadium, singing, cheering, and holding their breath together: this here and now is irreplaceable,” Dortmund CEO Carsten Cramer said in a statement Thursday.

The rewards scheme and app are voluntary and there's no ban on fans using their phones.

German soccer is famed for its vocal fanbase, especially Dortmund's vast and loud “Yellow Wall” standing section.

The club's stance is part of a backlash in German soccer against attempts to turn its stadium atmosphere into social media content, especially by influencers using professional camera equipment.

Second-division club Hertha Berlin said this month it was banning “commercially produced and monetized” video productions from its games, while allowing fans to take photos and videos for personal use.

Another club, Dynamo Dresden, said in August it would ban commercial filming for social media, saying it wanted to ensure fans felt comfortable at the game and to protect the club's TV rights deals.

Fans are being encouraged to put their phones away, but Dortmund's players will be left to their own devices, coach Niko Kovac said Friday.

Kovac said he already bans phones from a pregame meal the team spends together, but he doesn't mind players using phones or wearing headphones in the locker room or the team bus.

“The guys are grown up enough to work out what they need to get ready for the game,” Kovac said.

Even so, “I think we could all spend a little less time looking at our phones now and then,” Kovac said. “If we cut back on it we can all concentrate a bit more on other things.”

See AP’s full soccer coverage here