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

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

Read the original at Toronto Star ↗

Cite

APA MLA Chicago

The Associated Press. (2026, October 23). Stop the selfies! German soccer club rewards fans who avoid their phones during games. Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/sports/soccer/stop-the-selfies-german-soccer-club-rewards-fans-who-avoid-their-phones-during-games/article_2a5957fb-af90-5585-8a5a-20b1c6934eda.html

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

Quick Summary

Borussia Dortmund is rewarding fans who avoid using their phones during games by offering signed jerseys and gift cards through an app that measures phone usage. The initiative aims to reduce distractions such as selfies, streaming, and social media in the stands. Fans can opt into a "fan mode" feature within the club’s app starting this Saturday for a home game against Eintracht Frankfurt. Dortmund CEO Carsten Cramer emphasized the importance of experiencing live matches without digital interruptions, highlighting the unique atmosphere created by fans singing and cheering together.

Written by AI on 2026-10-23, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Borussia Dortmund, a prominent German soccer club, announced plans to reward fans who avoid using their smartphones during games. Starting with a home match against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, the initiative aims to address increasing annoyance among supporters due to excessive selfie-taking and social media use in the stands. Fans can volunteer to use a "fan mode" feature within the club's app, which tracks how frequently they unlock their phones during games and awards points based on minimal usage. Those who accumulate the most points will receive prizes such as signed jerseys and gift cards for club merchandise. Dortmund CEO Carsten Cramer emphasized that experiencing matches live is irreplaceable, with over 81,000 people in attendance singing and cheering together. The program is voluntary, without a ban on phone use during games.

Written for “German Soccer Club Encourages No Phone Use” on 2026-11-04, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

Nothing to compare against. No article is close enough to this one for the pipeline to have linked or judged the pair.

How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

1 of 11 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

64/100

Toronto Star's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Sports

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Analyzed 2026-10-23 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Toronto Star · 11445 article(s) · 28 correction(s) detected

Running correction rate · 28 correction(s)

2026-10-31

Inmate's escape is just the latest problem for Tennessee's troubled prison system

2026-10-26

Correction

2026-10-24

Correction

2026-10-22

News Clarification for Oct. 22

2026-10-21

No. 6 Hoosiers try to for rare rebound at Michigan after turning the page on 22-game winning streak

2026-10-19

Driver’s License Suspensions for Court Debt Draw Scrutiny

2026-10-16

Amputations and cancer treatment delays: Lawmakers hear testimony on Mississippi prison healthcare

2026-10-16

UPDATE: Golconda Gold Releases Q3 2026 Production Update at Galaxy

2026-10-08

News Clarification for Oct. 8

2026-10-07

Correction

2026-10-05

Entertainment Correction for Oct. 5

2026-10-03

Tennessee's prisons chief is resigning after failed execution of Christa Pike

2026-09-28

Organizations call for Action to End the Deaths of Indigenous People in Custody

2026-09-27

Police memorial recognizes six officers killed in the line of duty in 2026

2026-09-27

UPDATE: WSP to host Power & Energy-focused investor event virtually only

2026-09-26

News Clarification for Sept. 27

2026-09-26

Former federal public servant seeks better pensions for injured workers

2026-09-25

News Corrections for Sept. 25

2026-09-25

She has not been charged. But the Project South allegations have branded her with a 'scarlet letter'

2026-09-24

Correction

2026-09-23

MULTIMEDIA UPDATE: Smith+Nephew launches the new EVOS™ PELVIC Plating System at the 2026 Orthopedic Trauma Association (OTA) Annual Meeting, expanding the EVOS Plating Platform for pelvic and acetabular fracture management

2026-09-22

Costa Rican man complained of lack of care for diabetes before his death in ICE custody, family says

2026-09-22

Judges' grilling of accused men leads to sex assault and dangerous driving cases being overturned

2026-09-20

Jura Energy Corporation Provides Clarification Regarding Media Reports Concerning Its Petroleum Rights in Pakistan

2026-09-19

New details emerge about Toronto's guns-for-hire and the 'crash-out mission" that sparked the Project South investigation

2026-09-17

UPDATE: Osisko Critical Minerals Corporation Announces C$100 Million Private Placement of Special Warrants

2026-09-17

Alabama set to execute man for pawn shop killings months after his nitrogen gas execution blocked

2026-09-04

Orca Corrects Q3 Quarterly Dividend Announcement

Who wrote this

The Associated Press

1820 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 South Africans vote in local elections that could continue decline of ANC South Africans have begun voting in local elections that are seen as an evaluation of the party that led the country out of white minority rule JOHANNESBURG --

2026-11-04 · assertive framing · South Africans vote in local elections that could continue decline of ANC

🔮 A 17-year-old girl from Utah who went missing in May 2025 was found at the home of an Oregon man who’s been charged with transporting her across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

2026-11-04 · mixed framing · Utah girl missing for 17 months found at home of Oregon man who faces federal charge

🔮 The letters reportedly warned their recipients that they could face arrest for treason “or worse”.

2026-11-04 · mixed framing · FBI arrests man for sending over 700 threatening letters to US officials

🔮 Voters nationwide will decide control of the U.S. House and Senate.

2026-11-03 · assertive framing · The Latest: Voters will decide control of Congress in major test of Trump's second term

🔮 LONDON (AP) — William Saliba has returned to full training at Arsenal, 3 1/2 months after his last game — in the World Cup semifinals for France.

2026-11-03 · speculative framing · Saliba back in training with Arsenal after being out injured since the World Cup

🔮 The difference between that crew count and India's rescue figure could not immediately be explained.

2026-11-03 · assertive framing · Indian navy rescues 20 crew from Iranian fishing boat hijacked off Somalia

🔮 We need to help Ukraine defend its skies; otherwise, Russia will never stop its missile strikes."

2026-11-03 · assertive framing · Death toll hits 29 after Russian strike on Ukrainian aid site, with 48 still missing

🔮 SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Larry Hughes Jr. had 24 points in Sacramento State’s 90-74 win against William Jessup on Monday, the season opener for both teams.

2026-11-03 · assertive framing · Sacramento State beats William Jessup 90-74 as Larry Hughes Jr. scores 24

🔮 “Exceptional circumstances have been created for the organization and delivery of the competition as originally scheduled, making the postponement necessary in the interest of all participating teams, officials, spectators and other stakeholders.” The new dates — Dec. 23, 2027 to Jan. 21, 2028, will be submitted to FIFA for approval.

2026-11-03 · assertive framing · Asian Football Confederation postpones the 2027 Asian Cup because of conflict in the Middle East

🔮 Will Heimbrodt and Mason Williams both scored 20 for the Redhawks.

2026-11-03 · assertive framing · Jaden Matingou scores 20, hits winner as Hawaii edges Seattle U 74-73 in season opener

Wire or desk byline, not an individual reporter.

Also by The Associated Press

Photos: Champions League and Tenerife fans pay tribute to De Miguel

2026-11-04 · Al Jazeera

South Africans vote in local elections that could continue decline of ANC

2026-11-04 · ABC News (US)

Democrat Keisha Bottoms wins election for governor in Georgia

2026-11-04 · Toronto Star

North Korea launches unidentified projectile toward the sea, South Korea says

2026-11-04 · Toronto Star

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 1820 articles by The Associated Press →

Topics

Borussia Dortmund DORTMUND Eintracht Frankfurt German Germany

Subjects

DORTMUND GPE · 5× German NORP · 3× Borussia Dortmund ORG · 1× Carsten Cramer PERSON · 1× Dynamo Dresden ORG · 1× Eintracht Frankfurt ORG · 1× Germany GPE · 1× Hertha Berlin ORG · 1×

Narrative

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.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-23

🔮 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.

2026-10-23 · Toronto Star

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

Claims (11 extracted, 1 hedged)

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. uncertain

who → cost → 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. asserted

they → offer → stadium

supporters → argue → 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. asserted

they → measure → points

Each time the phone is unlocked, the user loses points. asserted

user → unlock → 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. asserted

Cramer → sing → statement

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

fans → ’ → phones

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

soccer → fame → fanbase

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. asserted

stance → turn → 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. asserted

fans → say → 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. ___ asserted

fans → say → deals