Ballpark

Nationals Park Guest Conduct Information
GUEST CONDUCT POLICY

The Nationals and Major League Baseball are committed to creating a safe, comfortable and enjoyable sports & entertainment experience.

The following guidelines have been established for guest behavior:
  • Be a team player – please restrict movement in the seating area to breaks in the action
  • Standing or sitting in the portals, tunnels and stairs or sitting or climbing on the railings is not permitted
  • Disabled seating platforms are for guests with tickets for those areas only
  • Tops, bottoms and footwear are required for admission
Within all ticketed areas, unless otherwise specified, our staff will proactively support a family-friendly environment free from the following behaviors:
  • Disruptive behavior, including foul or abusive language or obscene gestures
  • Interference with other guests' ability to experience the event
  • Any disruption to the progress of the event by guests' actions including interference with a ball in play
  • Irresponsible or underage consumption of alcoholic beverages or the facilitation of underage drinking
  • Intoxication, diminished capacity or other signs of impairment related to substance abuse
  • Fighting, horseplay, excessive taunting or threatening remarks or gestures
  • Throwing objects
  • Attempts to enter the field or to cause objects to enter the field
  • Sitting in a location other than the guest's ticketed seat or failure to produce a ticket on request
  • Accessing areas without a proper ticket, pass and/or credential or misusing tickets, passes and/or credentials
  • Displays of affection not appropriate to a public, family setting in the District of Columbia
  • Obscene or indecent clothing or clothing that denotes or connotes obscene or indecent messages
  • Violation of the no-smoking policy
  • Non-compliance with requests from stadium staff or the police regarding stadium operations or emergency response procedures
  • Trespassing, soliciting, peddling and loitering
  • Use of wheeled footwear or skateboards
  • Vandalizing, damaging or otherwise defacing any part of the Nationals Baseball Stadium Complex*
  • Any other action deemed dangerous or inappropriate.
The stadium staff has been instructed to work in unison with guests and to intervene where necessary to help ensure that the above expectations are met. Guests are encouraged to report any inappropriate behavior to the nearest usher, security guard or Guest Services staff member.

Behavior in violation of the Guest Conduct Policy may result in the guest being ejected without refund, arrested by police, being subject to possible prosecution and/or having his/her Season Tickets revoked. All Season Ticket Holders are responsible for their conduct as well as the conduct of their guests and/or persons using their tickets. Season Tickets, as well as Individual Game Tickets, are a revocable license. The Nationals reserves the right to revoke ticket privileges for any reason and at any time during the season. The Nationals will notify in writing the Season Ticket Holder of record of any report of fan misconduct.

Banners & Signs

The Nationals welcome signs and banners consistent with the following policies and encourage fans to show their team pride. To ensure that signs, banners and fan activities do not distract from the enjoyment of sports games or other forms of entertainment, the Nationals requires all guests to adhere to the following policy within the ticketed areas:
  1. Composition - Banners and signs must be handheld and must:
    (a) utilize only cloth, paper or other light flexible materials, and may not be comprised of or supported by wood, metal or other hard materials that could be dangerous in a crowded public setting, (b) not be affixed to or draped over any part of the baseball park structure, whether facing inside or outside of the baseball park, and (c) be no larger than 3 feet by 5 feet.
  2. Display - Banners and signs may be displayed only:
    (a) within the baseball park's seating area, (b) in a stationary manner, (c) in a manner that does not obstruct any person's view of the playing field or interfere with player or umpire sight lines, (d) so as not to obscure baseball park signage, equipment or advertising, (e) so as not to impede the operation of the baseball park, and (f) interfere with the game or jeopardize the safety of guests. Only one sign or banner may be displayed by each guest.
  3. Subject Matter
    a. The Nationals Baseball Stadium Complex* is a baseball park and entertainment venue in which guests gather for purposes of enjoyment of sports games or other forms of entertainment and is not a forum or place for use by the public at large for assembly and speech, for use by certain speakers or for the discussion of certain subjects. Therefore, all messages on banners and signs shall relate solely to one or more of the following subjects, without any unrelated collateral content whatsoever: (i) the game and institution of major league baseball; (ii) a major league baseball team; (iii) the on-field activities and/or performance of a major league baseball player, coach or manager; (iv) the acts or omissions of the management and other non-player employees of a major league baseball organization, but only to the extent that such acts or omissions may relate to or affect its team's on-field activities and performance; (v) the entity broadcasting a baseball game played at the baseball park and the acts or omissions of the announcers in doing so; and (vi) fans' birthday, engagement, wedding, anniversary, get well, welcome home, congratulations or similar family-friendly greetings.

    b. Additionally, banners and signs may not bear a message that (i) is slanderous, (ii) is obscene, vulgar or indecent and inappropriate for viewing by children, (iii) contains "fighting words" likely to provoke a breach of the peace, (iv) is presented for a commercial purpose, or (v) contains derogatory matter relating to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, physical handicap, marital status, age, personal appearance, familial responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence or business or any other category protected by D.C. law.
  4. Removal
    The Nationals reserves the right to remove any display of a banner or sign that does not conform to these limitations, or require a guest to stop displaying the non-conforming banner or sign.

Commercial Activities The following commercial activities are expressly prohibited inside the Nationals Baseball Stadium Complex* and all areas under the Nationals' control or its agent(s)' control that require a ticket for entry, unless authorized in writing by the Nationals:
  1. Distribution of leaflets or other printed material;
  2. Distribution of products or performing of services, whether for a consideration or free; and
  3. Taking surveys or otherwise interfering with the free movement of guests.

Expressive Activities

The following restrictions apply with regard to expressive activities and assembly. Subject to applicable law, members of the public who so desire will be permitted to parade with placards and signs, distribute literature or engage strangers who wish to be so engaged, provided that such activities occur outside all ticketed areas of the Nationals Baseball Stadium Complex* and subject to each of the following conditions:
  • Such expressive activity is not permitted inside areas under the Nationals' or its agents' control that require a ticket for entrance.
  • Expressive activity may not disrupt the free flow of automotive traffic or pedestrian traffic (including access to box offices, all areas that require a ticket for entrance and office and retail areas) or otherwise cause a public safety concern.
  • Commercial activities, including but not limited to vending and the sale of goods or distribution of goods free of charge, are not permitted.
The Nationals and Major League Baseball thank you for adhering to the provisions of this Guest Conduct Policy. The Nationals retains the right to change or modify this policy at any time. Copies of this policy can be obtained at Guest Services or online at nationals.com.

* For all purposes of the Guest Conduct Policy, the Nationals Baseball Stadium Complex is defined as the area bounded by N Street SE, Potomac Avenue SE, South Capitol Street SE and First Street SE.