Overview
- The building authority issued an order requiring VfL Bochum and the stadium owner to ban communal, synchronized hopping in the Ostkurve and the club put the rule into effect for the home match on October 11.
- A commissioned engineering report found that coordinated jumping can cause strong vibrations on the east stand that create a so‑called trampoline effect and could produce unwellness in especially untrained spectators while saying the stand’s load capacity remains sufficient.
- The ban applies only to blocks N2, O, P and Q and explicitly excludes ordinary goal celebrations, but it targets planned, rhythmical, synchronized jumping.
- At the October 11 match most fans complied while Ultras Bochum protested with banners and statements demanding that the factual basis be published and calling for a faster renovation of the Ostkurve.
- Officials warn that persistent non‑compliance could force a full closure of the east stand, denying roughly 10,000 supporters entry, and the dispute raises a broader choice between temporary safety rules and accelerating structural work.