A pitch invasion (known in North America as field invasion, field intrusion, rushing the field or storming the field) occurs when an individual or a crowd of people watching a sporting event run onto the playing area to celebrate or protest an incident. Pitch invasions may involve individual people or capacity crowds. Pitch invasions can result in charges being brought, possibly resulting in fines or jail time, and sanctions against the club(s) involved, especially if the actions cause a disruption in play.