New laws being introduced in Northern Ireland could mean that anyone involved in sectarian chanting, throwing missiles on the pitch, or invading the playing area can be fined up to £1,000.
People also caught with alcohol on a hired bus going to a major sporting event could be jailed for three months.
The same sentence could apply to those caught with flares or fireworks inside stadia at major games.
Stormont justice minister David Ford said the new laws will make sport more family friendly.
"The three sporting associations, rugby, football (soccer) and the GAA, have invested a great deal in making their major sporting events memorable for all the right reasons," Ford said.
"However, there still can be times when the actions of a few can spoil it for the majority of fans and this new legislation allows the law to deal with those individuals."
For Gaelic games, the new laws apply to matches played at any ground which requires a safety certificate under the Safety of Sports Grounds (Order 2006.
For soccer, they apply to international matches, Irish Football Association premiership and championship matches.
For rugby, they apply to matches played at Ravenhill in Belfast, the home of the Ulster team.
