In association football, the technical area is the space that a manager, other coaching personnel and substitutes are allowed to occupy during matches. They may stand or sit in a sheltered area called the dugout, which contains benches upon which the personnel sit. Unlike a baseball dugout, these are commonly at pitch level.
The first football stadium to feature a dugout was Pittodrie Stadium, home of Aberdeen F.C., where dugouts were introduced in the 1920s by trainer Donald Colman, who wanted to get closer to the pitch to observe his players, without sacrificing the shelter provided in the grandstand.[citation needed]
The technical area is marked by a white line, varying in size but always "1m (1yd) on either side of the designated seated area and extend[ing] forward up to a distance of 1m (1yd) from the touch line," according to the Laws of the Game.[1] Managers may not cross the line during play, which restricts them from approaching the pitch (the fourth official is in charge of enforcing this rule), although substitutes may warm up elsewhere at the pitchside.
References
- ^ Laws of the Game: Technical area Retrieved 1 August 2007
External links
- Laws of the Game: Technical area
- Laws of the Game 2006: Technical area diagram
- History of the Laws of the Game (1990-2000)
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