Table of Contents
- So, what is the dugout in soccer?
- Why is it called the dugout?
- Who sits in the dugout?
- What happens if there are too many people in the dugout?
- Are dugouts in soccer still common today?
- What is the technical area in soccer?
- Recap: The dugout in Soccer
The dugout in soccer – what on earth is it and why is it necessary?!
When you’re new to soccer, there are so many terms that you need to get your head around, many of which are specific to the game.
One such term is the dugout, which is used to signify an important seating area at the side of the soccer pitch. But why is it called the dugout? And who sits there?
Below, we explain everything you need to know about the dugout in soccer so you understand what this commonly used soccer term refers to.
So, what is the dugout in soccer?
The dugout in soccer is at the side of the pitch and is the area in which the coaches and substitutes sit while the game is ongoing. The dugout can be in many forms, from a simple bench to a dugout area with padded seats.
All stadiums have dugouts as they are a requirement for the sport, and in the professional game, they need to be big enough to seat approximately 10-15 people, depending on tournament rules in relation to substitutions.
In amateur soccer, dugouts aren’t present at the side of all soccer fields and venues, and substitutes and coaching staff often just stand or sit at the side of the field to watch the game unfold.
In soccer parlance, you might hear the dugout referred to as “the bench” or “the subs bench,” but you can be assured that the person is referring to the same thing! Read on to find out everything you need to know about the dugout in soccer and where it took its name from.
Why is it called the dugout?
Although not as common today as it used to be, the dugout was quite literally dugout of the ground at the side of the field. As a result, the coach and the substitutes would walk down some steps and into the area before watching the game from practically eye level.
Therefore, the term dugout was given to this area because it was an accurate description of the way that the coach and substitute benches were positioned. Although the dugout has completely changed in design today, it is still referred to in the same way by many soccer fans and pundits.
In some respects, the term is similar to woodwork in soccer. Years ago, soccer goalposts were made from wood, and the name woodwork is still used today to describe posts, even though they are nearly always made from metal.
Therefore, while most soccer stadiums no longer have a dugout for the coaches, players, and staff to sit in, it’s still a term that you will commonly hear.
Who sits in the dugout?
The whole point of a dugout in soccer is to provide the coach, staff, and substitutes with somewhere to sit while watching the game unfold. In days gone by, dugouts were considerably smaller than they are today.
This was because they only needed to accommodate a coach, an assistant, a physio, and maybe one or two substitutes. But needless to say, the pitch-side team that accompanies the eleven players on the field has got considerably bigger, with the following all potentially securing a place in the dugout today:
- The manager or first-team coach.
- The assistant coach.
- Other coaches, including a specialist set-play coach, fitness coach, and perhaps even a youth coach.
- The club physiotherapist.
- The club doctor.
- The substitutes – depending on the rules of the competition, teams are sometimes permitted as many as 12 substitutions in the present day!
As you can see, the dugout can be a super busy place on matchday, and there’s no chance that the huge team of support staff could fit in a traditional dugout in an old stadium, highlighting the need to expand dugouts.
What happens if there are too many people in the dugout?
As mentioned above, many old soccer stadiums don’t have big enough dugouts to accommodate all of the people that play a supporting role on a matchday.
While most teams in the professional game have adapted their dugouts to accommodate such numbers, others have opted for a completely different design when it comes to accommodating players and officials on a match day.
At many stadiums, you will notice that the coach and player’s area is not dug down into the ground at all, and it’s actually above pitch level, with the substitutes actually sitting in the stand.
This makes a lot more sense from a planning perspective and provides players and coaches with a much better view of the action unfolding out on the field.
If there’s not enough space when it comes to matchday, non-essential staff members will be instructed to sit in the stand behind the dugout area, and they can communicate with the bench throughout the game if needs be.
Are dugouts in soccer still common today?
Today, dugouts in soccer are still a key aspect of a soccer stadium’s design. After all, the coach and substitutes need somewhere to sit to watch the game as it unfolds on the pitch.
But one notable difference between dugouts today and dugouts of old is that the former are much bigger and are designed to be on top of the ground as opposed to below ground.
As mentioned, it’s impractical to dig out a confined space for a limited number of staff at the side of the field when so many support staff need somewhere to sit during a match.
What is the technical area in soccer?
Immediately in front of each dugout is a box that is demarcated by white lines. The official term for this box is the technical area, and it indicates where coaches must remain throughout the match.
If a coach leaves the technical area without a justifiable reason, they risk being sent away from the dugout by the referee. And while this rule has been in play for a long time, you will regularly see coaches move beyond the limits of the technical area to communicate with their players without being reprimanded by the referee.
The technical area is permitted to extend one meter from either side of the dugout, meaning that it’s a fairly big space for coaches and managers to make use of, given the extended nature of most dugouts in today’s game!
Recap: The dugout in Soccer
The soccer dugout is an important part of a stadium’s design, as its the area in which players and staff are permitted to sit during a game. Due to the increased number of personnel that now accompany teams on a matchday, dugouts have grown significantly larger than they once were.
So, if you hear the term dugout mentioned by soccer commentators when you’re tuning into a live broadcast, you will now understand that they’re referring to the bench, as it’s more commonly referred to in other sports.