Technical Areas

[Brian Ravenhill]

Amongst all the literature sent out from Twickenham at the start of the season I remember seeing a page of a document that described who was allowed where with regard to the technical area and within any perimeter fencing etc. I have trawled through my stuff and now cannot find it. Is there anybody out there that can point me in the right direction?

 

[OB..]

Amongst all the literature sent out from Twickenham at the start of the season I remember seeing a page of a document that described who was allowed where with regard to the technical area and within any perimeter fencing etc. I have trawled through my stuff and now cannot find it. Is there anybody out there that can point me in the right direction?

RFU Regulation 13? Eg:-

Permitted Personnel
13.7.6 No more than four water carriers per team (including medical staff and
replacement players) are permitted within the pitch side or perimeter fencing or
other barrier. Water carriers may only be permitted onto the playing area for the
purposes of taking water to the players at such times as shall be approved by
the Referee (on any other occasion players must come to the touchline to get
water).
13.7.7 Any player temporarily suspended when playing must remain in the ‘Technical
Area’ or leave the playing enclosure and be clearly and readily identifiable to
the Fourth Official. Any player temporarily suspended at Level 5 and below
should remain in the ‘Technical Area’ (if provided) or remain between the posts
in the in goal area which his team is attacking or in such other place as the
referee may agree.

 

[stuart3826]

What he said, but it can vary from comp to comp. Most Elite comps and the Championship allow 2 medics, one of whom may remain at half way on the opposite side of the field, 2 H2O carriers/Tee carriers, and one "Team Manager" which in practice will often be a coach.

 

[Dixie]

And at the lower reaches of the National Leagues, my experience is that physios expect to have the run of the touchline, and are surprised if some random coach/player/boyfriend is prevented from joining them. A threat to actually enforce the regulations if they take the pi$$ elicits a Bateman cartoon response.

 

[stuart3826]

And at the lower reaches of the National Leagues, my experience is that physios expect to have the run of the touchline, and are surprised if some random coach/player/boyfriend is prevented from joining them. A threat to actually enforce the regulations if they take the pi$$ elicits a Bateman cartoon response.

The conversation can go a bit like this:-
4th "Could you please remain in the tech zone?"
Doc "I'm the Doctor, I was looking at a player"
"please do so from the zone - if a player needs you he can take a knee"
"what if it's a head or neck injury"
"he'll be the one lying down. Back to the zone, there's a good chap!":Looser:

 

[Phil E]

Warwickshire has its own touchline protocol, which I have attached here: View attachment 1322

Conversation a couple of weeks ago went along the lines of.

"Coach behind the barrier please".
"But I'm the coach".
"But you won't stay in the technical area, so I want you behind the barrier"
Coach is roundly abused by his own supporters!
Coach then comes on with the water.
"Coach leave the pitch please".
"But I'm the coach".
"Exactly, coaches cannot be water carriers, leave now please".
Coach is even more roundly abused by his own supporters.
Coach comes on with Kicking Tee.
"Coach leave the pitch please and if you come onto the pitch again, or step in front of the barrier I will have to ask you to go to the clubhouse".
"But I'm the coach".
"Coaches cannot be Tee Carriers, leave now please".
"Whhhooooooooo" go the supporters.
Five minutes to go, Captain asks if he can make a sub.
"Yes fine".
"You might not like it though Sir, but he is on the card".
Coach comes onto the pitch as a sub; "send him off" yell his own supporters.
I am very tempted to oblige

We had a good laugh about it in the bar afterwards. Mainly because he got more stick from his own team's supporters than he did from me.

 

[ExHookah]

I was expecting more control from the coaches and assistants at higher levels, but it does not seem to apply. Hence my 80 minute exercise in asking Steve Diamond to remain in his box.

Thankfully at least he can speak English though, because I don't speak Russian or Spanish, so dealing with anyone else from Russia or Uruguay would have proved entertaining. I also had to send someone down to move the Russian players who were warming up when I got a call through on my earpiece from Sky Sports telling me that the TMO was complaining that they were blocking some cameras. They moved fast though, as it was the in goal area that they were attacking, and they certainly did not want to block potential tries of their own!

 

[Dixie]

Warwickshire has its own touchline protocol, which I have attached here: View attachment 1322

useful doc to have in your pocket. Not sure it accurately claims to reflect Reg 13.7 though. Just had a quick gander, and can't see the following:

coach can't run touch
sub can't run touch
coach can't be a water carrier
coach can't be a Tee bearer.

Still - I doubt any of them have ever actually looked ....

 

[Brian Ravenhill]

What I remember seeing is something akin to a table of so and so may stay in the technical area, so and so may stand on the opposite side of the pitch, a chair should be provided for the sin bin, etc. I am pretty sure it was in one of the many documents booklets issued by the RFU at the beginning of the season.

 

[Ciaran Trainor]

What's a technical area???:Nerv:
Seriously at what level do we expect them to appear?

 

[Simon Thomas]

In Hampshire some L8 & 9 cubs have them, and L7 and higher almost all do.

They were part of our joint Society-CB touchline behaviour protocols for coaches, replacements, support staff and spectator we published a few seasons ago.

 

[Davet]

I've seen them at L10 league games, and missed seeing them at L9 league games - but, as far as I am aware, they should be there at any League game. - so in Hants thats down to L10, in Yorkshire, where I understand they have loads of leagues that could be something like L42

Edit - just read Simon's response - I still thought they should be at any League game, but I may be over-egging the pudding.

 

[ex-lucy]

Herts Soc members were reminded of these rules and regs at the beg of the season .. as a tool to prevent/manage touchline abuse etc

 

[stuart3826]

Well my last club had one at level 10

 

[Dixie]

What's a technical area???:Nerv:
Seriously at what level do we expect them to appear?

Fear not, Ciaran. I rarely see technical areas at L.8, and they are almost never used if they exist. If the weather holds, I've got a L.7 this week where the technical areas are on the far side of the pitch from the clubhouse. It gives the ref 3 large benches on which to park his kit.

 

[luvreffin]

Technical areas are now enforced in the Raging Bull Colts League (previously NW Colts League) for both Junior Colts (u17's) & Senior Colts (u19's).

Extract from the Leagues Code of Conduct.

(2). Whilst a match is in progress all Replacements Coaches and Managers must remain within a marked technical area other than when attending an injured player or bringing on water. Clubs should ensure the technical areas are clearly marked.

(3). Whilst a match is in progress Spectators must be outside the playing enclosure & back from the touchlines at all times preferably behind a suitable pitch-side barrier. Spectators must never enter the field of play without the Referee's permission.

(4). Referees have the discretion to refuse to start or continue with a Colts League game if the Marked Technical Area and a suitable pitch-side barrier are not in place. In cases where the match is not played or is abandoned as a result of this the home Team will be considered to have forfeit the game and be sanctioned as per the Sanctions Regulations.

 

[PaulDG]

Technical areas are now enforced in the Raging Bull Colts League (previously NW Colts League) for both Junior Colts (u17's) & Senior Colts (u19's).

Extract from the Leagues Code of Conduct.

Technical areas are required in most RFU competitions.

Enforced is another matter.

If you turn up to a club and the only pitch available doesn't have one marked out, will you really refuse the game?

... and nor would anyone else..

 

[Simon Thomas]

Exactly right Paul - required and enforced are two very different things.

The requirement allows a referee to enforce if necessary if we have a walking & verbal coach, "over-excited" replacements, etc.

In Hampshire's Touchline Code of Conduct / Colts League Regs (and as per RFU League / Cup Regs), a technical area and who / when is allowed in it is defined. If no technical area is marked, it it taken to be the area 2m from between half way and 10m line in the half the side plays in in the first half (or eac half if mutually agreeable - i/e switch at half time).

Plus 5-10m pitch surround barriers or ropes is mandatory.

 

[SimplySimon]

Technical areas are required in most RFU competitions.

Enforced is another matter.

If you turn up to a club and the only pitch available doesn't have one marked out, will you really refuse the game?

... and nor would anyone else..

I usually ask the home club to ensure that there is a technical area marked out when they phone me to confirm the fixture.

This was really hammered home to me when I refereed a L9 league fixture earlier in the season where I had played with players on both teams, and both coaches, and had also coached with some of them. By not enforcing the technical area issue, I left myself wide open for coaches to march up and down the touchlines (no barrier either) throwing comments at me for absolutely everything that I supposedly missed:chin:

What happens when you have two technical areas marked out, but one team insists on going the other side of the pitch? Home team in technical area, with supporters behind the barrier, away team insistant that they want to be away from home team. How do you enforce the technical area issue then? Although in hindsight I should have used training cones and made an area for them to get into.

I guess you live and learn........

 

[Adam]

in Yorkshire, where I understand they have loads of leagues that could be something like L42

Our lowest RFU league is Yorkshire 5, which is level 11. And the society appoint to games as low as level 15! Lots of properly competitive rugby in Yorkshire, it really is excellent!