[Football] Subs warming up on the pitch

[Happy Exile]

Are subs allowed to warm up on the pitch during passages of play? It happens every game but I don’t think I’ve seen them so far on the pitch before. A few around me found it worthy of comment during the match so thought I’d ask if / how it’s allowed. It wasn’t just Chelsea players, a few Brighton players did it too. I’m guessing they wanted to warm up on grass not astroturf.

 

[jcdenton08]

Are subs allowed to warm up on the pitch during passages of play? It happens every game but I don’t think I’ve seen them so far on the pitch before. A few around me found it worthy of comment during the match so thought I’d ask if / how it’s allowed. It wasn’t just Chelsea players, a few Brighton players did it too. I’m guessing they wanted to warm up on grass not astroturf.

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No, and technically this would be encroachment into the playing area and earn a caution. Technically.

But it’s like foul throws (although one was given today!), ten yards at freekicks, time wasting et al - it’s very rarely punished if deemed to be “disrupting the flow”.

Funnily enough refs are much tighter on this at grassroots football where safety and security are taken very seriously nowadays.

 

[Weststander]

Distraction from embarrassing away performance.

 

[Happy Exile]

Distraction from embarrassing away performance.

Not at all, like I said, Brighton players were doing it too. Can’t remember if it was Moder or Ferguson but one of them ran practically half way from the side of the pitch to the area.

 

[maresfield seagull]

Not allowed Unless rules have been changed Which is quite possible TBF

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Probably happens because Chelsea has such a tiny pitch / ground?

Think this is referred to as "tinpot" by some?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

One for the 4th official to police, I'd have thought. Can't be allowed shirley

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I think you’ll find Webster was actually playing.

 

[Happy Exile]

If anyone is interested (probably not) I asked the Premier League about this, and also managers being out of their technical area for extended periods of play too as that's another rule that looks to be inconsistently applied. They didn't directly answer the bit about managers being out of the technical area, but said a match assessor will report anything they feel wasn't managed properly by the refereeing team. For subs the long and short of it seems to be it's discretionary if the number of subs warming up is too many for the space available to warm up in, and unlikely to be addressed unless play is impacted.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

If anyone is interested (probably not) I asked the Premier League about this, and also managers being out of their technical area for extended periods of play too as that's another rule that looks to be inconsistently applied. They didn't directly answer the bit about managers being out of the technical area, but said a match assessor will report anything they feel wasn't managed properly by the refereeing team. For subs the long and short of it seems to be it's discretionary if the number of subs warming up is too many for the space available to warm up in, and unlikely to be addressed unless play is impacted.

What a completely BS reply. Warming up on the pitch is either allowed or it's not shirley?

 

[Happy Exile]

What a completely BS reply. Warming up on the pitch is either allowed or it's not shirley?

Apparently not!

"In terms of the substitutes, they may use their discretion while there is no impact on play, if there is a number of players warming-up simultaneously in a relatively confined space. It would be for the officials to manage, and to intervene using the Laws of the Game where they deem in necessary."

[the typo is theirs]

 

[Barham's tash]

I think it has more to do with players not wanting to get injured by training/warming up on the 3/4G turf that surrounds most pitches these days.