Being a ‘fourth official’ is not one of the trendiest positions on the pitch, but the role just got a bit cooler.
Luxury Swiss watchmaker Hublot has redesigned the added time and substitution board for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
The fourth official is charged with showing addition time periods and signal player substitutions, and it used to be a rather plain affair.
The new design maintains the simple technical specifications but adds a more polished aesthetic, and Hublot have declared the design to also be much more ergonomic.
“It is an immense honour and privilege for Hublot to have been given the opportunity to optimise the referee's board for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The joint effort comes as part of a long-term relationship which Hublot has developed with FIFA. It has given rise to an object with an innovative design,” said Ricardo Guadalupe, Hublot CEO.
The first usage of the board was during the firstmatch of the competition on 12 June 2014 in Sao Paulo: Brazil versus Croatia – it will be used in every match during the tournament.