Bleacher

In the United States, bleachers or stands are raised, tiered rows of benches found at sports fields and other spectator events. Stairways access the horizontal rows of seats, often with every other step gaining access to a row of benches.

Benches range from simple plank benches to more elaborate benches with backrests. Many bleachers are open to the ground below so that there are only the planks to sit and walk on. Some bleachers have vertical panels beneath the benches, either partially or completely blocking the way to the ground.

Name origins

A key feature of bleachers is that they are generally uncovered and unprotected from the sun; thus the wooden benches were "bleached by the sun." The term "bleachers" used in this sense can be traced back to at least 1889.The Dickson Baseball Dictionary states that the open seating area was called the "bleaching boards," as early as 1877. Dickson lists as a secondary definition the fans sitting in them. By the early 1900s, the term "bleachers" was being used for both the seating area and its occupants.