Obstruction/Impeding Progress?

[OIREF!]

I see some degree of obstruction or impeding progress in almost ever match but it is rarely penalised, myself included. This past Saturday I had an instance that was so blatant I felt I had to penalise. Yellow played a long ball into space between last red defender/yellow attacker and red goalkeeper. The yellow attacker gave chase but the red defender clearly wanted the ball to run through to his keeper - he halted his own run, looked over his shoulder to see where the attacker was then took a step to the side to block the attackers run. At the time the ball was equidistant between the attacker/defender and the keeper. It would have been difficult to script a better example of obstruction. I blew the whistle and awarded a free kick to yellow to almost universal shock and uproar from the red team. Reflecting after the game I was satisfied that I had made the correct decision and the reaction to my decision was, in part, due to the scarcity with which obstruction is penalised.

What are your thoughts? Is obstruction common in the game? Should it be penalised more?

 

[Mintyref]

Must admit I can't remember the last time I gave it but struggling to think of anything quite as obvious........

 

[Tino Best]

I watch a lot of footie on TV and I cant remember seeing an obstruction given, and to be honest I have never given one but again I have never had such an obvious one. The one I hate is the sheperding out for a GK

 

[Paul March]

If the defender looks at the forward then makes the move I can't see it as anything but obstruction.

 

[Ganajin]

The decision sounds right, but could we all stop using the term Obstruction, which was taken out of the laws almost twenty years ago....

 

[Brian Hamilton]

Questions for the OP

Was there contact between the attacker and the defender?

What was the restart?

/tiphatSD

 

[GraemeS]

In order to "shield the ball", it seems logical that you have to at least be in touching distance of the ball?

And while I think you're generally entitled to stand your ground in almost any situation on a football pitch, stepping into another player is not the same thing.

 

[Peter Grove]

In order to "shield the ball", it seems logical that you have to at least be in touching distance of the ball?

Not only logical but pretty much exactly what the law says as well (albeit with 'playing' replacing 'touching').

A player may shield the ball by taking a position between an opponent and the ball if the ball is within playing distance and the opponent is not held off with the arms or body.

So the main question for me is whether the ball was still within playing distance of the defender when he made his move into the forward's path. From the description, it sounds like it probably wasn't. Another interesting thing to note, in terms of terminology/definition is that whereas the old offence of obstruction (and up till recently, the replacement term of impeding) did not involve physical contact, the latest edition of the Laws allows for impeding with contact which is a DFK offence.

 

[bloovee]

I see some degree of obstruction or impeding progress in almost ever match but it is rarely penalised, myself included. This past Saturday I had an instance that was so blatant I felt I had to penalise. Yellow played a long ball into space between last red defender/yellow attacker and red goalkeeper. The yellow attacker gave chase but the red defender clearly wanted the ball to run through to his keeper - he halted his own run, looked over his shoulder to see where the attacker was then took a step to the side to block the attackers run. At the time the ball was equidistant between the attacker/defender and the keeper. It would have been difficult to script a better example of obstruction. I blew the whistle and awarded a free kick to yellow to almost universal shock and uproar from the red team. Reflecting after the game I was satisfied that I had made the correct decision and the reaction to my decision was, in part, due to the scarcity with which obstruction is penalised.

What are your thoughts? Is obstruction common in the game? Should it be penalised more?

I'm sure you did the right thing. I wish you'd been ref for City v Chelsea last Saturday.

 

[WilliamD]

As I think Brian is getting at - in most cases there is another foul in these circumstances if there is contact. Usually on "obstruction" the player doesn't just stand there behind the obstructing player and some sort of foul occurs. That would be a pen in this case - only just slightly more controversial than an IDFK from 7 yards out...how did that go btw?

 

[Brian Hamilton]

As I think Brian is getting at - in most cases there is another foul in these circumstances if there is contact. Usually on "obstruction" the player doesn't just stand there behind the obstructing player and some sort of foul occurs. That would be a pen in this case - only just slightly more controversial than an IDFK from 7 yards out...how did that go btw?

The legend that was SD (Sundial) asked the question above before pointing out that impeding with contact was holding and therefore punishable by a direct free kick whereas impeding without contact got the old fashioned punishment of an IDFK.

 

[Mintyref]

And how we miss Sunny........rest in peace amigo.

 

[Mooseybaby]

Gave a penalty for a similar block last season. Ball was crossed into the penalty area from the right wing, well over hit and was heading towards the opposite corner flag. Defender and attacker chase after the ball, attacker's run is parallel and about 3 yards from the goal line, defender was a couple yards ahead of the attacker and at a slight angle to the line. Attacker was quicker than defender is clearly going to reach the ball first, which had by this point stopped about 3 yards from the corner flag. Defender realises attacker is rapidly approaching and clearly alters the trajectory of his run to block off that of the attacker's. When the attacker was almost level, defender stepped across him and stopped giving the attacker a faceful of his shoulder in the process. At the moment of contact the pair of them were a couple of yards inside the box.

Blew for the foul, defender wasn't impressed and unwilling to accept the fact he was nowhere near playing distance of the ball, but no complaints from anyone else.

 

[Sheffields Finest]

Given a few of these over the years, often to the amazement of the defending team. They seem to think that anything goes in shielding it out of play or to the keeper. Arms out, jagged run, anything! Has to be blatant but i'm not afraid of giving them in or out of the box!! It does throw them though when its an IDFK!! LOL!! They aint heard of them in the box!!!!