A&H

Obstruction

R

Ref1466

New Member
Recently had a game where two players are jostling for possession. One player loses his footing and falls to the floor. He then gets the ball trapped under his body.

Where does law sit with this? How would you restart play if you stopped the game? I can't find the wording in the LOTG for this type of "obstruction". The last thing you want is the other player trying to kick the ball from underneath the other player which could result in a mass-confrontation?
 
The Referee Store
I'd probably go IDFK against the player trapping the ball under his body ideally before the opponent starts trying to kick into the ball...
 
Lots of things to consider here.

Has he fallen over and momentarily trapped the ball under his body?
How long did he hold the ball in that position for?
Was it by Accident, or on purpose?
What was the impact/outcome from the action.

It can range from no offence through to an indirect free kick, for playing in a dangerous manner, to the opposition or if an opponent commits a careless or reckless challenge a DFK to the "obstructor".

There is no such offence as obstruction. You have to judge if the players action threatened injury to someone else, or themselves, including fear of playing the ball.

"Playing in a dangerous manner is any action that, while trying to play the
ball, threatens injury to someone (including the player themself) and includes
preventing a nearby opponent from playing the ball for fear of injury"

To put the definition of PIADM into your scenario = an opponent can't play the ball through fear of injuring the "obstructor".

@Ste500 Impeding progress of an opponent without contact is not possible here as the ball is within playing distance, where a condition of impeding progress without contact is that it is not.
 
Ref1852 said:
Recently had a game where two players are jostling for possession. One player loses his footing and falls to the floor. He then gets the ball trapped under his body.

Where does law sit with this? How would you restart play if you stopped the game? I can't find the wording in the LOTG for this type of "obstruction". The last thing you want is the other player trying to kick the ball from underneath the other player which could result in a mass-confrontation?
Click to expand...
In the old days, this would have been re-started with a contested drop ball.

Nowadays, it is more difficult. If the accident (as @JamesL says), then it would be a drop ball to the player on the ground. But if trying to cover the ball, then PIADM in the most likely option. So a IDFK to the player on the ground. Whatever you give, an early decision is the safest, otherwise the players will try and kick the ball out.
 
lincs22 said:
Nowadays, it is more difficult. If the accident (as @JamesL says), then it would be a drop ball to the player on the ground.
Click to expand...
I don't think there can be a dropped ball outcome.
If it's an accident and he's up and about playing again pretty quick then play on.
It it's an accident and he lingers, whilst the falling is accidental the lingering around moves it to more Deliberate, so then PIADM. And if the opponents come in and attempt to kick the ball/him then it's an easy DFK.
I don't think we should be stopping play without an offence here. A dropped ball to the player will probably spike these "accidental" events.
 
JamesL said:
I don't think there can be a dropped ball outcome.
If it's an accident and he's up and about playing again pretty quick then play on.
It it's an accident and he lingers, whilst the falling is accidental the lingering around moves it to more Deliberate, so then PIADM. And if the opponents come in and attempt to kick the ball/him then it's an easy DFK.
I don't think we should be stopping play without an offence here. A dropped ball to the player will probably spike these "accidental" events.
Click to expand...
I think at Grassroots, the safest decision in drop ball - you don't want the kicking of the player on the ground, etc. Higher up, you PIADM is the most effective solution.

Player safety is the most important here. Any referee should be able to sell a drop ball.
 
lincs22 said:
I think at Grassroots, the safest decision in drop ball - you don't want the kicking of the player on the ground, etc. Higher up, you PIADM is the most effective solution.

Player safety is the most important here. Any referee should be able to sell a drop ball.
Click to expand...
I can see your point. I don't necessarily agree.

Of course we don't want players kicking the grounded player, but we have other ways to stop that... Voice, presence, early intervention. Bearing in mind attempts to kick is also an offence so as soon as anyone starts to get close to kicking i.e. attempting we've got them for the DFK. I think it would become very obvious very quickly whether the grounded player is trying to get up or not, at which point if he isn't were in with the idfk.

I think in my mind I see the game descending into a farce once players cotton on to the fact we're giving dropped balls when they lie over the ball and setting ourselves up for trouble when we inevitably have to do something different.
 
Totally agree with James. If the player stays on the ball in a way this is classic PIADM. There is (and never was) a reason to make up a DB here, which is not contemplated in the LOTG. (And giving a DB now will encourage the behavior, as the DB would go to thr player huddling on top of the ball as he was the last to touch it.)

back to the OP: obstruction was renamed impeding many years ago. And impeding (like obstruction before it’ can only occur if the player is not in playing distance of the ball. So impeding (like obstruction before it) could never apply to a player on top of a ball.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top