Question Number: 1690

RE: Ex. Rec High School

Don Stewart of Lincoln, CA, CA USA asks...

I have a confession to make. I have been officiating off and on for many years and I must confess that I have never blown the whistle for obstruction. I feel kind of derilect in my duty, but it's true. Would you please describe the most common types of obstuction and what is it I should look for?

Answer provided by Referee burbidge

Law 12 states that an IFK can be awarded where "a player, in the opinion of the referee, impedes the progress of an opponent". It is necessary to look to see if a jersey is being pulled, or a player is not playing the ball but just the other player (ugly soccer). Remember that some players will be involved in other sports where this obstruction is commonplace and it is necessary to state sometimes that this is not hockey, for example.

Answer provided by Referee stewart

If a player blocks the progress of an opponent without any attempt at playing the ball, then he is at least guilty of obstruction. It can be difficult to distinguish between obstruction and charging/pushing and each case is judged on its own. As long as you remember that a player that is shielding a ball within playing distance is not guilty of obstruction and is in fact using his body in a legal manner. The most common types of obstruction would be a player moving himself into a position to stop the run of a player attempting to get to the ball fairly. This could also include running across a players path for no apparant reason other than to slow him down. If a player plays the ball past a defender and cannot proceed because of that defenders position, usually obstruction would be called. It is up to you to judge whether the opponent has unfairly impeded the players progress or it was just a consequence of normal play.

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