Question Number: 19614

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 7/16/2008

RE: IM Under 14

Pat T of Newton, MA asks...

Impeding the progress / setting a pick.

X, Y and Z are teammates. X is carrying the ball. There is one defender. Defender is covering X. Z is close to defender. Z sees that Y is moving off to the side to give square support, and sees other defenders start to approach X.

Z gets between defender and Y, and then stops and just occupies the space.

Meanwhile defender is still just containing X.

THEN - AFTER Z stops moving, X cuts toward Y, dribbles once and passes to Y. Defender is effectively blocked from trying to intercept that pass, by Z - defender can get around Z but the time it takes to do so is more than enough time for X's pass to get to Y.

Is this 'impeding the progress' on Z's part?

I don't think so because Z isn't moving, and because at the time Z occupied the spot, he wasn't blocking defender's progress - defender wasn't progressing to intercept the pass because X wasn't passing yet - defender didn't know that X was about to pass. Z didn't block defender from containing X, which is what X was doing when Z took up the position.

Z created an open passing lane to Y, and Z knew that X would probably take advantage of it, thus that defender would probably then decide to go after the pass - but the rule doesn't say that impeding can be committed by omission, by not moving, that there's an obligation to get out of an opposing player's way after that player has decided he wants to go to a spot on the other side of you. And the rule doesn't say anything about impeding what may at some future moment become the direction in which the opposing player wants to progress.

I've had my youth players do this in games, with much success, and they've never been called for impeding.

In a recent pick-up game I did it and the pick-ee ended up running into me and thought it was a foul on me. I'd lined up near the defender but not right on top - 3-4 feet away.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

If it is obvious your intent was to prevent an opponent from being able to play the ball and that ball was not within playing distance it is impeding. Basketball picks are simply not permitted in any form. One can do crossovers without setting picks.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

A ruie of thumb for impeding could be that while you are not allowed to move to get into the way of an opponent, neither are you required to move out of the way of the opponent.

However, in the particular instance you cite, your nearness to the opponent before stopping is likely the reason you were called. While you didn't move directly into the path, you did move very close to him and into a path he was likely to take.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

I never have been able to follow what x, y, and z are doing on the field or are supposed to be doing. All I know is if a player chooses a place to stop moving so as to prevent the movement of an opponent that player is guilty of impeding the progress of the opponent unless there is physical contact, which of course changes the offence to holding and that's a direct free kick offence. Now if a player chooses to stand someplace and his opponent is forced to alter his path because no two players may occupy the same place on the field AND that player has given his opponent ample time to alter his path AND that player does nothing in the way of movement then the foul play, if any rests with the opponent.

In any case the match referee will observe what he sees and act accordingly based on just what it is he sees. One should note this Game differs significantly from American sports in that the whole idea is to compete in a gentlemanly manner. This means if his skills are better than your skills you are obliged to refrain from the use of foul play to render his skills useless. Should a player involve himself if foul play to deliberately prevent an opponent's skill from beating him he has played in an unsporting manner and that is a cautionable offence. Doing this twice in the same match usually results in a player being sent-off the field and not being replaced.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 19621