Question Number: 30069

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/2/2016

Petr of Prague, Czech Republic Czech Republic asks...

Hello,
my question is about impending the progress of an opponent. In 'Laws of the Game' is this sentence:'All players have a right to their position on the field of play, being in the way of an opponent is not the same as moving into the way of an opponent.' Can you explain it with examples in detail? Thank you.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Petr,
in detail? hmm there are almost no INDFK awarded for impeding the new name of OBSTRUCTION as contact alters it into holding or pushing DFK fouls. I have watched examples touted as impeding on the internet that are NOT impeding they are in fact holding or pushing.
Impeding has no CONTACT, no ball within playing distance, where a player trying to get somewhere, be it to to get to the ball or area of play is being shadowed by an opponent, tracking him, rather than challenging for the ball. This forces the player to alter direction, to run out wide to go around to AVOID the contact. If the defender is stationary or is running a straight line himself, you can not run him over claiming impeding if he has a direct line of sight to the ball and is not weaving all over to prevent you from doing the same

The sentence you quote basically means you can not run through or over a player who is on the FOP engaged in active play that happens to be in your way. What can make this difficult is process is opposing players are not always motionless when it occurs.

Defenders in a wall, the attackers can not charge this wall and bust through they have to go around or they insert themselves in the wall so they can turn and go to pursue an overhead flick.

Even off the ball a defender will always try to deny space for an attacker to exploit behind him.
A defender will try to force an opponent to take the longest route of travel possible, outside of goal
A defender by good positioning can cause the attacker to have to go around in a longer path than a direct route to goal.
A defender by getting to that line of sight path first can adjust his travel as long as the ball is being challenged.

Think about the run as a U shape versus a V shape. In the U shape the two opposing players are tracking in what I see as initially fair between the lines of sight . The defender spins in a reasonable space. If the attacker pushes through the defender he is running over him.
In a V shape the defender is forcing the attacker to go wide to avoid contact and is holding the attacker back from going around.
Defenders spread arms to get wide.
Attackers go over the shoulder to pull back

Off the ball a speedy winger might be trying to make a run along the touchline to get in behind for support and the less fleet foot defender is stepping into him blocking his run. THIS IS HOLDING! but it is often away from play. So our winger tries to run wider to avoid the holding contact, the V widens and if an intelligent referee is aware of this battle he can alleviate the frustration of an attacker being unfairly held back or a defender being pushed out of the way. It is why we look over the shoulder from time to time and have our ARs pay attention to things like that.

When a player is a good dribbler he will run at defenders, then deke to shift their body core into an off balanced position. He will then try elude them by pushing the ball past or through the legs and going around. The defender will pivot and try to place his body in front of the attacker while pursing the ball.
A referee will look to see if the defender's turn is exaggerated to impose the body well to the right while the ball is way left . Again the U and V aspect of the turn by a defender too much V turn is likely a holding foul if contact occurs but a U turn and it is a push foul the other direction by an attacker cutting his line of sight run too close.

Not always an easy decision at high speed but U versus V is my easiest explanation as to how I make it!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Petr
The most obvious and common example is where a defender just stands there, does not move and an opponent has to change direction to go around him. That is not impeding as the player is entitled to his position on the field of play. He just cannot disappear. Now if the same defender moves his body into the path of an opponent that is a completely different matter and that is a foul when he impedes an opponent
Now generally what happens is that ends up as contact which then gets elevated to a contact foul such holding or charging which has a direct free kick restart. Impeding is an indirect fee kick offence and it is now extremely rare in the modern game. I am not sure when I last saw an impeding foul. I have not called one for a long time as they most times end up in contact of some description which is then a penal foul.

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