Question Number: 30792

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/20/2016

RE: High School

Juan of Lansing, Michigan USA asks...

If a player runs out of bounds can the other player from the other team run along side of him preventing him from coming back on the field of play mind you they are both of the field of play when this happened he ran and prevented him from getting back in for about 15 to 20 yards

Answer provided by Referee Joe Manjone

Juan,
As referee McHugh said, it is difficult to imagine a player not being able to return quickly to the field. However, if an opponent deliberately moves to block the return to the field, this would be considered obstruction. As is indicated in NFHS Rule 12-5-1, using the body as an obstacle is considered obstruction. From what you described, if the player legally left the field, the opponent not permitting the return by deliberately and continuing to block his path is committing obstruction. I hope your team has a successful season.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Juan,

I think we need to divide this into two parts. Firstly, why did the player leave the field? The law says: 'A player who crosses a boundary line as part of a playing movement, does not commit an infringement.' So if that is what happened, we can move on to the actions of the second player.

On the other hand, if the player leaves the field of play without the referee's permission (for tactical reasons, for instance) and this was not part of a natural playing movement, the player who left the field should be cautioned. In this case the second player would not be punished for an impeding/holding foul but could still be punished for misconduct if the referee so chooses.

Going back to the first possibility and if this is part of a playing movement, the first player has done nothing wrong and the second player is potentially guilty of a foul (again, based on the judgement of the referee).

The law on this says: 'if a player leaves the field of play as part of play and commits an offence against another player, play is restarted with a free kick taken on the boundary line nearest to where the offence occurred; for direct free kick offences a penalty kick is awarded if this is within the offender's penalty area'

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Juan
Referee Grove has quoted the LotG here in these instances. Referee Manjone has quote the NFHS obstruction rule which covers such situations were a player uses his body as an obstacle.
Now as to your question the defender on the field of play cannot stop the movement of the player back on to the field of play in either code. To do that the defender wold have to hold the opponent in some fashion or block the opponents movement. That is certainly a foul and one would assume to do so would have to happen on the line which is the location of the infraction.
I see no problem about shadowing the players movement yet there cannot be untoward contact off the ball.
One would expect as well that a player should return quickly to the feld of play if say he has to move around an opponent. Going off the field for an extended period to avoid being on the field is not tenable and that can be considered as misconduct which should be picked up on. If it is a tactic it can be brought to the referees attention to deal with.

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