Question Number: 33306

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 5/3/2019

RE: Adult

daniel steer of Reading, Berkshire UK asks...

This question is a follow up to question 33302

Just wanted to say thanks to the 2 refs who answered my question. 22 years since obstruction was removed, who knew!

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Daniel
Referees certainly knew. Also if one looks back at old match videos IDFKs were awarded regularly in every game inside the penalty area. If you think back when was the last time you saw an attacking free kick inside the penalty area? Maybe the odd one for a goalkeeper handling a deliberate kick from a team mate. That is about it. As I said I cannot recall one for impeding anywhere on the pitch let alone inside the PA.
I would go as far as to say that no contact impeding should be removed from the Laws as it is redundant as a called offence.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Daniel,
Yes, the 'removal' of obstruction as a term used in the law does go back over two decades, although when I double-checked, I found it was actually in 1995 rather than 1997, for what it's worth. Although to be honest, it was more a question of the terminology changing - the nature of the offence didn't really change all that much at that point.

The major change for me, in this area of the law came in 2016 with the introduction of the 'new' DFK offence of impeding with contact although again, it was also somewhat of a conceptual change where what could or should previously have been classified as holding or charging, became impeding with contact.