Question Number: 15805

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 6/15/2007

RE: Rec/Comp Under 19

Peter J. of Sebastopol, CA USA asks...

Lately I have been playing drop in soccer with a couple of first time soccer players. To make up for their lack of skill, they play a lil' rough. They have been asking me to find out the exact rules on what and whats not legal....The Biggest question has been-- "are screens legal?"

Example- The ball is cleared up the field by a defender (not to anyone) offense and Defense are rushing to the ball at the same time. The denfense gets there first and starts blocking the opposing player by using his body. (the same way you would box some one out in basket ball)

If u could help in anyway that would be great. And if there is a page where I could have all the soccer laws as well that would help.....

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Peter,
a player can shield the ball from an opponent provided that ball is within playing distance! Playing distance is relative but about TWO steps away at the speed of play to reach it. Somewhere between 1 yard to possibly 4 yards at the adult level. A player imposing his body is fine in these cases as he is protecting the ball while playing it but the use of arms and hands or backing into an opponent are technically fouls of holding or pushing.

To screen an opponent, we call it impeding in soccer is an INDFK if a player uses his body to prevent an opponent from legitimately getting to the ball when it is obvious that the impeder is not in fact shielding the ball to play it but impeding an opponent from getting to it! This assumes no actual physical contact, if there is physical contact then we are into DFK offences such as charging holding etc..

So in essence no there is no legal screen possible unless the ball is actually within playing distance and that player is facing and in that two step pursuit or in control of that ball!!

The laws of the game are best viewed at FIFA.com and if you read through the myriad of questions on this site you will get a fair idea of what can or can not be tolerated!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

To expand on what Ref Dawson explains, look at the player's movement in relation to the ball. Are they moving at the same speed? Are they moving in the same direction?

The answers to theses questions shows what the player is doing -- movement slower from that of the ball and/or in the opposite direction shows, beyond doubt, the player has no intention of playing the ball! If he has no intent in playing the ball and he interposes himself between the ball and an opponent so as to block his path to the ball or slow his progress he is in the way and guilty of impeding the progress of an opponent, an indirect free kick offence. If he has no intent to play the ball and he uses physical contact to prevent an opponent from making a play for the ball he is guilty of holding, a direct free kick offence.

That said, the referee must determine if the attacker could, actually, get to the ball before it left the field of play. If either of the first two conditions is true and the player can get to the ball then there is foul play present. If either of the first two conditions is true and, even if the defender were removed from the equation, the attacker could not reach the ball before it was no longer in play the referee giving a free kick is altering how events unfolded. It places the decision to intervene into the doubtful range.

This is not to say if the holding is not just a little bump but a true crunch or careless charge that the referee shouldn't intervene. Here the action is independent of sheparding the ball into touch and CLEARLY not making a legitimate play for it. This is what most inexperienced referees miss.

In this Game players should not touch unless it is shoulder to shoulder and during a play for a ball that either has a legitimate chance to play, this is called a charge. Further, when an opponent is impeding a player may charge chest to back though not in a dangerous manner.

Regards,