Football Forum | Ticket Forum | Off-Topic Forum | All

Hermit Road 7:40 Sun Aug 14
Is obstruction penalised in the modern game?

Law 12

“Impeding the progress of an opponent means moving into the opponent’s path to obstruct, block, slow down or force a change of direction when the ball is not within playing distance of either player.“


Today Antonio was running into the box , he changed direction to avoid a defender who then changed direction and blocked Antonio’s run. Antonio gets penalised.

It’s something I’ve noticed for a while, obstruction no longer seems to get penalised. You see plenty of it, particularly in the penalty area and I think the game would be better off if there were decent refs who clamped down on it and commentators who noticed it instead of referring to it as ‘clever’.

I suspect it is something that the refs are under instruction not to penalise for some reason. They get together every now and again and decide on which laws they will enforce that season. That in itself is ridiculous.

Full Claret Jacket 2:17 Tue Aug 16
Re: Is obstruction penalised in the modern game?

Blocking is a tactic taught to players. There is blatant blocking off at every set piece going. It's always unpunished. It happens so much they won't penalise it or there would be loads of penalties every match.

I always thought that this shielding of the ball to allow it to go out without any intent to play it is obstruction. That's never given even if the defending player is being quite blatant in their actions and manhandling of the opposition player trying to get to it.

The rules now seem to allow more contact to be allowed. To me a foul is a foul. If you get your leg kicked or are forced off balance by a challenge that doesn't get any of the ball then you have impeded and fouled that player.

When I saw the Antonio incident at full speed I immediately said it was a foul and the goal would be revoked. The problem is there is no consistency. You will see stuff like that all the time go unpunished.

gph 1:08 Tue Aug 16
Re: Is obstruction penalised in the modern game?

What on Earth would be Antonio's motivation for a foul there?

The other question, what would be the defenders' motive is a lot easier: stopping Antonio from getting into the box.

A remarkably shit decision, and the total lack of questioning of it in the media just makes the media's anti-West Ham bias clear.

ornchurch ammer 2:24 Mon Aug 15
Re: Is obstruction penalised in the modern game?

I think the way that people interpret incidents concerning Antonio is whether they like him or not.

That to me yesterday was a blatant case of obstruction and comments re putting his arms out; you run full pelt in to someone and see if you put your arms out.

El Scorchio 1:51 Mon Aug 15
Re: Is obstruction penalised in the modern game?

The 'foul' of Antonio was obvious bullshit. No one agreed with it aside from Hinchcliffe who was dishing out verbal rimjobs for Forest left right and centre all game so that's not surprising. I noticed they showed the ref on monitor the one angle that made it look worst for Antonio (from behind him so it looks like a shoulder barge to the floor) and no other angles which showed a somewhat more accurate reflection of the coming together.

IMO Henderson had the shot covered behind the bloke who handled it so not a red for me and no complaints. If Henderson wasn't there it's a 100% nailed on red card.

Mex Martillo 1:47 Mon Aug 15
Re: Is obstruction penalised in the modern game?

The thing I think happens too often to Antonio is he gets punished when defenders foul him. I think it’s racist!

Pedro 12:31 Mon Aug 15
Re: Is obstruction penalised in the modern game?

If Antonio had fallen backwards I wonder what decision would have been.

Antonio punished for being stronger.

It was obstruction and foul on Antonio.

If that had happened in the box we would have got a penalty. Shows that VAR cocked up.

Jarza 12:18 Mon Aug 15
Re: Is obstruction penalised in the modern game?

LAW 12

Where a player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by a handball offence, the player is sent off wherever the offence occurs (except a goalkeeper within their penalty area).

Red card!

Lee Trundle 12:16 Mon Aug 15
Re: Is obstruction penalised in the modern game?

"At first he tried to avoid the bloke. Then realising he couldn't he raised his arms and pushed out. He then stood over the bloke like an American wrestler."

That's the way I saw it was well. I'd have been pissed off if the shoe was on the other foot and it was given a goal.

But you're right about Antonio with his hard man act did't help things also. I think if he goes down theatrically as well, then a foul isn't given.

dealcanvey 12:15 Mon Aug 15
Re: Is obstruction penalised in the modern game?

As harsh as it was.

The Forrest player did not even have eyes on Antonio. Just looking at what rice was going to do with the ball.

I dont think Antonio meant to obstruct the Forrest player either. Just an accident.

Hermit Road 12:09 Mon Aug 15
Re: Is obstruction penalised in the modern game?

I saw it differently.

It looked to me like Antonio changed the direction of his run to avoid the defender who at the last second altered his direction into Antonio's path.

I would have some sympathy with a ref who penalised Antonio in the heat of the moment and hadn't seen all that but missing it with the benefit of multiple slow motions replays is negligent. At the bare minimum there was enough there to say that it was a 50/50 situation in terms of fault.

Russ of the BML 11:54 Mon Aug 15
Re: Is obstruction penalised in the modern game?

Antonio was in the wrong.

At first he tried to avoid the bloke. Then realising he couldn't he raised his arms and pushed out. He then stood over the bloke like an American wrestler.

What he should've done was do alot more to avoid him by going wider to clearly show the ref he was making a run. If he couldn't avoid him then try and spin away with arms out wide to show the ref he was trying to avoid him.

What he did was basically what a line-backer does in America football.

VirginiaHam 8:25 Sun Aug 14
Re: Is obstruction penalised in the modern game?

Think the question that should be asked is would a referee give a penalty for the same event if a forward went down?

Obviously not. Had Lanzini run into that defender, the bloke wouldn't have gone down and it would have been a goal.

gph 7:53 Sun Aug 14
Re: Is obstruction penalised in the modern game?

I haven't just noticed it, I've actually said it, on many match threads this year, including this week and last week.

I've even asked if this is down to too much American football being shown (where I believe obstruction is a legitimate tactic), and complained about people I play with seeming to think obstruction is part of proper football.

It's been going on for bloody years. The rarity of indirect free kicks is a knock-on from it

Hermit Road 7:49 Sun Aug 14
Re: Is obstruction penalised in the modern game?

There is that too

RM10 7:48 Sun Aug 14
Re: Is obstruction penalised in the modern game?

It was all about forest today, but our own fault

Stevethehammer 7:46 Sun Aug 14
Re: Is obstruction penalised in the modern game?

Blatant fucking hand ball is a straight red
Unless you play for the media darlings of the week and showing such a card would go against the 'story of the day' for the cunts at sky.