Obstruction
Illegally impeding an opponent's movement or progress, typically by getting in the way rather than fairly playing the ball.
Definition
Obstruction covers situations where a player blocks or shields an opponent instead of making a genuine attempt to play the ball. The essence is impeding movement — stepping into a running lane, standing between an opponent and the play, or shielding the ball while not within playing distance of it.
The term is applied differently across sports. In field hockey, obstruction — including third-party or 'shadow' obstruction — is a core offence because players may not use the body or stick to shield the ball from an opponent. In football (soccer) the modern law speaks of 'impeding the progress of an opponent,' and in cricket a batter can be dismissed for 'obstructing the field.'
Meaning by sport
This term is used differently across sports:
- Field Hockey
- Using the body or stick to shield the ball from an opponent, including third-party obstruction.
- Football
- Impeding the progress of an opponent when not within playing distance of the ball.
- Cricket
- 'Obstructing the field,' a form of dismissal for wilfully interfering with the fielding side.
Where you’ll hear “obstruction”
Sports that use this term:
Field Hockey
An outdoor team sport that uses curved sticks to move a ball, built on agility and teamwork.
Football
The world’s most popular team sport — endless running, teamwork and community in one game.
Cricket
A bat-and-ball team sport where sides take turns to bat and to bowl and field, scoring runs.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Obstruction to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Rules
- TravelingA basketball violation for moving illegally with the ball without dribbling it.
- Ball-handling faultsVolleyball faults for catching, carrying or double-contacting the ball rather than cleanly hitting it.
- Out of boundsThe rule that a ball or player leaving the marked playing area is out of play and possession is decided at the boundary.
- Knock-on and forward passThe rule that makes rugby a backwards-passing game — what counts as a knock-on, what makes a pass forward, and why the sanction is usually a scrum rather than a penalty.
- Playing the ball as it liesGolf’s founding principle: you play the course as you find it and the ball from wherever it comes to rest, unless a rule allows otherwise.
Techniques
- Movement and recovery in tennisWhy tennis footwork is mostly about getting back rather than getting there — the split step, the recovery position that is not the centre of the court, and sliding on clay.
- Seam bowlingMovement off the pitch rather than through the air — how landing the ball on its seam deviates it at the bounce, and why seam and swing are different skills that look alike.
- Playing the walls in padelThe skill that separates padel from every other racket sport — reading a rebound off glass, positioning behind the bounce rather than at it, and using your own back wall to attack.
- VolleyA shot played near the net by blocking the ball out of the air before it bounces, using a short, firm punch rather than a full swing.
Skills
Sports communication
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Term
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-09-01
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