Pushing (tactic)

[stefoid]

And now for something completely different.

Whats the rule about pushing an opponent who doesnt have the ball when you dont have the ball - I mean a fair push in the side or the front, not in the back. Its just sheparding, right? Its OK if its within 5m of the ball.

If that is the case, why dont we see more pushing?

When Hodge and Stringer and these type of guys play, they fend off opposition players when they have the ball, but I rarely see someone just bulldoze another player by pushing them front on .. really just move them a couple of meters or even push them over - would that be legal if it was front on?

You could have particular players at stoppages push an opposition player into another player and put them both out of the contest for a second or two allowing a teammate to get free, and probably the pusher would recover quicker as well. Maybe Smith upsets Jongs opponent for instance. Or Wallis crashes into Dalhaus's opponent.

Is it legal?

 

[scooter600x]

I was taught to push off my opponent to lead in the U12s. They all do it and all expect it which is why it is so rarely effective

 

[Dale4captain]

A solid shove when leading out is very acceptable, and is taught at all levels of football to be used to create space. An excessive amount of force at a stoppage however is deemed inappropriate when the opponent is incapacitated to the point where they can no longer effectively compete.

In basic terms, a solid shove is very acceptable in modern footy, but a shove which knocks a player to the ground, into another player or unwarrantly away from the play is not allowed.

Further, front on contact without the ball is also not allowed, and is regulated right from the under 8's.

 

[Doggy Dan]

I would like to see it. Imagine the opposition faithful up in the E.J Whitten bar shouting "IN THE FRONT"!!!

 

[stmookeyj]

Of course, anything is legal if the umpires don't see it.

 

[inyourfacedunk]

It is used. A lot of shepherding happens off the ball in the middle and at stoppages, as well as on the fly.
You have to realise though, it's not easy to just push someone out of the way when that person is also trying to do the same to you so their guy can get the ball. In the end you get what appears to be a bunch of guys just trying to chase the ball around, but in reality a lot of pushing and shoving is going on to try and create an opening.

It isn't the Might Ducks movie, where the opponent just lets you create the flying V

 

[Yojimbo]

There were quite a lot of blocking free kicks played last year
mainly in the ruck. The reason they have a ball is so the
players can try to get it or run to position to receive it. I
would hate to go to the football to watch players push each
other over we may as well draft farm machinery.