Would this goal have counted?

[factor-fiction]

This team managed to get to the edge of their opponent's penalty area with this tactic and could have gone on to score or win a penalty.
http://uk.eurosport.y...-trick-080918398.html
But surely the ref should have blown up for obstruction or unsporting behaviour.

Or why couldn't the defenders just make a bigger circle around them?

[bibblebub]

Is there such an offence as obstruction these days? One often sees the ball being aggressively shielded by a defender until it goes out for a goal kick but no free kicks are ever given.

[factor-fiction]

That sort of shielding is allowed if the ball is within your reach I understand, so maybe the ball is considered within reach in this turtle move

[Thatcherite]

I haven't seen the video but I'd imagine that they cannot all be in range of the ball so they can be pinged for obstruction but even if not then they can be charged shoulder to shoulder. Football is a partial contact sport. Referees though do seem to have dropped the obstruction law, even though it is still in force.

[factor-fiction]

They make something like a scrum around the ball and keep tip-tapping the between them as they move slowly towards the goal and keep winning free kicks as defenders try to push in

[squarebear]

I have often watched a football match and wondered why the teams dont do the same thing as that. I think Harry Enfield made a spoof on it once.

[squarebear]

It's slightly different but this should ake you laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLCZZAheNSU

[joggerjayne]

Girl solution ...

If all the defenders had run past them, then all the players except the one with the ball would have been adjudged offside, and the defending team would have got a free kick.

I thank you.

[squarebear]

Ah good thinking JJ

[factor-fiction]

I don't think that would be offside in football JJ- just like it's not offside when a team breaks away (when the oppsition has pushed forwards ) and has 3 strikers bearing down on the goalkeeper

[joggerjayne]

Poo

[joggerjayne]

And I was just thinking of posting that blokes never understand the offside rule.

[Mick-Talbot]

It would be a free kick to opposition for 'unsportsmanlike conduct'

[Thatcherite]

It'd make a mockery of it and if it is possible they'd have to change the laws of the game.

[Duncer]

I agree with Mick, ungentlemanly conduct should cover it.

[johnk]

JJ you are right about offside but the player with the ball would then break free and be in on the goalkeeper 1 to 1. You should post that men don't understand offside as most don't

[KerrAvon]

The Laws of rthe game are not violated so this cannot be ungentlemanly conduct, which is of course 1 of the 4 cautionable offences.