Infringements round the post

The area round the post seems to become game determining in more and more respects. On one hand, taking the best place to be able to pass the ball from that position, and on the other hand, taking the best position to collect the ball after a shot, often leads to distasteful scenes. The PRC described some of these situations in the 1998 Technical Bulletin, e.g. the situations of blocking out, blocking and the duel around the rebound position.

However, more situations around the post than these can be imagined. It is the intention in this bulletin to give the referee tools to act against improper situations. It is then up to the referee to recognise these situations and punish infringements of the rules.

When infringements in the post area are involved, the referee can principally rely on the following three playing rules:

1. §16i: It is prohibited to push, to cling to or to hold off an opponent.

2. §16j: It is prohibited to hinder an opponent excessively.

3. §16s: It is prohibited to take hold of the post when jumping, running or in order to move away quickly.

These rules, specifically considered in situations round the post, will be discussed and clarified.

Pushing and clinging

The playing rule reads: "Every impediment of the free movement of the body is forbidden, whether this is done deliberately or not". The pushing of, or clinging to, an opponent is an infringement in either situation and ensues directly from the fact that Korfball is a game of skill and not of force.

When, despite the infringement, good cooperation can still be developed, it might be that the referee will decide not to blow his whistle. However, he has to realize that by not doing so, continual irritation may be generated. So careful deliberating will be necessary to decide whether it would not be better to whistle at once.

The trouble is often to make out which of the players acted first in the wrong way. It is the task of the referee to be alert to these situations. Consequently, by applying the rules and, in particular, punishing the first infringement, a lot of irritation can be avoided. When a player repeatedly breaks this rule the referee may, after warning the player, award a penalty.

The following, however, may not be allowed at any time: - after a shot a defender runs towards the post and jumps to catch the ball or to tap it away. It is not correct when, in descending after the catching or tapping the ball, the player lands on, or against, his opponent who is standing on the spot, even when the aforementioned player has seized or tapped the ball correctly in advance.

The playing rule reads: - "Every impediment of the free movement of an opponent is forbidden, whether this is done deliberately or not". The rule goes on to explicitly say that it does not force a player to give way for another player. Each player is allowed to position himself in the free space just as he pleases. He will only be punished when he jumps so suddenly in the path of a moving opponent that a collision becomes inevitable.

So, holding off can occur in either a standing or in a moving situation. The rule does not make a difference between an attacker and a defender. The explanation of §16i, however, also states that it often occurs that two players touch each other in an effort to seize the ball and such contact will only be punished if it is the result of recklessness or holding off.

In every case the referee has to decide which player is to be blamed.

Here are some examples:

1. The attacker is standing, his legs widely spread apart with one foot in front of the other, leaning on his front foot and with the ball in his possession. The defender is also leaning forwards, but does not touch his opponent. When the attacker changes his leaning position to his back foot and, in doing so, pushes his correctly defending (hindering?) defender away to assist with this movement, then this is an infringement by the attacker.

2. The attacker is in possession of the ball standing facing the post with his legs widely spread apart, with one foot in front of the other and with his weight on his back foot. The defender is also leaning forwards, but does not touch his opponent. The attacker changes his position by using his back foot as his pivot foot and moves his front foot behind it. The defender reacts to this movement and moves forward to keep within arm's distance. The attacker then tries to re-take his original position and collides with the defender. It is the attacker who is at fault as he chose to give up the space where he was originally standing when he moved his front foot behind the rear pivot foot and the defender was entitled to move into the vacant space.

3. The attacker spreads his arms and/or legs to prevent his opponent from front defending. When a defender runs into these spread arms or legs, or is forced to take a longer way round the attacker, then holding off is the case.

4. An attacker and a defender are standing near the post ready to catch the ball after a shot. The attacker is in the inside position. The ball passes over the basket. The defender keeps standing still. The attacker moves backwards to go towards the ball and collides with the defender. In this case the attacker infringes the rules (pushing by the attacker).

5. While jumping up at an oblique angle a player touches his opponent. It could be that the offence is "pushing away" by the jumping player. However, when the jumping player is prevented from jumping by his opponent then it is "holding off" by the standing player. In both cases it is an infringement and should be punished accordingly.

6. At a break-through by an attacker, an opponent is hindering an assisting team-member. In such a case the hindering defender is not allowed to step so suddenly into the path of the moving attacker, that a collision, or a longer path, is inevitable. This is a way of holding off which in most situations has to be punished by awarding a penalty.

7. When the intended catching (rebounding) position has been taken, it is normally necessary to maintain that position. However, this may not result in pushing away an opponent or holding off by broadening oneself. Fixing one's opponent to the post is not allowed either, and has to be punished at once with a free pass.

Excessive hindering

Hindering an opponent tightly is not forbidden in principle but one must not forget the principle that Korfball is a game of skill and not of force.

Here are some examples: -

1. Heavy hindering does not mean that a player is allowed to touch his opponent. Slight tapping against an elbow just before catching the ball, or at the moment of passing the ball, may be useful from the defender's point of view, but is not allowed. When a scoring chance gets lost due to such an infringement, a penalty has to be the result.

2. The defender's movements may be focused on trying to get the attacker to throw the ball against his hand or arm, or to intercept the ball. This does not mean however, that it is permitted, for example, to embrace the opponent in such a way that the latter is forced to touch his opponent's arms during any movement. This way of hindering has to be considered excessive and that is not permitted.

3. It sometimes happens that players bring their hands very close to the eyes of their opponents so that the latter can hardly see anything of the game. This is absolutely contradictory to the rule regarding excessive hindering and must be punished.

Finally another quotation from the rulebook: - "Unexpected movements by an opponent will often cause a restriction in a player's freedom of movement. Such cases will not be punished, provided immediate action is taken by the opponent to restore the player's freedom of action."

Using the post

In general, there are no problems with the referee's decisions when the post has been used. Within the framework of this bulletin this statement needs to be qualified.

Some examples: -

1. Two opponents are standing at the post. The defender is between the post and his attacker. When the attacker moves backwards and pushes his defender against the post by this action, then the attacker makes an infringement.

2. When, however, in the above mentioned case, the defender goes backwards with his attacker and hits the post, then the defender makes an infringement, which has to be punished when the post has been moved and the ball misses due to that action. It depends on the shot whether a penalty has to be awarded or a free pass to the attacking side. The referee has to judge this situation.

3. At a free pass, a defender takes up a position holding the post so that he can get away quickly. It is obvious that the referee should prevent the defender from doing so before he blows his whistle.

Finally it has to be emphasized that this section of the bulletin has been written with the intention to clarify and give guidance about some situations in the post zone, based on a number of playing rules. This does not mean that these rules have been treated exhaustively. In the above rules other situations are mentioned which do not concern situations at the post but, of course, still apply.

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