IF I was to mention the word ‘impeding’ in relationship to football, what would you think I was talking about?

I ask this because, after blowing for a foul and telling players it was for impeding, they looked blankly at me, as if they had never heard the word before or at least not on the football pitch.

The situation was simple; the ball was played down the wing between the penalty area and the touch line.

An attacking player from a central position ran towards it, only for a defender to step in front of him, blocking his run.

Older footballers might remember this as ‘obstruction’ until it was changed to ‘impeding’ in 1995.

It had a special mention in the rewrite of the Laws of the Game this season.

In the Laws ‘impeding’ 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.’ The Law recognises that all players have a right to their position on the field of play, but being in the way of an opponent is not the same as moving in the way of an opponent.

Therefore when later in my game, a player tried to get past two players who were already chasing the ball, he was not impeded. No Law says opponents have to move out of the way.

Impeding is possible when a player tries to allow the ball to go out of play whilst denying it to an opponent.

However, shielding the ball is perfectly acceptable providing the player remains within playing distance of the ball.

The unnecessary addition to the laws is that it now says that if, when impeding, physical contact is made, it changes from an indirect, free-kick offence to a direct one or even a penalty.

To my mind that has always been the case because it becomes holding with the body, but at least it is now spelt out clearly.