Shepherding (Australian rules football)

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Shepherding is a tactic and skill in Australian rules football, a team sport.

Shepherding is the act of legally obstructing or preventing an opposing player from gaining possession of the ball or reaching the contest.

The term originates from the the word shepherd, someone who influences the movement of sheep in a paddock. Through shepherding, Australian football players are able to influence the movement of their opponents.

It is distinctive to Australian rules football, as it is an illegal form of play in many other codes of football, such as rugby league, rugby union and soccer, in which obstruction rules typically apply. The concept of shepherding is very similar to Blocking in American Football^[1].

Under the Laws of Australian Football, a player can block or obstruct any opposition player at any time, with the exception of contests where players contest the ball in the air, viz. marking contests and ruck contests. In such contests, all players are allowed to contest the ball and a free kick is paid against a player who is seen to shepherd an opponent; in practice, this rule is inconsistently applied, and free kicks are paid only against blatant shepherds by a player whose eyes are not on the ball. Players may not make high or low contact during a shepherd, nor hold their opponents; free kicks should result from any of these infractions.

Shepherding is classified as a "one percenter" skill.

[edit] Shepherding Techniques and Tactics

There are varied techniques of shepherding:

• Bumping - a hip and shoulder "hit" aimed at putting opposition players off-balance and allowed only with 5 metres of the ball, and an alternative to tackling.
• Shepherding - this typically involves a player using their whole body to stop an opponent from reaching a contest, and usually to stop an opponent from tackling a teammate or getting to the ball. The most effective shepherding is done with outstretched stiff arms and use of strength and body weight between the player and his teammate. Shepherds are typically classed by effectiveness:
  • Strong shepherd - which completely stops the opponent in his chase;
  • Weak shepherd, which has the positive effect of slowing the opponent down, maybe causing him to change direction, but does not completely stop the chase.
• Blocking - a subtle form of shepherding in marking contests. While it is often technically illegal (depending on the interpretation), it will almost never be penalised. The most common way to block is to run between a leading forward and his pursuing opponent, slowing down the defender so that the forward will take his mark uncontested. It is also often used by defenders as a defensive tactic to prevent their opposition forwards from leading into space.

[edit] References