I am a Under 10 coach and we are seeing a lot of blocking in our games recently. I need to understand if a player receives the ball can they hold their arm out to prevent the opposing player from tackling and getting close to the ball. i.e. to create space.
I came across the following "A player may shield the ball by taking a position between an opponent and the ball if the ball is within playing distance and the opponent is not held off with the arms or body. If the ball is within playing distance, the player may be fairly charged by an opponent."
I do not see reference to the statement below in the FA handbook
found it in this link
