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 pushing, bumping or blocking an opposing player from gaining possession of the ball or reaching the contest.

The term originates from 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.

The prevalence of shepherding is distinctive in Australian rules football as it is an illegal form of play in many other codes of football where it is subject to obstruction rules. It is completely banned in soccer. In rugby, it is illegal to tackle or obstruct any player not carrying the ball. Ice hockey allows body checking only on a player in possession (until the puck reaches any other player), as does gaelic football. The concept of shepherding, however, is very similar to blocking in American Football.^[1]

Under the Laws of Australian Football, a player can shepherd an opposition player when the ball is within five metres, with the exception of contests where players contest the ball in the air, i.e. marking contests and ruck contests, or when the ball is not in play. Players cannot shepherd in marking and ruck contests. Players may not make high or low contact during a shepherd, nor hold their opponents; free kicks should result from any of these infractions. Nevertheless, there have been a number of incidents in the professional Australian Football League which have caused controversy and have resulted in the rules regarding shepherding to be more strictly applied behind play.

Shepherding is classified as a "one percenter" skill and is an important aspect of team play.

Because shepherding can be applied regardless of whether the player is in possession, this gives players the choice of "playing the man" and not the ball. In circumstances where two players contest a loose ball, a player in an inferior position or with a weight advantage might decide to take his opponent out first and then to retrieve the ball. Others, however, may have no intentions for the ball at all and simply aim to hurt their opponent. Although correct technique can be taught, given the high speed all directional nature of the game, the decision to make the ball the primary objective and the execution of a bump is often a split second tactical decision and left to player instinct. The decision process effects the way players are perceived. A player may be commended for their protection of their teammates, setting up play and controlled aggression. At the same time players who bump but do not contest the ball too often can be seen by some as "dirty" and unsportsmanlike (See "Australian rules football culture").