IMPEDING THE PROGRESS OF AN OPPONENT MEANS MOVING INTO THE PATH OF THE OPPONENT TO OBSTRUCT, BLOCK, SLOW DOWN OR FORCE A CHANGE OF DIRECTION BY AN OPPONENT WHEN THE BALL IS NOT WITHIN PLAYING DISTANCE OF EITHER PLAYER. - LAWS OF ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL, LAW 12, FOULS & MISCONDUCT.
So should Micah Richard's goal for England have stood? No. We can always debate whether the Israeli goalkeeper would have made it to the ball to challenge Richards, but there can be no doubt that Michael Owen deliberately placed himself in the path the goalkeeper had to take to get to the ball.
It should have been an indirect free kick to Israel. But referring to the previous post, referees cannot watch everything at corners and he was unlikely to be watching Owen when a big crowd of players was tussling a few yards away.
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