Side Step

[Dwarfpete]

Hallo!

Sorry, but I couldn´t find an answer on this in the forum.

On our last game we had a discussion on side step and I´m not sure of the correct ruling.

A player with side step is blocked and a push back result is chosen. Not all squares around him are occupied, but the three normal squares of the push-back-diagramm. Can the player with side step choose one of the three occupied squares or must he choose one of the free others? And when he can choose to be pushed back in an occupied square, is then the "normal chain-effect" working?

Thanks.

[sann0638]

This would be the player choosing not to use sidestep, which he is entitled to do. So the player can if he chooses be pushed into a player behind him, but he can't choose which one.

[Grumbledook]

the skill description says that if there are no available open squares for the coach to choose to move to then they can't use they skill at all

so treat it as a normal pushback with the blocking coach choosing

[Digger Goreman]

Agreed with Sann:

Code: Select all

             
    d   d   d   
    *   D   *   
    *   O   *   
                

Defender is blocked by Offensive player: If Defender uses side step (his coach's choice), he could go to any of the asterisked (*)(empty) squares.... IF Defender chooses NOT to use sidestep, then Offensive player MUST use normal blocking rules to push Defender into one of the defenders (d) behind him....

[Grumbledook]

ah yer I misread the OP and didn't answer the actual question ;]

what sann and digger said was far more helpful!

[Dwarfpete]

Thank You!

So this means, that the Defender can only use SD to move in an empty square? I can´t read this in the discription of the skill.
Side Step (Agility)
"A player with this skill is an expert at stepping neatly out of the way of an attacker. To represent this ability, his coach may choose which square the player is moved to when he is pushed back, rather than the opposing coach. Furthermore, the coach may choose to move the player to any adjacent square, not just the three squares shown on the Push Back diagram. Note that the player may not use this skill if there are no open squares on the pitch adjacent to this player."
So why not take one of the "d"-squares and still using the skill (we had exactly the situation that Digger has described)?

[Oxynot]

Thank You!

So this means, that the Defender can only use SD to move in an empty square? I can´t read this in the discription of the skill.

Yes, it means exactly that, here is some rule references for you :
Side Step only lets you override the push back diagrams on page 10. Push backs still have other rules you must adher to, one of them is that you must choose an empty square if possible. For clarity, here is the push back rule, emphasis mine.

Push Backs: A player that is pushed back as a result of a block
must be moved one square away from the player making the
block, as shown in the diagrams. The coach of the player who
made the block may decide which square the player is moved to.
The player must be pushed back into an empty square if
possible

And besides, if you could choose to be pushed into a occupied square, the Grab would be wonderful for crowd surfing

[Dwarfpete]

Thanks Oxynot for this argument.

[Digger Goreman]

Thank You!

So this means, that the Defender can only use SD to move in an empty square? I can´t read this in the discription of the skill.
Side Step (Agility) Note that the player may not use this skill if there are no open squares on the pitch adjacent to this player."
So why not take one of the "d"-squares and still using the skill (we had exactly the situation that Digger has described)?

My only curiosity is: could you sidestep out of bounds... say... to avoid a massive foul attempt?

Edit: never mind, as there wouldn't by any open squares ON THE PITCH... darn it....

[daloonieshaman]

no
out of bounds is not an open square