Blocking is the action and effect of blocking (obstructing, intercepting, preventing the normal functioning of something, hindering the performance of a process, closing the passage). The concept has different uses depending on the context.

In sports, blocking is the action aimed at intercepting an attack by the opposing team. It is a common defensive move in volleyball and basketball. For example: “A great blocking by the Croatian pivot in the last second defined the game”, “The American victory could have been thanks to the good functioning of its blocking.

Given the importance of strategy in such sports, it is not always possible to know who will attack or how they will attack. Often times, players perform movements that suggest an imminent attack, to divert the attention of their opponents from their true intentions; in the same way, blocking is not always direct, since it becomes necessary to carry out defensive preventive tactics to try to anticipate surprises. In these cases, effective blocking requires very good reflexes and great intuition.

According to DigoPaul, a blockade can also be a political or military strategy to prevent certain supplies or information from reaching enemy territory. There are various ways to implement a blockade, from deploying troops on a highway to legally preventing companies from one country from marketing their products in another (the blocked country).

The intention of the blockade is to de-supply the rival and generate internal problems that weaken it. In this way, the enemy will be forced to make certain concessions or to compromise. It is worth mentioning that external or internal tactics can be given; the latter consist of obtaining a certain degree of control from the other party, to manipulate their behavior from within and increase the chances of success (similar to the famous story of The Trojan Horse).

The blockade of the land communication routes is also a form of protest that can be carried out by any social sector in a country. In this case, the blockade is a measure of force organized from within a territory (that is, not planned by an external enemy) to spread a claim or as a pressure mechanism. The cutting of roads or streets is part of this type of blockade.

In computing, finally, a block or ban is a (full, partial, permanent or temporary) restriction imposed on a user within a computer system. Typically, the user is blocked (or banned) when he violates the rules of use of a specific service. This happens very often in forums and chat rooms, when certain users use aggressive language to address others, either making racist or sexist comments, or threatening other participants in some way.

Digital services also use the term blocking to describe the limits that each user can establish with respect to the content that they want their minors to view. Online movie and series rental sites, as well as the latest video game consoles, offer their customers the possibility of establishing secret access codes and selecting what type of products they can purchase or review who uses their device without knowing said password.

On the emotional level, a blockage prevents a person from continuing with his life normally, and can affect him to different degrees. For different reasons, whether due to traumatic experiences or lack of inspiration in the artistic or work sphere, human beings usually go through stages in which we cannot express ourselves fluently, or it is difficult for us to find the meaning of things.