diff --git a/src/main/java/de/tims/fleetstorm/matchfield/Matchfield.java b/src/main/java/de/tims/fleetstorm/matchfield/Matchfield.java
index 726666d..bfc29fc 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/tims/fleetstorm/matchfield/Matchfield.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/tims/fleetstorm/matchfield/Matchfield.java
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ public class Matchfield {
 	/**
 	 * direction 0 => x axis (to the right) direction 1 => y axis (to the bottom)
 	 */
-	public void setShip(Coordinate coordinate, int length, int direction) {
+	public boolean setShip(Coordinate coordinate, int length, int direction) {
 
 		for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
 			this.getField(coordinate).setState(Coordinate.SHIP);
@@ -84,7 +84,12 @@ public class Matchfield {
 				coordinate = this.getRight(coordinate);
 			if (direction == 1)
 				coordinate = this.getAbove(coordinate);
+
+			if (coordinate == null)
+				return false;
 		}
+
+		return true;
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/de/tims/fleetstorm/matchfield/MatchfieldPositioningTest.java b/src/test/java/de/tims/fleetstorm/matchfield/MatchfieldPositioningTest.java
index 72b4359..e969003 100644
--- a/src/test/java/de/tims/fleetstorm/matchfield/MatchfieldPositioningTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/de/tims/fleetstorm/matchfield/MatchfieldPositioningTest.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 
 package de.tims.fleetstorm.matchfield;
 
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
@@ -44,4 +45,21 @@ class MatchfieldPositioningTest {
 				Arguments.of("set ship from 0:2, length 4, direction 1", 10, new Coordinate(0, 2), 1, 4,
 						coordinatesWithShip02_4_1));
 	}
+
+	@ParameterizedTest(name = "ship positioning on invalid or valid coordinates")
+	@MethodSource("testShipPositioningFailed")
+	void testMatchfieldShipSetWithInvalidOrValidCoordinates(String testName, int matchfieldSize, Coordinate coordinate,
+			int direction, int length) {
+		Matchfield matchfield = new Matchfield(matchfieldSize);
+		matchfield.createMatchfield();
+
+		boolean calculatedResult = matchfield.setShip(coordinate, length, direction);
+		assertFalse(calculatedResult);
+	}
+
+	static Stream<Arguments> testShipPositioningFailed() {
+
+		return Stream.of(
+				Arguments.of("invalid ship position from 9:0, length 2, direction 0", 10, new Coordinate(9, 0), 0, 2));
+	}
 }