handicap vs obstruction

handicap and obstruction both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
handicap	Yes	No	Yes	No
obstruction	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, obstruction is a hyponym of handicap; that is, obstruction is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than handicap:

handicap: something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress
obstruction: something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted

Other hyponyms of handicap include albatross, millstone, bind, diriment impediment, drag, obstacle, straitjacket.

handicap (noun)	obstruction (noun)
advantage given to a competitor to equalize chances of winning	getting in someone's way
something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress	the act of obstructing
the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness	any structure that makes progress difficult
	something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted
	the physical condition of blocking or filling a passage with an obstruction

handicap (verb)	obstruction (verb)
injure permanently
put at a disadvantage
attempt to forecast the winner (especially in a horse race) and assign odds for or against a contestant