Defensive walls a bad idea shock

Anton_Berg

Well-known member
In today's Times. Study by academics says... well it doesn't need explanation really. The keeper stands a better chance with a clear view of the free kick as it's taken.
 
Not sure as a goalkeeper in my day, I believe that it practical terms.

If a player can get it up and over a wall into the top corner with enough pace and curl then hats off, but that takes skill and practice to produce on the pitch.

Most people can just blast it from 25 yards and with modern balls moving all over, I would rather a wall.
 
Don’t agree with this personally. There is certainly some free kicks that don’t require a wall but the ones in and around the box would fly in on a regular basis if a player was given a pretty much free shot. The wall is imperative in them situations in my opinion.
 
How many free kicks don’t hit the target though because of the wall? Players trying to get it up and down and around, causing the ball to go straight out of play or into the wall?

I think that's the real question.

If the question is: is there more chance of the keeper making a save without a wall, I'm not surprised if the answer is yes.

But the point is keeping the ball out of the goal, not the keeper making a save. I've not read the full study (but would like to if anyone has a link), but it's quite conceivable that no wall means that keepers make more saves AND concedes more goals.
 
I think that's the real question.

If the question is: is there more chance of the keeper making a save without a wall, I'm not surprised if the answer is yes.

But the point is keeping the ball out of the goal, not the keeper making a save. I've not read the full study (but would like to if anyone has a link), but it's quite conceivable that no wall means that keepers make more saves AND concedes more goals.
Unfortunately the Times has a paywall.
 
I've always thought this, I'd back any decent keeper to save any outside of the box free kick if there was just him and the fk taker on the pitch, only poor positioning could beat him surely.
 
Did I imagine it but did I see last night Man City had a free kick and they put a wall of their own in front of the defensive wall plus the defenders had one of their players lying down behind their wall????
 
I've often wondered if beyond thirty - thirty five yards then a keeper should be able to stop any shot given clear sight of it and that perhaps a wall reduces his reaction time. They should be able to test this on a training field?
Agree with Muttley, anything over 30 yards the keeper would probably prefer a clear view and be confident of saving anything unless JFH is shooting.
 
Did I imagine it but did I see last night Man City had a free kick and they put a wall of their own in front of the defensive wall plus the defenders had one of their players lying down behind their wall????
The lying down thing is commonplace now especially in La Liga, it's totally pointless and ineffective though. According to my calculations about 0.00001% of free kicks try to go under the wall and even less actually go in.
 
No wall in theory - I can get my head around that.
Just wonder if ricochets from a shot would come into play tho
 
I've often wondered if beyond thirty - thirty five yards then a keeper should be able to stop any shot given clear sight of it and that perhaps a wall reduces his reaction time. They should be able to test this on a training field?
Didn't see your post but I pretty much said exactly the same thing, surely only a crap keeper would get beat from that distance with no obstructions.
 
Agree with Muttley, anything over 30 yards the keeper would probably prefer a clear view and be confident of saving anything unless JFH is shooting.

If you give players a free line of sight to put their foot through it, with the way the modern football can deviate so late, I would not be confident at all as a goalkeeper.

There was a free kick in Germany not long ago from miles out with no wall that done the keeper a the last moment.

I'll try find it!
 
I heard Troy Denney say the other day regarding his penalties that he always just smashes it down the middle- due to the power and distance the keeper will rarely save it regardless.

If you got rid of the wall then the way kicks were taken would completely change- the power side would be immensely more important with the aim of hitting the target and rebounds being vital.

If you aim for top corners with a wall or without I think the keeper will likely do better without a wall- if you add the new variable that you can hit the ball anywhere I would expect the keeper to fair much worse. Be interesting to read how the study was set up for where free kicks were struck- e.g how random
 
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