Defending Free Kicks
In many cases, proper defense of a free kick can be the
difference in winning and losing a game. Here are some tips you can follow
to increase your chance of stopping that often elusive free kick.
Free kicks will be taken from the point where the
violation occurred and defenders must be 10 yards from the ball. If the
kick is within shooting distance then make a wall. The wall protects the near post (which is most vulnerable to shots from restart plays) while the goalie protects the far post and must be able to see the ball. The wall must be setup quickly so the goalie has time to position himself.
If there are not enough players in the wall then the goalie will have too much area to cover. If there are too many players in the wall the goalie will have to move nearer to the far post to see the ball (which opens up the near post for a shot).
Defenders not in the wall closely mark open attackers in key areas.
The wall should be smaller as the angle of the shot is
increased and larger when covering shots from the middle. At an angle the wall
should be created to cover the near half of the goal while the goalie covers the far half of the goal. Form a wall with 3-5 players if ball is in front of the goal near the penalty area, 2-3 if the ball is on the sides near the penalty area or in front of the goal and 20 yards or more outside of the penalty area, or 1-2 if ball is on the sides near the sideline or in front of the goal near midfield.
Who directs the setting of the wall is open. The goalie can set it but this can sometimes cause a problem if the opponent takes a quick kick and the goalie is not ready.
It also might help to have the player who caused the foul be the person to set the wall since he is closest to the point of the
kick. The best bet is to have the keeper set a single person first and have that person then guide the building of the wall. Then the keeper can focus on getting marks on the stray attackers.
The forward or someone else behind the play can stand behind the ball and help align the wall (they may also indiscreetly hear what the opponent is planning and use that when directing the alignment of the wall).
People in the wall should put their right hand on their left shoulder (to protect their heart and lung areas) and their left hand on their right thigh. Players may link arms so the end player can drag them in the direction he wants to get the wall positioned. It's preferable to only have a few of the defenders in the wall and use halfbacks instead so that the defenders are left free to mark.
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