I'd like to hear your view on this.

[Lazie]

Time and again I hear commentators and analysts say one thing in a game then in another game they say the complete opposite. When a wall is formed to defend a freekick, should the players in the wall jump or should they stand still? I've seen games where the wall jump and the kickers puts the ball on the ground and the players are mocked for not standing still. I've seen them jump, the ball deflects off the head off a player in the wall and they are again knocked for jumping. I've heard one analyst saying that "walls don't jump they should stand still!"

Now look at Bale's freekick this morning, Perch who was in the wall didn't jump and the ball went right over his head, it is clear if he had jumped he would have blocked the ball or changed the direction of the ball.

Do you think the wall should jump or stand still? I am of the view the wall should jump, because only a small %age of freekicks attempt to go under a jumping wall.

What is your view?

[Paul Marin]

Time and again I hear commentators and analysts say one thing in a game then in another game they say the complete opposite. When a wall is formed to defend a freekick, should the players in the wall jump or should they stand still? I've seen games where the wall jump and the kickers puts the ball on the ground and the players are mocked for not standing still. I've seen them jump, the ball deflects off the head off a player in the wall and they are again knocked for jumping. I've heard one analyst saying that "walls don't jump they should stand still!"

Now look at Bale's freekick this morning, Perch who was in the wall didn't jump and the ball went right over his head, it is clear if he had jumped he would have blocked the ball or changed the direction of the ball.

Do you think the wall should jump or stand still? I am of the view the wall should jump, because only a small %age of freekicks attempt to go under a jumping wall.

What is your view?

Whatever they do, they have to do it as communicative unit. To me, it depends on the distance to goal. The further you are away from the goal, the more important jumping is because: 1) Jumping increases the "height" of the wall and 2) if communication between the keeper and the wall is where it should be, keepers are in a better position to stop a low strike (distance is key) than a high strike clearing the wall.

The closer they are to their own goal, I think the jumping option is still preferred, but if a low strike beneath the jump is successful, it will be a difficult save for the keeper.

Fi mi chuppance.

[GazX]

Ive always wonder why teams havent adopted the alternative approach where lets say you have a four man wall. Why the 1st & 3rd player along the wall dont jump-up together,while the 2nd & 4th players in the wall remain static. And when 1st & 3rd players in the wall land, 2nd & 4th players then jump up, and when they land, the pattern is repeated until the free kick is taken.
ThAT way not all players are committed in jumping up together.
Hope this makes sense.

[Twan]

Ive always wonder why teams havent adopted the alternative approach where lets say you have a four man wall. Why the 1st & 3rd player along the wall dont jump-up together,while the 2nd & 4th players in the wall remain static. And when 1st & 3rd players in the wall land, 2nd & 4th players then jump up, and when they land, the pattern is repeated until the free kick is taken.
ThAT way not all players are committed in jumping up together.
Hope this makes sense.

nuh really!

[GazX]

nuh really!

In short; players in the wall, jumping up and down but not all at the same time.

[Rockman]

It boils down to judgement call,the wall is there to block the ball path to goal, jumping is allowed to achieve the objective. Opportunity cost,you jump and the ball is played on the ground is a risk assumed,and of course having an opponent in your wall tilts the advantage to the kicker.
That risk is still assumed by the jumpers even under an organized manner.
In my opinion, it is less risky than a keeper predetermining what side to dive defending a penalty kick,as Lazie stated,too often all they had to do is remain in that spot to make the save.

[Rockman]

An after thought, seems like a very good strategy,both jumpers are technically within bucking reach of the player not jumping and the grounded player may cover the jumpers unmanned grounded position with his feet.

[Peter R]

AVFC scored a goal today from a free kick which the wall defended without jumping... when I saw the replay I thought "why didn't they jump?" as that could have blocked the shot... it seems to me most free kicks are in the air rather than along the ground; I would go with the odds and jump especially when, as Paul suggested, the wall is in that distance of 15m to 25 m from the goal.

[Stonigut]

From my days of playing, there should be no movement in the wall until the ball is in play, thus the one jump. I can remember breaking away from the wall on occasion, where i was on the edge of the wall on a few occasions after the ball was kicked because I had a sense the ball was coming my way and intercepting such ball as the attempt was to try to find a player on the other side of the wall, but remember clearly and consistently not being able to move till ball was touched.

[Mosiah]

No, you certainly can move! Just not breach the 10 yard distance requirement.

Wow, Stoni! How far back was that!?!?

[Stonigut]

That was just three or four years ago, I played in the dallas and Fort Worth first division open league.

[GazX]

An after thought, seems like a very good strategy,both jumpers are technically within bucking reach of the player not jumping and the grounded player may cover the jumpers unmanned grounded position with his feet.

See-it deh.

[Karl]

It boils down to judgement call,the wall is there to block the ball path to goal, jumping is allowed to achieve the objective. Opportunity cost,you jump and the ball is played on the ground is a risk assumed,and of course having an opponent in your wall tilts the advantage to the kicker.
That risk is still assumed by the jumpers even under an organized manner.
In my opinion, it is less risky than a keeper predetermining what side to dive defending a penalty kick,as Lazie stated,too often all they had to do is remain in that spot to make the save.

I thought all our TEAM players by now knew the old...very oooold tried and true method of 'opening' wall by stepping up or stepping back and then 'closing wall'. ...then moving 'closed wall' into desired position. (Usually original desired position).

It is simple and easy act!

[Don1]

mussi soccer dat.... is football man ah tawk bout now