Players use strategy of lying down behind wall during free kicks
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 30, 2026, 3:38 PM
Last updated Jun 30, 2026
Players have increasingly adopted the tactic of lying down behind the wall during free kicks at the ongoing World Cup. This strategy counters free-kick takers aiming to shoot under a jumping wall, creating a defensive layer. The concept gained traction during the 2018 UEFA Champions League when Inter's Marcelo Brozović effectively utilized it against Barcelona's Luis Suárez, demonstrating its effectiveness. This technique has since spread throughout the sport as teams adapt to combat free-kick challenges.
- •Players line up behind the wall at free kicks
- •Defending teams set up walls to block shots
- •Lying down behind the wall prevents shots underneath
- •Brozović's use in 2018 sparked broader adoption
- •Strategy has been increasingly common in recent tournaments
- 3:38 PMYahoo Sports — Why do players lie down behind the wall? World Cup strategy explained
"The strategy has become increasingly widespread across the sport in recent years.
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