The most common way is a goalie picking up a back pass.
There are a lot more indirect free kicks than you might imagine during a game; any time the ref has one hand raised straight up they are indicating an indirect free kick. It’s just that the indirectness of the free kick is usually irrelevant based on the location of the kick, because a direct shot at goal is not viable.
And how does the ball get touched twice and then kicked before a defender slides into the picture? I realize that the ball wasn’t traveling far, but the defense seemed slow on the uptake there.
Never underestimate the brain-lock that can afflict professional athletes in the heat of the moment. I mean, every weekend in the NFL there is a game situation where there is a single thing that a team must absolutely not do, and they go ahead and do it.
But how much fun are indirect free kicks inside the box! If I had my way, every free kick anywhere on the field - including inside the box - would be of the indirect variety. The only time I think a direct kick should be awarded is in the event of - in the tortured parlance of the soccer laws - the Denial of a Goal-Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO); and that kick should be from the penalty spot regardless of where the foul occurred.
As a further aside, a penalty kick doesn’t have to be kicked directly…
No Eze or Olise for Palace again this weekend. But the new kid França from Brazil is finally fully fit. I doubt he’ll start (this week), but he has the potential be a jolt to the system off the bench.
Another big weekend!
Saturday:
EPL: Palace @ Newcastle
Rugby WC Semi-Final: England vs. S. Africa
F1: US Sprint qualifying and race
Sunday:
F1: US Grand Prix
Astros Game 6
Hope your other rooting interests show better than Palace.
That escalated quickly…
Well that all turned into a giant shit sandwich. Without the bread.
The weekend starts early, while carrying on seamlessly from last weekend, with Palace facing a ball-stomping by Spurs under the lights at Nelson Road Selhurst Park (2pm, USA channel). We’re still missing Eze and Olise, so there’s just no way for us to keep the ball.
Possible highlight? Jesrun Rak-Sakyi and Matheus França both looked promising in cameos during last week’s ball-stomping at Newcastle. I’d like to see them both get some game time but, unfortunately, if that happens, it means that everything has gone to shit.
At least there won’t be the nailed-on, regular as clockwork goal against us from Harry Kane.
Luc De Fougerolles, from my tiny little school in South London, made his first competitive start for Fulham last night, and was designated Man of the Match in their 1-3 win on the road at Ipswich. Kid’s 18.
Who has one finger and will be named to the Palace squad this weekend?
It’s going to take a few games for him to be fully back, but he’s a cheat code coming off the bench. I’m glad all over.
Newcastle and Arsenal kicking lumps out of each other for 90 minutes? Don’t mind if I do.
All 4 Palace teams were on the road this weekend. All 4 won. 
Men: 2-0 at Burnley
U21s: 7-1 at Leeds
U18s: 5-2 at Spurs
Women: 3-0 at Watford
As predicted, Eze came off the bench and made an impact, getting the assist for the 2nd goal.
This game is just too easy for him.
Premier League officiating covering itself with glory again in Spurs-Chelsea.
This game is crazy.
Ok, I’m confused. Chelsea just scored a goal where the man who scored the goal was two steps behind the defense when the pass was made. However, the pass was made to Sterling who was onside (or close enough) when the pass was made. He took the ball on the right side, then cut it back to the other fellow, who then slotted it home. I guess the fact that Sterling maneuvered the ball in front of the eventual goal scorer removed him from jeopardy?
If you are behind the ball when it is played to you, you are onside full stop.
The primary rule for offside is that you have to be ahead of the ball. Ahead of the ball and in your opponent’s half…
The TWO! Two primary rules of offside are that you have to be ahead of the ball, in your opponent’s half and make an active move to play the ball.
The THREE! Three primary rules…I’ll defer to VAR.
