Why was Eze’s free-kick disallowed against Chelsea?

Eberechi Eze, the midfielder for Crystal Palace, thought he had given his side the lead with a well-directed free-kick in the opening 15 minutes of their Premier League clash with Chelsea.

However, it wasn’t as much as it should have been because VAR intervened and blocked the goal, much to the surprise of many.

Simply put, a Palace player was standing too close to the Chelsea wall, which was the reason the goal was cut off.

Referee Darren England explained the decision in an announcement to the audience.

As the shot is taken, away number six is less than one meter away from the wall, he said. Therefore, it is a disallowed goal and an indirect free kick.

All attacking players must remain at least one metre away from the wall until the ball is in play, according to International Football Association Board Law 13 .

In 2019-20, this rule was added to the game’s laws.

At the time, it was believed that “attackers standing very close to, or in, the defensive “wall” at a free kick frequently cause management issues and waste time.

The statement continued, “Assaulters’ presence frequently harms the reputation of the game because there is no legitimate tactical justification for their presence in the “wall.”

Eze’s goal was therefore disallowed.

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