The term “set-piece” is used in football to describe a situation during a match were the ball is not in play but is about to return to open play. It could be a direct result of any stoppage in play caused by the end of a half, a foul or the ball going out of the playing area.
Set-pieces usually refer to penalties, corners, free-kicks and throw-ins. They could also be called set-plays. Some footballing teams are more adept at scoring from a set-piece routine than others and as such, they form an important part of the modern game.
Former Stoke City midfielder Rory Delap was especially adept at sending long throw-ins into the area that helped earn some valuable points for his side. Here is a compilation at how he affected the game from throw-ins.
Corners have always been a vital component in football. It is equally important to score and defend from corners. In 1999, Manchester United won the UEFA Champions League thanks to a couple of goals from corners in additional time. Both corners on this occasion were fired in by David Beckham, who was known as the best dead-ball specialist in the game at the time.
Over the years, football has seen some wonderful free-kick takers who have made the difference in a game with some brilliant strikes. Zico, Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Juninho, Ronaldinho, Andrea Pirlo, and Cristiano Ronaldo are some of the best direct free-kick specialists in the game. You can watch some of the best ever free-kick goals here.