ANOTHER PLAYER IN THE WALL

I have a nice little Football Trivia book bought at the Holmfirth Oxfam bookshop recently. A small cost and my money, of course, going to charity. So it's a win, win! On page 52 there is a sub-title "Backs to the Wall".
Football lore has it that the first defensive wall was a free-kick constructed by the Northern Ireland defence during the World Cup Finals in Sweden in 1958. It was presumed to be the brain child of Peter Docherty and Danny Blanchflower (capt below). Danny's biography written by David Bowler describes the event against Italy after just 4 minutes of play in a World Cup qualifier.

Docherty played for Coleraine, Glentoran, Blackpool, Manchester 119 apps with a League medal in 1937, and  "War Time" football. He also won the FA Cup with Derby, scoring a goal in their 1946 win. He was a "genius" who had his players playing volleyball, basketball and "walking football" to develop jumping, movement and the development of calf muscles! He also managed at Donny, N.Ireland (team below) and Bristol City from 1949 until 1960.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPr2izpxb30

Since then the wall has been used to block free-kicks near the goal, with various controversies and law changes. The controversies include attacking players, sometimes in their own wall, backing into the defensive wall or pushing from the sides to cause disruption.

The latest addition is that when there is a wall of 3 or more defenders, no attacking player may join or stand closer than a metre from the wall, in front, behind or at the side, until the ball is in play.
Of course the defenders have to be 10 yards away from the ball and can put as many players as they like into the wall and indeed can do what this one is doing to block low shots!
Is it worth jumping in the wall? Have a look at this lot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3vF6U_NTig

When was the first defensive wall built....my Wiki tells me 2029-1982 BCE by the Sumerian King Shulgi! It's one of those days!

In 1993 the USA coach, Bora Milutinovic, split the wall leaving a gap for the free-taker to shot through giving the defending goalkeeper an obvious choice. Needless to say, several attacking players blocked the gap and ducked if the shooter aimed through the middle.

Oliver Khan, the brilliant and very big German keeper asked for no wall, just players lurking ten yards from the kick, sort of makes sense given that the goalie would have to make the wall from a short 18 yards or so away, backing his own ability as a shot stopper. Inside the BOX might be a different matter?