Connect with us

Sports

How one Ipswich backpass caused two of the craziest minutes in the Premier League this season

Published

on

How one Ipswich backpass caused two of the craziest minutes in the Premier League this season

Just when you think you’ve seen everything that football has to offer, along come Ipswich Town.

Amid another morale-sapping defeat that all but sealed their relegation from the Premier League, Ipswich, with a little help from their opponents, Wolverhampton Wanderers, served up the maddest two minutes of Premier League action you are likely to see this season.

A backpass, a mistake, a save, a free kick, a melee on the goal line, a thudding shot and a point-blank block… there was nothing technically proficient about any of it, but it was memorable. Are you not entertained?

For the uninitiated, this was all about the backpass law, introduced to football in 1992 with the aim of making the game less dull. In the main it has been a huge success, and it certainly was at Portman Road on Saturday.

The rule prevents goalkeepers from handling the ball if it has been passed back to them intentionally by a team-mate and it was conceived to stop teams wasting time, as they often did in the 1980s by passing the ball repeatedly back to their goalkeeper.

Advertisement

It has made goalkeepers learn to play with their feet and usually only comes into play when a goalkeeper loses concentration and picks up a ball after forgetting where it has come from.

Alan Shearer scored for England when Georgia were punished in 1997, Cristiano Ronaldo did so for Manchester United against Aston Villa in 2009 and Bayern Munich even sealed a Bundesliga title in 2001 after Hamburg were punished for one.

But Saturday was very different, a whole lot more entertaining and fairly comical — not least because it threw up a situation that clearly neither team could have prepared for.

In the 36th minute and with Ipswich 1-0 ahead in a game they effectively had to win to keep alive a chance of avoiding relegation, the Republic of Ireland international Dara O’Shea rolled a routine backpass towards his goalkeeper and former West Bromwich Albion colleague Alex Palmer — the fact two former employees of their bitterest local rivals conspired to almost hand them a goal would not have been lost on many Wolves fans.

Advertisement

It was so routine, in fact, that Palmer forgot to do part one — controlling the ball — before turning to part two — deciding what to do with it.

 

Palmer literally took his eye off the ball, allowed it to roll under his foot and glorious chaos ensued.

The Ipswich goalkeeper did the only thing he could do and scrambled back into his goal, diving and just about clawing the ball away before it crossed the line for the most embarrassing of own goals.

It was touch and go, but Palmer saved his own blushes.

Advertisement

But using his hands forced referee Peter Bankes to award a foul.

Had an outfield player used his hands to claw the ball off the line, it would have meant a penalty and a red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity.

But the backpass law makes an exception for goalkeepers, so Palmer got away with an indirect free kick a few yards out.

An indirect free kick means that two players must touch the ball before a goal is scored — the player taking the first touch cannot shoot directly from the free kick. If the player taking the indirect free kick were to score with the first touch, a goal kick would be awarded to the defending team.

The players on the defending team must be at least 10 yards from where the free kick is being taken, unless they are on their own goal line and between the goalposts.

Advertisement

In the meticulous world of modern Premier League football, coaches prepare teams for almost every eventuality but this was one that was hard to envisage.

So Ipswich resorted to putting every one of their 11 players on the goal line — like a scene from Braveheart.

As for Wolves, in the absence of any cleverly thought-out short free-kick routine, they simply rolled it to their biggest, most powerful centre-back and asked him to whack it as hard as he could.

Emmanuel Agbadou made a firm enough contact but the free kick was so close that Sam Morsy — born and raised in Wolverhampton but now captaining a club 170 miles away — had time to charge out of Ipswich’s defensive army and charge it down with his shin.

The ball ballooned up and away to safety to complete one of the season’s most bizarre passages of play.

Advertisement

So Ipswich got away with a comical error but it was not enough to save them as Wolves fought back in the second half to win 2-1 through Pablo Sarabia and Jorgen Strand Larsen.

Ipswich fans will remember the game for another late giveaway that virtually confirmed their return to the Championship.

The rest of football will remember it for two minutes of craziness.

Sports

Sherrone Moore appears red-eyed in booking photo after Michigan firing, arrest

Published

on

Sherrone Moore appears red-eyed in booking photo after Michigan firing, arrest

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Sherrone Moore’s booking photo was released about a week after the former Michigan Wolverines football coach was fired from his job and arrested on several charges.

Fox News Digital obtained the booking photo of Moore on Thursday. The picture showed a red-eyed Moore appearing downcast in the Washtenaw County Jail in Michigan.

 

Sherrone Moore’s booking photo was obtained by Fox News Digital on Dec. 18, 2025. (Washtenaw County Jail)

Advertisement

The photo’s release came as new details emerged in the Moore scandal, including allegations that he “had a long history of domestic violence” against the staffer with whom he allegedly maintained an inappropriate, yearslong relationship.

Court documents obtained by Fox News Digital revealed allegations made by the staffer’s attorney, Heidi Sharp, on the day that Moore allegedly entered her home without permission, which later resulted in his arrest.

Moore appeared in a Washtenaw County court on Friday, where his bond was set at $25,000 and included several conditions, including no contact with the alleged victim in the case. A not guilty plea was entered for him.

Prosecutors detailed the alleged events that led up to Moore’s arrest, including that Moore had engaged in an “intimate relationship” with the Michigan staffer for “a number of years” and that the woman had broken up with him two days before his arrest.

Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore appears via video in court in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Dec. 12, 2025. (Ryan Sun/AP Photo)

Advertisement

MICHIGAN FOOTBALL RECRUITS DE-COMMIT FROM PROGRAM AMID SHERRONE MOORE SCANDAL 

Prosecutors accused Moore of contacting the staffer via phone calls and texts after the breakup, prompting the victim to contact the University of Michigan and cooperate in its investigation. Moore was subsequently fired from his position as head football coach, which prosecutors said prompted him to show up at the woman’s home. 

Moore then allegedly “barged” his way into the residence, grabbed a butter knife and a pair of scissors and then began threatening his own life. According to prosecutors, Moore allegedly told the staffer, “My blood is on your hands” and “You ruined my life.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Moore’s attorney for comment.

Moore faces a felony charge of home invasion in the third degree and two misdemeanor charges of stalking and breaking and entering without the owner’s permission. He was released on bond and is due back in court on Jan. 22.

Advertisement

Sherrone Moore, then-of the Michigan Wolverines, looks on during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium on November 22, 2025 in College Park, Maryland. (Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Moore took over as head coach for Jim Harbaugh when he left to take the Los Angeles Chargers’ job.

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Sports

High school basketball: Boys’ and girls’ scores from Wednesday, Dec. 17

Published

on

High school basketball: Boys’ and girls’ scores from Wednesday, Dec. 17

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS
CITY SECTION
AMIT 59, Sun Valley Magnet 38
Bernstein 71, Contreras 26
Crenshaw 55, King/Drew 39
Fulton 50, Vaughn 48
Hollywood 104, Belmont 10
LA Hamilton 71, Downtown Magnets 69
MSAR 67, Valor Academy 56
MSCP 84, Larchmont Charter 25
Northridge Academy 59, VAAS 12
Orthopaedic 69, Animo Bunche 34
RFK Community 73, Jefferson 70
Royal 54, Mendez 52
View Park 55, Bell 48
Wilmington Banning 62, Elizabeth 26

SOUTHERN SECTION
Arroyo 54, South El Monte 50
Chadwick 91, Paramount 63
Damien 66, Aquinas 41
Downey 57, Workman 22
Edgewood 52, West Covina 43
Flintridge Prep 80, ISLA 15
Gabrielino 91, Mountain View 46
Garden Grove 58, Irvine University 56
Hemet 56, Valley View 55
Highland 68, Lancaster 34
Hillcrest 57, Orange Vista 56
Indian Springs 64, Citrus Valley 55
Laguna Beach 70, Costa Mesa 46
Lakeside 54, Canyon Springs 50
La Palma 69, Westminster 18
Maricopa 47, Laton 17
Moreno Valley 52, Arlington 42
North Torrance 75, Bellflower 30
Pasadena Marshal 75, El Monte 51
Peninsula 65, Redondo Union 63
Perris 63, Riverside North 62
Pilgrim 71, Westmark 39
Public Safety Academy 51, River Springs Charter 44
Quartz Hill 76, Antelope Valley 44
Redondo Union 76, Peninsula 18
Riverside King 61, Chaparral 55
Riverside Poly 54, Liberty 43
Samueli Academy 49, Bolsa Grande 48
San Fernando Academy 71, Summit View 19
Segerstrom 66, Loara 38
Sierra Vista 62, Covina 58
Temple City 51, El Rancho 46
Thousand Oaks 65, Shalhevet 38
Torrance 76, El Segundo 37
Vista del Lago 57, Heritage 51

INTERSECTIONAL
Dorsey 60, Lawndale 55
Grace 68, Panorama 34
LA Roosevelt 42, Alhambra 39
San Gabriel 50, Maywood CES 23
Westchester 48, Compton Centennial 36

GIRLS
CITY SECTION
AMIT 25, Sun Valley Magnet 20
Bernstein 56, Contreras 13
Cleveland 64, North Hollywood 24
Hollywood 63, Belmont 13
King/Drew 60, Crenshaw 12
Larchmont Charter 36, MSCP 33
MSAR 42, Valor Academy 29
Orthopaedic 28, Animo Bunche 5
Rancho Dominguez 31, Elizabeth 20
South East 51, Lakeview Charter 23
Washington 65, Fremont 10

Advertisement

SOUTHERN SECTION
Agoura 65, Simi Valley 38
Buena Park 78, Westminster 29
Citrus Valley 43, Indio 24
Covina 56, Garey 25
CSDR 71, Victor Valley 33
El Modena 37, Edison 29
Flintridge Prep 85, Westridge 9
Gabrielino 81, Mountain View 4
Hemet 51, Valley View 24
Jurupa Valley 29, Indian Springs 20
Knight 81, Littlerock 8
Lancaster 60, Highland 40
Laton 29, Maricopa 8
Liberty 59, Citrus Hill 28
Los Altos 59, Anaheim 42
Los Amigos 39, Saddleback 19
Mira Costa 54, West Torrance 50
Newbury Park 53, Oxnard Pacifica 34
Oxnard 50, Santa Paula 42
Quartz Hill 57, Antelope Valley 18
Rancho Verde 46, Perris 19
Ramona 56, Gahr 29
Rancho Christian 100, Heritage 41
Riverside North 47, Vista del Lago 34
Riverside King 63, Xaxier Prep 38
Riverside Poly 73, Paloma Valley 38
River Springs Charter 35, Public Safety Academy 15
San Gabriel 46, Edgewood 26
San Gabriel Academy 63, Compton Centennial 62
Savanna 52, Costa Mesa 38
South El Monte 24, Arroyo 21
Thousand Oaks 69, Shalhevet 39
Torrance 74, El Segundo 36
Upland 44, Rosemead 27
Woodbridge 48, Century 6
Yorba Linda 64, Placentia Valencia 44

Continue Reading

Sports

Josh Allen reflects on growth he’s made since joining Bills and becoming expectant father

Published

on

Josh Allen reflects on growth he’s made since joining Bills and becoming expectant father

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has had a terrific 2025.

He and his wife, actress and singer Hailee Steinfeld, got married in June and last week he announced the two were expecting their first child together. Not to mention, he started the year being awarded the NFL MVP trophy.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) passes against the New England Patriots during the second half of an NFL football game in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Advertisement

Allen expressed some appreciation for how he’s grown as a person since he arrived in Buffalo in 2018 as his life took him from a small town in California to Wyoming to the NFL and on the brink of leading a championship-starved city to a Super Bowl appearance.

“Yeah, I guess it’s like the evolution of life,” he said Wednesday. “I consider this place my home. It’s where I’ve done a lot of growing up. And it’s a place that I’ll raise a family. It’s really cool.”

Read More About The Buffalo Bills

As his work-life balance becomes more rigid, The Associated Press noted a curious comment he made in October during “Monday Night Football.” He was asked what Steinfeld has taught him during their relationship. He responded, “Maybe I am more than a football player.”

Allen confirmed to The Associated Press that Steinfeld’s pregnancy factored into his response.

Advertisement

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE SPORTS HUDDLE NEWSLETTER

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen speaks at a news conference after an NFL football game against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

“Overjoyed, absolutely overjoyed,” he said, while confirming that he knew he was going to be a dad before the ESPN interview occurred.

Allen is a three-time Pro Bowler and coming off an MVP season. While he’s done more than enough to warrant talk of back-to-back MVPs, Allen shook that notion off going into Week 16.

“I’m just trying to do my job, just trying to find a way to get in the playoffs here,” he said.

Advertisement

Beating the New England Patriots last week after being down 21 points was a good first step. Buffalo has had ups and downs all season long but the team seems to be hitting its stride now with four wins in their last five games.

Bundle FOX One and FOX Nation to stream the entire FOX Nation library, plus live FOX News, Sports, and Entertainment at our lowest price of the year. The offer ends on Jan. 4, 2026. (Fox One; Fox Nation)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Buffalo will go up against the Cleveland Browns on the road on Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Advertisement

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X.

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending