pea roller

plural pea rollers · alternative pea-roller

1. ball gamesA now-illegal delivery where the ball is rolled along the ground rather than bowled overarm.
2. ball gamesA mishit shot that travels slowly along the ground.

   After two minutes and 25 seconds, he scored with a pea-roller that totally foxed Stoke keeper Dennis Herod and dribbled in off a post.

   2017, Scott Murray, The Title: The Story of the First Division, →ISBN, page 138

   2 more examples

   The ball was sent rolling towards the Millwall goal as if prodded by an 88-year-old in carpet slippers. This pitiable pea-roller hit a divot and Nigel Spink, their goalkeeper, kindly dived over it as it hobbled across the goal-line at precisely three miles per hour.

   1999, Mark Hodkinson, Blue Moon: Down Among the Dead Men with Manchester City, →ISBN, page 132

   Despite deputising between the sticks on that woeful evening against Northampton, his league debut began with a bang when he saved Yakubu's pea-roller penalty at Blackburn.

   2015, Neil Collins, Red Mist: A Fan's View of the 2014/15 Season, →ISBN, page 115