Premier League Passing 2015/16

Interestingly enough, many of these passes into the penalty area are rather vertical balls instead of diagonal ones, which would directly go against the common coaching phrase of "no straight balls." While only 24 passes from midfielders seems low, it is indicative of a larger change in the game: the increasing demand for defenders to be able to play out from the back. 

However, what's even more interesting than the lack of deep lying playmakers on this list, is the surprising amount of goalkeepers! 31 of these 120 (25.8%) completed passes were from keepers. This is clearly a result of the 1992 back-pass rule, which is the most impactful law change in the history of association football, perhaps even more than the offside law.