Social sports club in Wimbledon, London

Glossary

Advantage rule

a clause in the rules that directs the referee to refrain from stopping play for a foul if a stoppage would benefit the team that committed the violation.

Assist

the pass or passes which immediately precede a goal; a maximum of two assists can be credited for one goal.

Attacking midfielder

the most forward-playing midfielder, playing right behind the forwards; he supports the offense by providing passes to forwards to set up goals.

Attacker

any player on the team that has possession of the ball.

Attacking team

the team that has possession of the ball.

Back

a defender.

Back tackle

an attempt by a defender to take the ball away from a ball carrier by swinging the defender's leg in front of the ball from behind.

Ball carrier

a player that has possession of the ball.

Beat

to get the ball through or around an opponent by dribbling or shooting.

Break

when a team quickly advances the ball down the field in an attempt to get its players near the opponent's goal before the defenders have a chance to retreat; also called an advantage.

Breakaway

when an attacker with the ball approaches the goal undefended; this exciting play pits a sole attacker against the goalkeeper in a one-on-one showdown.

Center

a pass from a player located near the sideline towards the middle of the field; used to get the ball closer to the front of the goal; also called a cross.

Center line

see Midfield line.

Central defender

a player who guards the area directly in front of his own goal in a zone defense; does not exist in a man-to-man defense.

Charge

to run into an opponent; legal if done from the front or side of the ball carrier; illegal against a player without the ball or from behind.

Chest trap

when a player uses his chest to slow down and control a ball in the air.

Clear

to kick the ball away from one's goal.

Counterattack

an attack launched by a defending team soon after it regains possession of the ball.

Creating space

when a player from the attacking team moves without the ball to draw defenders away from the ball carrier and give him space.

Cross or crossing pass

a pass from an attacking player near the sideline to a teammate in the middle or opposite side of the field; used to give the teammate a good scoring opportunity.

Crossbar

the horizontal beam that forms the top of a goal and sits on top of the two posts.

Cut down the angle

when the goalie comes out of the goal several feet to make himself closer and larger to an attacker, leaving the attacker less net to shoot at.

Cut off

when a defensive player keeps his body between an attacker and the defender's goal, forcing the attacker out towards the sidelines.

Dangerous play

when a player attempts a play that the referee considers dangerous to that player or others, even if no contact is made.

Defenders

the players on the team that does not have possession of the ball.

Defending team

the team that does not have possession of the ball.

Defense

a team's function of preventing the opposition from scoring.

Defensemen

the 3 or 4 players on a team whose primary task is to stop the opposition from scoring.

Defensive midfielder

the player positioned just in front of his team's defense; he is often assigned to mark the opposition's best offensive player; also called the midfield anchor.

Defensive pressure

when one or more defenders closely mark a ball carrier to harass him into losing the ball.

Deflection

the ricochet of a ball after it hits a player.

Direct free kick

a kick awarded to a player for a serious foul committed by the opposition; the player kicks a stationary ball with no opposing players within 10 yards of him; a goal can be scored directly from this kick without the ball touching another player.

Draw

a game that ends with a tied score.

Dribbler

a player who advances the ball while controlling it with his feet.

Dribbling

the basic skill of advancing the ball with the feet while controlling it.

Fake or feint

a move by a player meant to deceive an opposing player; used by a ball carrier to make a defender think the ball carrier is going to dribble, pass or shoot in a certain direction when he is not.

Far post

the goalpost furthest from the ball.

Field

the rectangular area where football matches are played.

Foot trap

a player's use of his foot to control a rolling or low-bouncing ball.

Formation

the arrangement into positions of players on the field; for example, a 2-2-1 formation places 2 defenders, 2 midfielders and 1 forwards on the field.

Forward line

the forwards who work together to try and score goals; consists of wingers and strikers.

Forward pass

a pass made towards the opposition's goal.

Forwards

the 3 or 4 players on a team who are responsible for most of a team's scoring; they play in front of the rest of their team where they can take most of its shots; strikers and wingers.

Foul

a violation of the rules for which an official assesses a free kick.

Free kick

a kick awarded to a player for a foul committed by the opposition; the player kicks a stationary ball without any opposing players within 10 yards of him.

Front tackle

an attempt by a defender to kick the ball away from an attacker by approaching him from a head-on position.

Goal

a ball that crosses the goal line between the goalposts and below the crossbar for which a point is awarded

Goal area

the rectangular area 20 yards wide by 6 yards deep in front of each goal from which all goal kicks are taken; inside this area, it is illegal for opposing players to charge a goalie not holding the ball.

Goalie

see Goalkeeper.

Goalkeeper

the player positioned directly in front of the goal who tries to prevent shots from getting into the net behind him; the only player allowed to use his hands and arms, though only within the penalty area.

Hacking

kicking an opponent's legs.

Hand ball

a foul where a player touches the ball with his hand or arm; the opposing team is awarded a direct free kick.

Hat trick

3 or more goals scored in a game by a single player.

Header

the striking of a ball in the air by a player's head.

In play

when a ball is within the boundaries of the field and play has not been stopped by the referee.

Indirect free kick

a kick awarded to a player for a less-serious foul committed by the opposition; the player kicks a stationary ball without any opposing players within 10 yards of him; a goal can only be scored on this kick after the ball has touched another player.

Instep drive

a straight shot taken with the instep of a player's foot; usually the most powerful and accurate of shots.

Juggling

keeping a ball in the air with any part of the body besides the hands or arms; used for practice and developing coordination.

Lead pass

a pass sent ahead of a moving teammate to arrive at a location at the same time he does.

Man-to-man

a type of defense where each defender is assigned to mark a different forward from the other team; the most common type of defense for national-level teams.

Marking

guarding a player to prevent him from advancing the ball towards the net, making an easy pass or getting the ball from a teammate.

Midfield

the region of the field near the midfield line; the area controlled by the midfielders.

Midfield line or center line

a line that divides the field in half along its width.

Midfielders

the players who link together the offensive and defensive functions of a team; they play behind their forwards.

Mismatch

when a particular offensive player is far superior to the defender marking him.

Near post

the goalpost closest to the ball.

Obstruction

when a defensive player, instead of going after the ball, uses his body to prevent an offensive player from playing it.

Offense

the function of trying to score goals.

Offensive player

see Attacker.

Offensive team

see Attacking team.

Offside

a violation called when a player in an offside position receives a pass from a teammate; an indirect free kick is awarded to the non-offending team.

Offside position

an attacking player positioned so that fewer than 2 opposing defensive players (usually the goalie and 1 other defender) are between him and the goal he is attacking; a player is not offside if he is exactly even with one or both of these defensive players.

On defense

describes a team that does not have possession of the ball.

On offense

describes a team in possession of the ball.

Open

describes an attacking player who does not have anyone marking him.

Out of play

when a ball is outside the boundaries of the field or play has been stopped by the referee.

Outlet passes

when a goaltender or defender passes the ball from close to his own goal toward the other team's goal; used to start a counterattack.

Overlap

when a winger moves away from the sideline towards the center of the field to create space for a teammate to advance the ball undefended along the side of the field.

Passing

when a player kicks the ball to his teammate; used to move the ball closer to the opposing goal, to keep the ball away from an opponent or to give the ball to a player who is in a better position to score.

Penalty

short for penalty kick; also, a punishment given by the referee for a violation of the rules.

Penalty kick

see Penalty shot.

Penalty shot

a kick taken from the penalty spot by a player against the opposing goalie without any players closer than 10 yards away; awarded for the most severe rule violations and those committed by the defense within its own penalty area; also taken in a tiebreaker to decide a match.

Penalty spot

the small circular spot located 12 yards in front of the center of the goal line from which all penalty kicks are taken; positioned at the center of the penalty arc.

Penetrate

to advance the ball behind opposing defenders (between them and their goal).

Periods

the segments of time into which a game is divided.

Pitch

a British term for soccer field.

Play

to trap, dribble, kick or head the ball.

Play on

a term used by referees to indicate that no foul or stoppage is to be called; used by referees when applying the Advantage Rule.

Possession

control of the ball.

Post

goalpost or the area near it.

Professional foul

a foul committed intentionally, usually by a defender on an attacker just outside the defender's penalty area; used to prevent a scoring opportunity without incurring a penalty shot.

Push pass

when a player pushes the ball with the inside of his foot to a teammate.

Receiver

a player who gets a pass from a teammate.

Save

the act of a goalkeeper in blocking or stopping a shot that would have gone into the goal without his intervention.

Score

to put the ball into the net for a goal; also, the tally of goals for each team playing in a game.

Scorers

players who score goals.

Scoring opportunity

a situation where a team stands a good chance of scoring a goal.

Screening

see Shielding.

Set play

a planned strategy that a team uses when a game is restarted with a free kick, penalty kick, corner kick, goal kick, throw-in or kickoff.

Shielding

a technique used by a ball carrier to protect the ball from a defender closely marking him; the ball carrier keeps his body between the ball and the defender.

Shinguards

pads that strap onto a player's lower leg to protect the shins should he or she be kicked there.

Shooting

when a player kicks the ball at the opponent's net in an attempt to score a goal.

Shorthanded

a team playing with less than its full number of players.

Shot

a ball kicked or headed by a player at the opponent's net in an attempt to score a goal.

Shoulder charge

minimal shoulder-to-shoulder contact by a defender against a ball carrier; the only contact allowed by the rules unless a defender touches the ball first.

Shutout

preventing the opposition from scoring any goals in a game; for example, a score of 2-0 or 4-0; goalies are often credited with shutouts because they did not allow any goals to get past them.

Side tackle

an attempt by a defender to redirect the ball slightly with his foot away from a ball carrier running in the same direction.

Sliding tackle

an attempt by a defender to take the ball away from a ball carrier by sliding on the ground feet-first into the ball.

Square pass

a pass made by a player to a teammate running alongside him.

Steal

when a player takes the ball away from an opposing player.

Stopper

the defender that marks the best scorer on the attacking team, often the opposition's striker; exists only in a man-to-man defense.

Striker

a team's most powerful and best-scoring forward who plays towards the center of the field.

Substitution

replacement of one player on the field with another player not on the field.

Sweeper

the defender that plays closest to his own goal behind the rest of the defenders; a team's last line of defense in front of the goalkeeper.

Tackling

the act of taking the ball away from a player by kicking or stopping it with one's feet; only a minimal amount of shoulder-to-shoulder contact, called a charge, is permitted to knock the ball carrier off balance.

Territory

the half of the field which a team defends.

Thigh trap

when a player uses his thigh to slow down and control a ball in the air.

Through pass

a pass sent to a teammate to get him the ball behind his defender; used to penetrate a line of defenders.

Trailing

running behind another player.

Trap

when a player uses his body to slow down and control a moving ball, most often using his chest, thighs or feet.

Turnover

the loss of possession of the ball.

Two-way midfielder

the versatile midfielder most responsible for organizing play in the midfield area; often a team's energetic leader.

Unsportsmanlike conduct

rude behavior.

Volley

any ball kicked by a player when it is off the ground.

Wall

a line of 2 to 6 defending players pressed together shoulder-to-shoulder to protect their goal against a close free kick; creates a more difficult shot by reducing the amount of open goal area the kicker has to shoot at.

Wall pass

a pass by a ball carrier who sends the ball to a teammate, then runs behind his own defender and quickly receives a pass back; used to get a player past his defender without having to dribble by him; same as the "give-and-go" in basketball.

Wings or wingers

the outside forwards who play to the sides of the strikers and whose primary task is to provide them with accurate crossing passes so they can shoot at the goal; often the fastest players and best dribblers on a team.

Zone

a type of defense that assigns each defender to a particular area in front of or around his team's goal in which he is responsible for marking any attacker that enters; often used in youth league games but rarely in professional competition.