Attacking half: The half of the field where one team is
trying to score on the opposing team's goal.
Attacking third: The third of the field where one team is
trying to score on the opposing team's goal.
Booking: A term used to indicate when the referee has
cautioned a player with a yellow or red card. A player is said to have been
"booked" after being cautioned.
Carry: To dribble the ball with one's feet.
Caught in possession: A player who doesn't move forward with
the ball or passes to a teammate after receiving the ball, and who is then
tackled by an opponent.
Caught square: When a through ball has beaten two or more
defenders because they were positioned square to one another (in a line across
the field parallel to the goal line).
Chip pass: A pass lofted into the air from one player to a
teammate; used primarily to elude a defender by kicking the ball over his head.
Chip shot: A shot towards the net that is lofted into the
air to try to sail the ball over the goalkeeper's head and under the crossbar
into the goal.
Close down: A defensive technique whereby a defender gets as
close as possible to an attacker carrying the ball without letting him get by.
Counterattack: An attack launched by a defending team
immediately after it regains possession of the ball.
Compress the field: Defenders pushing out toward someone who
is dribbling the ball, thereby reducing the area in which that player can move
without being in an offside position.
Creating space: A player from the attacking team moving
without the ball to draw defenders away from the ball carrier in order to give
him open 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.
Dead ball situation: Any restart of the game when the ball
is put back into play by the attacking team, (i.e.: a direct or indirect free
kick or a corner kick).
Direct play: A tactical style of play in which a team
attempts to move the ball forward into its opponent's half of the field as soon
as possible after recovering possession, frequently by playing long balls over
the top.
Dissent: When a player expresses disagreement by word or
action with any decision of the referee. A yellow-card is usually handed out as
punishment for dissent
Dummy: A player pretending to be about to receive the ball,
but instead allowing the ball to travel past and to the feet of a teammate, in
order to deceive the opponent.
Formation: The arrangement of players into positions on the
field; for example, a 4-3-3 formation consists of four defenders, three
midfielders and three forwards.
50/50 ball: A loose ball contested by a player from each
team, usually after an errant pass or a goal kick.
Goal area: The rectangular area (20 yards wide by 6 yards
deep) in front of each goal from which all goal kicks are taken.
Goal line: The field boundary running along its width at
each end; also called the end line.
Half volley: Kicking the ball just as it rebounds off the
ground.
Header : Use of the head to hit the ball.
Man-to-man: A type of defence where each defender is
assigned to mark a specific forward from the opposing team.
Marking: Guarding and defending a player to prevent him from
advancing the ball towards the net, making a pass or getting the ball from a
teammate.
Midfield: The area of the field near the centre line; the
area patrolled by the midfielders.
Narrowing the angle: A goalkeeping technique used to reduce
the area of the goal that an attacker could shoot. This lowers the odds that the
attacker will score.
Nil: British term meaning the score for one side is zero. A
score of 1-0 is one-nil in English parlance.
Obstruction: A defending player using the body to prevent an
offensive player from playing the ball.
Offside trap: The act of the defenders moving forward in
unison to place an opponent in an offside position, thereby creating an offside
infraction.
Outlet pass: When a goaltender or defender passes the ball
from close to his own goal toward a teammate close to the other team's goal;
used to start a counterattack.
Overlap: A winger moving away from the sideline towards the
centre of the field to create space for a teammate to carry the ball undeterred
along that side of the field.
Own goal: A player accidentally putting the ball in his own
net, thus scoring a goal for the opposing team.
Penalty area: A rectangular area (44 yards wide by 18 yards
deep) with its long edge on the goal line; the goalkeeper may use his hands to
block or control the ball only within this area. Also known as "the 18-yard
box.”
Penalty spot: The small circular spot located 12 yards in
front of the centre of the goal line from which all penalty kicks are taken.
Pitch: British term for a soccer field.
Professional foul: A foul committed intentionally on an
attacker just outside the defender's penalty area; used to prevent a scoring
opportunity without incurring a penalty shot.
Set play: A planned strategy that a team employs when a game
is restarted with a free kick, penalty kick, corner kick, goal kick or throw-in.
Also known as a set piece.
Shielding: A technique used by a ball carrier to protect the
ball from a defender closely marking him.
Sideline or touchline: A line that runs the length of the
field on each side. The line from which all free throws are taken.
Tackling: Ahe act of taking the ball away from a player by
kicking or stopping it with one's feet.
Through ball: A pass played into the space behind the
defenders for a teammate to run on to.
Tracking: Moving and staying with an opponent who has made a
run to another part of the field.
Trap: When a player uses the body to slow down and control a
moving ball, most often using the chest, thighs or feet.
Volley: Any ball kicked by a player when it is in the air.
Wall: A line of defending players (from two to six players)
pressed together shoulder-to-shoulder to protect their goal against a free kick;
the wall makes it more difficult for the opposing player to score by reducing
the amount of open goal area to shoot at.
POSITIONS
Attacking midfielder: The most forward-playing midfielder,
playing right behind the forwards and in front of the rest of the midfielders;
supports the offence by providing passes to forwards to set up goals. Also known
as a deep-lying forward.
Defender: A player who functions primarily in the defensive
third of the field and whose major role is to fend off attacks on the goal by
the opposing team. Also known as a fullback.
Central defender: A player who guards the area directly in
front of his own goal in a zone defence.
Defensive midfielder: The player positioned just in front of
his team's defence; responsible for marking the opposition's best offensive
player.
Flat back: A defensive scheme in which the three or four
defenders move in unison, maintaining a formation that is straight across the
field; as opposed to formations based on having at least one player stationed
some distance behind the other defenders.
Goalkeeper: The player positioned directly in front of the
goal who tries to stop opposing players to score; the only player allowed to use
his hands and arms, though only within the penalty area.
Libero: A defender or midfielder who plays in front of the
defence. Similar to a sweeper (who plays behind the defenders) or a screen;
however, the libero frequently moves forward to join the attack.
Marking back: A fullback with primary responsibility for
marking one of the opposing forwards.
Midfielders: The two, three or four players who link
together the offensive and defensive functions of a team; they play behind their
forwards. Also known as halfbacks.
Screen: A defensive midfielder playing in front of the
fullbacks with responsibility for collecting loose balls across the width of the
field and then distributing them.
Stopper: A defender who marks the best scorer on the
attacking team, often the opposition's striker; exists only in a man-to-man
defence.
Striker: An offensive forward who plays towards the centre
of the field and tries to score goals.
Sweeper: The defender who plays closest to his own goal
behind the rest of the defenders; a team's last line of defence in front of the
goalkeeper.
Target man: An attacking player who acts as a target for
forward passes from teammates. This player tend to be a tall and plays with his
back to the goal and holding off opponents with their big size and frame.
Wingback: A fullback playing in a wide position with
responsibility for making attacking overlapping runs down the wings.
Winger: 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.
RULES AND LAWS
Play the advantage: A judgement made by the official to
allow play to continue rather than stopping play to administer a foul. This is
done because the foul did not put the offended team at a disadvantage, or the
foul, should it have been called, may take away a favourable scoring opportunity
for the offended team.
Ball-to-hand: An unintentional handling of a ball by a
player other than the goalkeeper in the penalty area. This action is not
deliberate as the ball was kicked into the player's hand. This is the opposite
of hand-to-ball, where a player intentionally handles the ball.
Corner kick: A restart of the game where the ball is kicked
from the corner arc in an attempt to score; awarded to an attacking team when
the ball crosses the defending team's goal line and was last touched by the
defending team.
Direct free kick: A kick awarded to a player after being
fouled by the opposition; the player kicks a stationary ball while opposing
players are forced to stand 10 feet away from him; a goal can be scored directly
from this kick without the ball touching another player.
Foul: A violation of the rules, including kicking, pushing,
shoving, tripping and dangerous or aggressive play, for which an official awards
a free kick.
Goal kick: A type of restart in which the ball is kicked
from inside the goal area away from the goal; awarded to the defending team when
a ball that crossed its goal line was last touched by a player on the attacking
team.
Handball: A foul where a player touches the ball with his
hand or arm; the opposing team is awarded a direct free kick.
Indirect free kick: A kick awarded to a player for a
less-serious foul committed by the opposition; the player kicks a stationary
ball while opposing players are forced to stand 10 feet away from him; a goal
can only be scored on this kick after the ball has touched another player.
Injury time: Time added to the end of each half according to
the referee's judgment of time lost due to player injuries or intentional
stalling by a team.
Linesmen: The two officials who assist the referee in making
his decisions; they monitor the sidelines and goal lines to determine when a
ball goes out of bounds or when players are offside; they use a flag to signal
their observations.
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 two opposing defensive players (usually the goalie and one other
defender) are between him and the goal he is attacking at the exact moment the
ball is kicked forward; a player is not offside if he is exactly even with one
or both of these defensive players.
Penalty shot: A kick taken from the penalty spot (12 yards
in front of the centre of the goal line) 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 defence within its own penalty area. Also
known as a penalty kick.
Red card: A red card that a referee holds up to signal a
player's removal from the game; the player's team must play the rest of the game
shorthanded; presented for violent behaviour or multiple infractions (two yellow
cards = one red card).
Shootout: A tie-breaking device that pits one player against
the goalkeeper in penalty kicks. The winner is determined after a best-of-five
chances alternating with each team. If tied after five, the contest continues
with different players until one team scores and the other team doesn't. Used
after the teams played two 15-minute halves of overtime and could not end the
game with a decisive goal.
Substitution: Replacement of one player on the field with
another player not on the field; teams are allowed three substitutions per game.
Throw-in: A type of restart where a player throws the ball
from behind the head with two hands while standing with both feet on the ground
behind a sideline; taken by a player opposite the team that last touched the
ball before it went over the sideline.
Yellow card: A
yellow card that a referee holds up to warn a player for dangerous or
un-sportsmanlike behaviour; also known as a caution; two yellow cards in one
game earns a player an automatic red card, signalling his expulsio
