SOCCER TERMS

Attacker  A player whose job it is to move the ball toward the opponent’s in order to score or create a scoring opportunity.

Back Heel  A ball played using the back of the foot.

Back Pass  A pass that a player makes backward toward his goal; often, this pass is made back to one’s own goalkeeper.

Ball Familiarization  The practice of making a player comfortable with a soccer ball through constant touches of the ball.

Bending the Ball  Striking the ball with an off-center kick so that it travels in a curved path; also known as a banana kick

Bicycle Kick  An expert move that is made by throwing the body up into the air, with the legs moving as if pedaling a bicycle; the player kicks the ball backward over his head.

Block Tackle  A tackle using the inside of the foot behind the ball from a standing position.

Boots  The English term for soccer cleats.

Caution  An action taken by the referee against a player for one of several offenses, ranging from delaying the restart of play to unsporting conduct; there referee’s action entails issuing a yellow card to the offender.

Center Forward  An attacking player who generally operates in the middle of the oppositions half of the field.

Center Spot  A mark at the center of the halfway line used for kickoffs.

Change (The Field)  Passing a ball from one side to the other; also called switching the field

Charge  Allowed intentional conduct between players; this contact must be shoulder to shoulder with arms close to the body, and is permitted only while the ball is near enough to play; it must be intended to gain possession of the ball; it is only permitted when at least one foot of each player is in contact with the ground; if the charge is not performed in this manner, it may be ruled a foul.

Chest Control  Receiving the ball on the chest, in the area of the sternum.

Chip Pass  A lofted high pass, often with backspin.

Classic  A system of youth league play used in certain parts of the United States.  We use this system here in North Carolina.  Classic is the highest level of play offered by the State.  Select and Premiere teams are high level classic teams.

Clearance  When defending players send the ball far away from their goal.

Conditioned Game  A practice game in which the coach imposes a variety of restrictions, such as one or two touches.

Contain  A method used by the defense to restrict a member of the opposition to an area of the field.

Cool down  The practice of slowly curtailing physical activity after playing. This should include stretching to ensure flexibility and prevent injury.

Corner Flag  A flag used to mark each of the four corners of the field.

Corner Kick  A method of restarting play in which a kick is taken by a member of the attacking team when the ball goes over the goal line after last touching a defensive player; it is taken from the corner nearest to where the ball went out of bounds.

Cover (ing)  A defensive player who guards a member of the offense who does not have the ball or is in anticipation of getting the ball; it also refers to one defender who supports, or takes over, for another defender.

Cross  A ball, usually a lofted pass, played across the face of a goal.

Crossbar  The part of the goal that is parallel to the ground and directly over the goal line.

Cruyff Turn  A turn used for change of direction and to deceive an opponent; named for Johan Cruyff, the famous Dutch player who popularized it.

Cushioning the Ball  Use of any body part other than the hands to absorb the impact of the ball with the aim of controlling it

Dangerous Play  Any play that is likely to endanger any player; it results in an indirect free kick for the opposing team; an example is kicking the leg too high in the air in order to play the ball.

Dead Ball  A ball that is not in play.

Defender  A player whose key responsibility is to stop the attacking team.

Direct Free Kick  A free kick awarded for a personal foul; a player takes the kick from the site of the infraction and may score directly from this type of free kick.

Distribution  The various individual techniques used by a player to pass the ball to teammates; it is generally used to describe this task when performed by a goalkeeper.

Diving Header  Using the head to strike the ball as a player throws himself toward the ball or is falling toward the ground.

Down the Line  A ball played parallel to the touch line toward the opposition’s goal; a commonly used tactic for throw-ins.

Dribble  To maintain control of the ball while running.

Drop Ball  A method of restarting play normally used after an injury stops play, or after play has been stopped without the ball going out of bounds; the referee drops the ball at the site of stoppage; one bounce must occur before the ball can be played.

Drop Kick  A distribution method used by a goalkeeper; it is done by dropping the ball from the hands to the ground and then striking the ball immediately after it bounces.

Dummy Run  A run by a player without the ball to draw defenders away from the ball carrier.

Far Post  The goalpost farthest from the ball.

Feint  A deceptive move meant to fake out an opponent.

Field Player  Any player other than the goalkeeper.

FIFA  Acronym for Federation Internationale de Football Association, which is the international governing body of soccer.

Finish  To score a goal.

Football  The word used for soccer throughout much of the world outside North America.

Forward  Any player used primarily as an attacker; usually plays in the opposition’s half of the field.

Free Kick  A kick from a stationary position that is awarded to a team that has been fouled; there are two types of free kicks, direct and indirect.

Give-and-Go  Also known as 1-2 and wall pass; a pass to a teammate, who one-touch passes the ball back into space for the player to run to.

Goal  A goal is scored when the entire ball completely crosses the goal line between the goalposts and underneath the crossbar; a goal is also the structure (posts, crossbar, net) at each end of the field into which the ball is played to score.

Goal Kick  A method of restating play in which a kick is awarded to the defending team when the ball is played over the goal line by the attacking team; it is taken from anywhere in the goal area; the ball is only in play from a goal kick after it passes out of the penalty area and onto the field;  The opponents remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play.

Goal Line  The two boundary lines located at the ends of the field.

Goal Mouth  The area in front of the goal.

Goalpost  The vertical or upright posts that are perpendicular to the goal line.

Goal side  The position that a defender takes when marking a player, between his goal and an opposing player.

Grid  A clearly marked four-sided area commonly used for training .

Half-Volley  A kick made immediately after the ball bounces on the ground.

Hand Ball  With the exception of the goalkeeper, use of any portion of the arm from the shoulder down, to control the ball; doing this results in a foul being called and a direct free kick for the other team.  An intentional Hand Ball committed to deny a goal scoring opportunity results in the offending player being shown the red card and ejected from the game.

Header  Using your head to pass or control the ball.

Indirect Free Kick  Awarded for violations of playing rules such as offside, delay of game, and misconduct; from this type of free kick, a goal can only be scored when touched by two players.

Instep  The portion of the foot to the side of the shoelaces; the inside of the foot.

In swing  A pass, cross, or shot that curves toward the goal.

Javelin Throw  A method of distribution by the goalkeeper; a catapult-style throw.

Jockeying  The act of slowing down an attacker where a defender may fake tackles and try to disrupt the attacker's dribbling; used to provide other teammates with time to recover and get into defensive position.

Juggling  Keeping the ball airborne using any body surface except for the hands and arms.

Kickoff  Used to start play at the beginning of each half and after a goal has been scored; a goal may be scored directly from a kickoff, which is taken from the center spot.

Laces Drive  A shot, pass, or clearance with the lace area of the foot.

Laws of the Game  Seventeen rules established and maintained by FIFA (the international soccer federation), that governs soccer.

"Man On"  A call to make a player aware that he is being closely marked by an opposing player or that an opponent is rapidly approaching.

Man-to-Man Marking  A defensive system in which each defender is responsible for guarding a specific opponent.

Maradonna Turn  A turn used to change direction and elude an opponent; named for Diego Maradonna, the famous Argentinean player who popularized it.

Marking  Guarding, or defending, an opponent.

Midfielders  The players responsible for linking play between attackers and defenders.

Narrowing the Angle  A goalkeeper advancing to block an attacker, thereby decreasing the size of the area of the goal in which an attacker can direct a shot. Also referred to as closing down the angle.

Near post  The goalpost nearest the ball.

Nutmeg  Passing or pushing a ball between another player's legs.

Obstruction  Blocking an opponent with the body; this is penalized by an indirect free kick, unless the obstruction is done within playing distance of the ball, in which case it is legal.

Offside  A player is in an offside position if he is nearer to his opponent's goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last opponent; he is not offside if he is on his half of the field or is level with the second-to-last opponent or level with the last two opponents; an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team to be taken from the place where the offside occurs.

Offside Trap  A defensive technique to put attacking players in an offside position; this usually involves defenders quickly moving away from their own goal to create a situation in which attackers are positioned illegally in advance of the ball.

Off the Ball  Anything happening away from the immediate area of the ball.

Olympic Development Program  ODP; the official program of the US Youth Soccer Association in which players represent their states.  This is a national program

One-Touch Pass  A pass in which the ball is played with a player's first touch.

1-2  Also known as give-and-go and wall pass; a pass to a teammate, who one-touch passes the ball back into space for the player to run to.

Out Swing  A kick that swerves away from the goal.

Overhead Kick  Also named the bicycle kick.

Overlapping Players  Players making forward runs off the ball to help the ball carrier; creates space for a new pass or to distract defenders.

Parry  A goalkeeper's use of any body part, usually the hands, to deflect the ball from the goal.

Pass  Playing the ball to another player by striking it with various areas of the body.

Penalty Area  The large, lined rectangular area in front of the goal where the goalkeeper may handle the ball. Also refereed to as the 18-yard box because of its dimensions.

Penalty Kick  Awarded to the attacking team for any personal fouls or intentional handling of the ball by the defensive team inside the penalty area; the direct free kick is taken from the penalty spot, 12 yards from the goal line, and with the exception of the goalkeeper and the player taking the kick, all other players must be at least 10 yards from the penalty spot and outside the penalty area.

Pinny  A lightweight colored vest worn over clothing and used to delineate one team from another; also referred to as a scrimmage vest.

Pitch  The term used in some countries for soccer field.

Plant Foot  The non-kicking foot or the foot remaining on the ground.

Playing "Up"  When a player plays in an age group above the level they should be based on age.

Poke Tackle  Stealing the ball from an opponent by toeing the ball away.

Premier  A system of youth league play used in certain parts of the country.  The top Classic teams make up the Premier League.

Punching the Ball  A goalkeeper technique, where the ball is punched clear of the goal.

Punt  A goalkeeping distribution technique; the ball is dropped from the hands then kicked with the laces.

Push Up  To move the defense out toward the offensive half of the field.

Recreational  A system of youth play, usually not involving tryouts.

Red Card  A small red card held up by the referee; one serious infraction or two yellow cards within the same game will cause a red card to be issued; examples of these infractions include serious foul play, violent behavior, or foul or abusive language; a red card results in a player's ejection from the game.

Referee  The official in charge of the game.

Referee's Assistants  Two officials whose duties are to indicate when the ball is out of play or when a team is offside; which side is entitled to a corner kick, goal kick, or throw-in; and when a substitution is desired; they may alert the referee to any and all things that the referee cannot see; the final decision rests with the referee.

Save  A player's successful prevention of a goal, usually associated with a goalkeeper.

Scissors Kick  A kick made by a player while off the ground in which the ball is struck by one foot as the legs make scissors-like motion.

Scrimmage  A practice game; also called a friendly.

Scrimmage Vest  A lightweight colored vest worn over clothing and used to delineate one team from another; also referred to as pinny.

Select  A system of high-level play.  Classic level players may be "selected" to play on these teams.

Set Play (Set Piece)  When a stoppage in play results in one team having 100 percent control over what happens next; restart situations include free kicks, throw-ins, corner kicks, kickoffs, penalty kicks, and goal kicks.

Shielding  Keeping an opponent away from the ball by using the body.

Shot  A kick, header, or any intended deflection of the ball toward a goal by a player attempting to score a goal.

Side Volley  A shot, pass, or clearance made by striking the ball while it is in the air, using the various parts of the leg or foot, and sending the ball across the body.

Slide Tackle  A tackle in which the defender slides and makes contact with the ball.

Small-Sided Game  A game that includes only a few players per team.

Stopper  A defender who usually plays in front of the sweeper

Strike  Use of any body part (except the hands and arms) to hit the ball.

Support  Being in any position to help another player, such as helping out a teammate on the ball by moving to an open area or to a position to receive a pass.

Sweeper  A defensive player who roams behind the other defenders and has no specific marking duties; he is the last line of defense before the goalkeeper.

Swerve Pass  A pass that follows a curved path because of the way the ball is struck with the side of the foot.

Switch (the field)  Passing a ball from one side of the field to the other; also called changing the field.

Tackle  A defensive technique using the feet to take the ball away from the opponent.

Take On  To beat and get past a defender using skill or speed.

Takeover  While dribbling, a player exchanges the ball with a teammate by leaving it for that player to run up and take control of the ball.

Target Players  Usually, forwards who are the target of passes and crosses; usually play with their backs to the goal on which they are trying to score.

Team Transition  When a team shifts from a defensive situation to attack or vice-versa.

Through Pass  A pass designed to go between two defenders in order to take them out of the play, releasing one's own player into space.

Throw-In  A method of continuing play after the ball has crossed the touch line; players must have their feet on or behind the touch line, must maintain contact with the ground, and must use a two-handed throw made from behind the head; a goal cannot be score directly from a throw-in.

"Time"  A frequently used term during play made by one’s teammate to signal to a player that he has time or space (defenders are not nearby).

Tip Save  Use of the fingertips by the goalkeeper to deflect the ball away from the goal.

Toe Poke  Use of the toe to strike the ball.

Touch  Contact that a player has with the ball while it is in his possession; for example, a player who "three touches" the ball, receives it, touches it again, and then kicks it away; touch also describes a player’s ability to control the ball well.

Touch Line  The line that defines the outer edge of the longer sides of the field; also referred to as the sideline.

Trap (Trapping)  The process of receiving a soccer ball; the word trap is combined with a body part to identify how control is gained of the ball, such as thigh trap, chest trap, and sole-of-the-foot trap.

Travel  A system of youth league play used in certain parts of the United States.

Volley  Striking the ball in midair with either foot.

Wall Pass  Also known as 1-2 and give-and-go; a pass to a teammate, who then one-touch passes the ball back into space for the player to run to.

Warm Ups  In order to prepare for any aspect of playing, players participate in gradual physical exercise, such as light running and stretching, and even mental preparation.

Wingers  Forwards who play on the wings/sides/flanks of the field.

World Cup  The official World Championship of soccer, it is sanctioned by FIFA and held every four years.

Yellow Card  A small yellow card held up by a referee to inform all participants and spectators that an infringement of the rules dictating a caution has occurred.

Youth License Modules  Three U.S. Youth Soccer Association age-specific courses (U-6, U-8, U-10) for coaching accreditation.

Zone Defense  A defensive system; defenders mark a designated area instead of tracking players across the field.