AFC: initialism for either the Asian Football Confederation,[20] the governing body of the sport in

Asia,

Armband: worn by a team's captain, to signify that role

 Back-pass rule: rule introduced into the Laws of the Game in 1992 to help speed up play,
specifying that goalkeepers are not allowed to pick up the ball if it was intentionally kicked
back to them by a teammate.[36]
 Backheel: type of pass or shot in which a player uses their heel to propel the ball
backwards to another player or to the goal. Sometimes spelt back heel.[37]
Behind closed doors: matches in which spectators are not present. May be imposed as a form
of sanction for clubs whose supporters have behaved inappropriately

Bend: skill attribute in which players strike the ball in a manner that applies spin, resulting in the
flight of the ball curving, or bending, in mid-air.

Bicycle kick: move made by a player with their back to the goal. The player throws their body
into the air, makes a shearing movement with the legs to get one leg in front of the other, and
attempts to play the ball backwards over their own head, all before returning to the ground

 Brace: when a player scores two goals in a single match.[8]

 Bottler: refers to a player or a team that initially plays in a reasonably well level, but, due
to mistakes, end up in a poor form at the end of the season.
 Byline: markings on the shortest side of the pitch, which run from the posts to the
corners. Also known as the End line.[34]
 Cap-tied: a term used when a player has represented a national team and as a
consequence is ineligible to play for another.
 Catenaccio: tactical system that puts an emphasis on defence. In
Italian, catenaccio means "door-bolt", implying a highly organised and effective backline
defence to prevent goals.[62]
 Centre spot: mark in the centre of the pitch from which play is started at the beginning of
each half, and restarted following the scoring of a goal.[63]
 Clean sheet: when a goalkeeper or team does not concede a single goal during a match.
[5]

 Cup-tied: where a player is ineligible to play in a cup competition because they have
played for a different team earlier in the same competition.[83]
 Curva: curved stands behind the goals in a football stadium, usually home to fanatical
fans, or "ultras".[86]
 Dead ball: situation when the game is restarted with the ball stationary, such as a free
kick.[89]
Deep: describes the positioning of a player (or a line of players, such as the defence or midfield)
who is playing closer to their own goal than they traditionally would.

 Derby: match between two, usually local, rivals.[91]

 Direct free kick: awarded to fouled team following certain listed "penal" fouls. [93] A goal
may be scored directly from a direct free kick.
Dirty work: the type of play undertaken by a defensive midfielder – such as making tackles in
midfield, playing short passes to the wing, and breaking up opponents' attacking moves

Dissent: breach of the Laws of the Game, whereby a player uses offensive language or gestures
towards official(s). In extreme cases it can result in yellow or red cards being issued.

Dribbling: when a player runs with the ball at their feet under close control.
 Dummy: skill move performed by a player receiving a pass from a teammate; the player
receiving the ball will angle their body in such a way that the opponent thinks they are going
to play the ball. The player will then intentionally allow the ball to run by them to a teammate
close by without touching it, confusing the opponent as to which player has the ball. [102]
 Early doors: term frequently utilized by commentators to describe to early stages of a
match.[48]
 Equaliser: goal that makes the score even.[34]
 Extra time: additional period, normally two halves of 15 minutes, used to determine the
winner in some tied cup matches.[34]
 False nine: A centre forward who regularly drops back into midfield to disrupt opposition
marking.[108]
Feeder club: a smaller club linked to a larger club, usually to provide first-team experience for
younger players who remain contracted to the larger club

 First eleven: the eleven players who, when available, would be the ones usually chosen by
the team's manager to start a game.[124]
 First touch: skill attribute for a player which signifies their ability to bring the ball
completely under control immediately upon receiving it.[126]
Fixture congestion: situation where a team is required to play many matches in a short period
of time. Extended runs in cup competitions or prolonged spells of bad weather can cause
matches to be postponed, causing fixture congestion as the team is required to catch up all the
postponed matches.

Flat back four: defensive positioning system, in which the primary first position of each member
of a four-man defense is in a straight line across the pitch; often used in conjunction with
an offside trap.

Flick-on: when a player receives a pass from a teammate and, instead of controlling it, touches
the ball with their head or foot while it is moving past them, with the intent of helping the ball
reach another teammate.[132

Freestyle football: art of a player expressing themself with a football, while performing various
tricks with any part of their body

Futsal: variant of association football that is played on a smaller hard court surface and mainly
played indoors

 Goal kick: method of restarting play when the ball is played over the goal line by a player of
the attacking team without a goal being scored.[34]
 Goal-line technology: a system to determine whether the ball has crossed the line for a
goal or not.
 Green card: a virtual card awarded after the game by the referee in Italy's Serie B to a
player whose actions illustrate "positive behaviour" during the game.[165]
Hairdryer treatment: manager yelling at players without mercy in the dressing room, intended to
motivate them. In this scenario, the manager acts as the hairdryer.

 Half-volley: pass or shot in which the ball is struck just as, or just after, it touches the
ground.[133]
 Hammer: to beat a team by a big margin.
 Hard man: a player noted for his aggressive style of play, especially for strong tackles. [173]
[174][175]

 Howler: glaring and possibly amusing error made by a player or referee during a match.
[185]
  Hollywood ball: a spectacular-looking long range pass, but one which rarely achieves
what the passer hopes.[181]
 IFAB: initialism for the International Football Association Board, the body that determines
the Laws of the Game of association football.[186]
 Indirect free kick: type of free kick awarded to the opposing team following "non-penal"
fouls, certain technical infringements, or when play is stopped to caution or dismiss an
opponent without a specific foul having occurred. Unlike in a direct free kick, a goal may
not be scored directly from an indirect free kick.[187]

Jew goal: a goal scored when a player "passes the ball when two-on-one with the keeper in
order to provide the receiver with an open goal".

Jumpers for goalposts: informal name for a version of street football where players lay down
items of clothing to mark out goals

Keepie-uppie: the skill of juggling a football, keeping it off the ground using the feet, the knees,
the chest, the shoulders or the head

 Kick-off: method of starting a match; the ball is played from the centre spot with all members
of the opposing team at least 10 yards from the ball.[199] Also used to restart the match when a
goal has been scored.[199]
Kill the game: goal that increases the advantage for one team and defines the outcome of the
match