Football Terminologies
Attacker: A player whose job is to play the ball forward towards the
opponent's goal area to create a scoring opportunity.
Back Heel: A ball kicked using the back (heel) of the foot.
Back Pass: A pass that a player makes back toward their own goal, usually
made back to the goalkeeper. This is often a defensive move to restart a
new phase of play.
Ball Carrier: The player in possession of the ball.
Bending the Ball: Striking the ball off-center so that it travels in a curved
path, ideally for shots at goal.
Bicycle Kick: A spectacular move in which a player jumps in the air in a
backflip motion, kicking the ball backward over their head. The name
comes from action which mimics their legs moving as if pedaling a bicycle.
Center Spot: The spot marked at the center of the field from which the
kickoff is made.
Confederation: Organization responsible for football in their region
Corner Flag: The flag marking each of the four corners of the field.
Corner Kick: A free kick taken from the corner of the field by an attacker.
The corner kick is awarded when the ball has passed over the goal line
after last touching a defensive player. The shot is taken from the corner
nearest to where the ball went out.
Cross: A pass played across the face of a goal.
Defender: A player whose job is to stop the opposition attacking players
from goal scoring.
Direct Free Kick: A free kick in which a goal may be scored by the player
taking the free kick.
Dribble: Keeping control of the ball while running.
Dummy Run: A run by a player without the ball, to lure defenders away
from the ball carrier.
Far Post: The goalpost farthest from the ball.
FIFA: The acronym used for the Federation Internationale de Football
Association, the world governing body for the game of association
football, which is based in Switzerland.
Football: The term used for soccer in Europe and other countries outside
of North America and Australia.
Foul: Any illegal play.
Free Kick: A kick awarded to an opposition player when an player has
committed a foul. Free kicks can be either direct or indirect.
Futsal: version of Fottball played indoors.
Penalty Area: The rectangular area in front of the goal in which the
goalkeeper may handle the ball. It is also known as the 18-yard box
because of its dimensions.
Penalty Spot: The marked spot 12 yards from the goal line from which a
penalty kick is taken.
Penalty: A penalty kick is awarded when a foul has been committed inside
the penalty area in front of the goal. A penalty is taken by one player
opposed only by the goal keeper.
Pitch: The soccer field of play.
Red Card: A red card is issued to a player when that player has committed
a serious infraction or has been issued with two yellow cards within the
same game. The red card held up by the referee to signal that a player is
being sent off. The player sent off cannot be replaced.
Referee: The official who is in charge of the game.
Shot: A kick, header, or any intended deflection of the ball toward a goal
by a player attempting to score a goal.
Sliding Tackle: A tackle in which the defender slides along the surface of
the field of play before making one-footed contact with the ball.
Striker: An attacking player whose job is to finish attacking plays by
scoring a goal.
Sweeper: A defensive player whose job is to roam behind the other
defenders.
A sweeper has no specific marking duties and is the last line of defense
before the goalkeeper.
Tackle: To take the ball away from the opponent using the feet.
Through Pass: A pass played past defenders into free space to allow a
teammate to run onto the ball.
Throw-In: The ball is thrown in after the ball has crossed the touch line. A
player taking a throw in must have both 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.
Toe Poke: Use of the toe to strike the ball.
Touch Line: The line that defines the outer edge of the longer sides of the
field of play.
Trapping the Ball: Controlling the ball with the sole of the foot.
Volley: Striking the ball in mid-air with either foot.
Wingers: Attackers who play on the wings/flanks of the field.
Yellow Card: A yellow card is held up by a referee to signal a caution for a
minor infringement.
Zone Defense: A defensive system where defenders mark a designated
area of the field of play instead of tracking players across the field.