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Soccer Positions
Shots and Goals
Passing and Dribbling
Kicks and Restarts
Goalkeeping and Defending
Fouls, Cards and Referees
The Soccer Field
Match Day and Gear
Soccer Positions, continued
Left back A fullback named for the flank he or she defends. The partner plays on the right. Libero Another name for the sweeper. It is Italian for free. Midfielder One of the four main positions: plays between the defenders and the strikers. Outfield player Any of the ten on a team who are not the goalie. Playmaker The creative attacker a team plays through: this player sets the pace and picks the passes. Stopper A center back who marks one attacker closely, with a sweeper free behind. Striker One of the four main positions: plays closest to the other net, with scoring as the main job. Substitute A player brought on during the match in exchange for a teammate. Sweeper Protects the space between the goalie and the rest of the defense. Target man A tall, strong striker who wins balls in the air and holds them up for teammates. Utility player Someone who can fill several different positions on the field. Wingback An attacking fullback who pushes far up the side of the field and then tracks back. Winger A wide player whose main job is to send crosses into the penalty area.
Shots and Goals 22
Backheel A pass or shot sent backward with the rear of the foot. Bend To strike the ball with spin so that its flight curves in mid-air. Bicycle kick An acrobatic strike: the player leaps backward and sends the ball over his or her own head. Brace Two scores by one player in a single match. Chance A moment when an attacker can shoot with a real prospect of scoring. Chip A high, looping shot or cross made by wedging the foot under the ball. Curl Spin that makes a struck ball swerve in the air, handy for getting around a wall. Equalizer A score that makes the two teams level. Finishing The act of scoring: turning a chance into a number on the scoreboard. Goal Scored when the whole ball crosses the line between the posts and under the crossbar. Golazo A word for a spectacular or impressive score. Hat trick Three scores by one player in a single match. Header Playing the ball with the head, to pass, to shoot or to clear. Knuckleball A long shot struck so that the ball hardly spins at all in flight. Rabona A trick kick: the striking foot swings behind the planted leg to reach the ball. Screamer A fiercely hit shot from long range. Also called a stunner. Side netting The outside of the net, stretching back from the post. Hitting it is a near miss. Sitter A clear chance that the shooter somehow misses, often with the net wide open. Toe poke A shot jabbed with the very tip of the boot. Some call it a toe punt. Top corner Where post meets crossbar: the hardest part of the net for a goalie to reach. Volley A pass or shot struck before the ball touches the ground. Woodwork The posts and the crossbar together, a name kept though they are no longer made of wood.
Passing and Dribbling 27
Assist The pass that leads to a score. Back pass A kick to your own goalie, who since 1992 may not pick it up. Counterattack A sudden break forward right after winning the ball, while the other defense is out of place. Cross A ball sent into the penalty area from out wide, near the touchline. Dribble To run with the ball at your feet under close control. Dummy Shaping to receive a pass, then letting it run by to a teammate, which fools the opponent. First touch A player's skill at bringing the ball under control the instant it arrives. Flick-on A light touch with head or foot that helps a moving ball on to a teammate. Give-and-go Another name for the quick pass out and back that takes a defender out of the play. Half volley A pass or shot struck just as the ball comes up off the ground. Juggling Keeping the ball in the air with feet, knees, chest, shoulders and head. Keepie uppie A playful name for keeping the ball off the ground, touch after touch. Lay-off A gentle pass nudged into the path of a teammate running onto it. Long ball A kick sent far downfield, often toward fast or tall strikers. Man on A shout that warns a teammate that an opponent is close behind. Mazy run A winding dribble past several opponents without losing the ball. Nutmeg Playing the ball between an opponent's legs and collecting it on the other side. One touch A quick style in which each player moves the ball on with a single contact. One-two Pass to a teammate, run past the defender and get the ball straight back. Overlap A run around the outside of the teammate who has the ball, to give a passing option. Possession Having the ball. A team keeps it by passing well. Shielding Keeping your body between the ball and an opponent while staying in control of it. Square ball A pass played sideways across the field to a teammate. Step over A feint: swing a foot around the ball without touching it to send a defender the wrong way. Through ball A pass played straight between the defenders for a teammate to run onto. Tiki-taka A style built on short passes and constant movement to keep the ball. Trap To bring a dropping ball under control with the foot, thigh or chest.
Kicks and Restarts 20
Center spot The mark in the middle of the field where the ball sits for a kickoff. Coin toss The two captains take part in this before play begins. Corner arc The quarter circle, one yard in radius, by each flag. The ball is placed inside it. Corner kick Given when a defender puts the ball over his or her own end line without a score. Dead ball The situation when play restarts from a standstill, as it does at a free kick. Drop ball A restart used when play stopped for something other than a foul, such as an injury. Free kick Awarded after a foul. It may be direct, a shot straight at the net, or indirect. Goal kick Given when an attacker sends the ball over the end line without a score. Indirect Kind of free kick that must touch a second player before a score can count. Kickoff Starts each half and follows every score. The ball sits on the center spot. Penalty kick A shot from 12 yards, given when a team commits a direct-kick foul inside its own box. Penalty spot The mark 12 yards out from the middle of the goal line. Restart Any way of getting play going again: a throw, a kick or a dropped ball. Set piece A routine the attacking team has practiced, such as a corner or a free kick. Shootout Decides a knockout match still level after extra time. Each side starts with five penalties. Spot kick Another name for a penalty, after the painted mark the ball is placed on. Sudden death Level after five penalties each? Kicks go on until one side scores and the other misses. Throw-in Returns the ball to play by hand after it has wholly crossed a touchline. Vanishing spray Short-lasting foam the referee puts on the grass to mark 10 yards at a free kick. Wall A row of defenders lined up 10 yards from a free kick to cover part of the net.
Goalkeeping and Defending 23
Challenge Another word for a tackle: a try at winning the ball from an opponent. Clean sheet What a goalie or team keeps by letting in nothing for a whole match. Clearance A kick that sends the ball away from the net a team is defending. Defense The part of the team whose job is to stop the other side from scoring. Fifty-fifty A loose ball that a player from each side has an equal chance of winning. Flat back four A quartet of defenders who hold a straight line across the field. Goalie The informal name for the player who guards the net. Goalside Standing nearer to your own net than the opponent you are guarding. Intercept To cut out a pass before it reaches the player it was meant for. Keeper A short name for the one player who may use hands inside the box. Last man The only defender left between an attacker with the ball and the net. Low block Defending very deep in your own half to leave attackers little space. Man-to-man Marking system in which each defender sticks with one particular opponent. Marking Staying close to an attacker so that he or she cannot receive the ball. Offside trap Defenders step up together just as a pass is played, leaving an attacker beyond them. One-on-one An attacker with only the goalie left to beat. Parking the bus Slang for a whole team sitting back to defend, as if a big vehicle blocked the net. Pressing Defenders move toward the ball to win it back quickly, far from their own net. Punch What a goalie does with a fist to clear a high cross when strikers are crowding in. Save Made when the goalie stops the ball from crossing the line between the posts. Shutout Another word for a clean sheet: the other team never scores. Slide tackle Going to ground with one leg stretched out to push the ball away from an opponent. Zonal Marking system in which each defender guards an area and not one opponent.
Fouls, Cards and Referees 25
Advantage Play goes on after a foul because stopping would hurt the team that was fouled. Booking Noting an offender's name, which goes with a yellow card. Caution The formal name for the warning that comes with a yellow card. Dissent Arguing with an official by word or gesture, which can bring a card. Flag An assistant raises it to signal a foul or another infraction he or she has seen. Foul A breach of the rules by a player, punished with a free kick or a penalty. Fourth official An extra match official who can replace one of the others if they are injured. Hand ball Deliberately touching the ball with a hand or arm. Only a goalie in the box is allowed to. High foot Slang for playing in a dangerous manner by lifting your cleats up near an opponent. Laws of the Game The sport's rule book. It dates back to 1863 and is set out in seventeen parts today. Linesman The older name for an assistant official who works along a touchline. Obstruction Illegally blocking an opponent from reaching a ball that you do not control. Offside Called on an attacker nearer the end line than the ball and the second-last defender at the pass. Penalty Short name for the 12-yard kick given when a team fouls inside its own box. Red card Shown to a player who must leave the match. The team plays on one short. Referee The official in charge of the match, who also keeps the time. Sending off What a red card means: the player leaves and cannot be replaced. Simulation Pretending to be fouled to trick the officials. It is a cautionable offense. Straight red A sending off for one serious offense, with no yellow card shown first. Suspension Missing one or more later matches as a punishment for a sending off or too many bookings. Tackle A try at taking the ball from an opponent with a leg. Kick the player first and it is a foul. Unsporting Kind of behavior, such as trying to deceive the officials, that earns a caution. VAR Short name for the official who checks close calls on replay. In the Laws since 2018. Whistle Blown to stop play and to signal the end of the match. Yellow card Shown as a caution. Two in one match add up to a sending off.
The Soccer Field 24
Byline Another name for the end line, the short side of the field. Center circle A ring with a 10-yard radius. Opponents stay outside it at a kickoff. Corner flag One stands at each of the four corners to mark the edge of the playing area. Crossbar The bar across the top, 8 feet above the grass on a full-size field. Dugout Another name for the bench, the covered seats for coaches and substitutes. Goal area The small box, 20 yards by 6. Goal kicks can be struck from any spot inside it. Goal line The boundary at each short end of the field. It runs between the two corner flags. Goalmouth The patch of the field right in front of the net. Goalpost One of the two white uprights, 8 yards apart on a full-size field. Halfway line Divides the field in two. Every player but the kicker starts a kickoff on their own side of it. Midfield The middle part of the field, where the players who link defense and attack work. Near post A goalie is beaten here when the ball goes in between the goalie and the closer upright. Net Hangs behind the posts to catch the ball, though the Laws do not require one. Penalty arc The curve on the edge of the big box, nicknamed the D, 10 yards from the spot. Penalty area The big box, 44 yards by 18, where the goalie may handle the ball. Pitch Another word for the playing surface, usually a specially prepared grass field. Row Z The imaginary farthest line of seats, where a wild clearance is said to land. Six-yard box The everyday name for the small rectangle right in front of the net. Stanchion Part of the frame that holds the top rear of the net up and away from the crossbar. Technical area The box marked beside the touchline where a coach has to stay while the game is on. Touchline One of the two long sides of the field. Players take throw-ins from behind it. Tunnel The passage that players walk through to reach the field. Turf The playing surface, natural grass or artificial. Artificial kinds must be green. Wing The strip of the field that runs along each sideline.
Match Day and Gear 28
Armband Worn around the captain's sleeve to show who leads the team. Ball A sphere 27 to 28 inches around at full size, moved mostly with the feet. Boots What cleats are called outside North America. Cleats The North American word for studded soccer shoes. Coach Leads training and directs the team from the technical area during a game. Derby A game between two rivals, usually local ones. Extra time Two more short halves, played when a knockout game ends level. Formation How the players line up, written in numbers such as 4-4-2. Friendly A game with nothing riding on it, such as a warm-up before the season. Full time The end of the game, signaled by the referee's final whistle. Futsal A five-a-side version of the game, played mainly indoors on a hard court. Gloves Any player may wear them, and goalies nearly always wear a specialist pair. Golden goal An old tiebreaker: the first team to score in the added periods won on the spot. Halftime The rest in the middle of a match. Afterward the teams change ends. Jersey Another name for the shirt, which carries the player's number. Kit The full set of match clothing, from the shirt down to the footwear. Match One full game: two halves with a break in between. Own goal Scored by mistake into the net your own team is defending. Shin guards Required pads, usually plastic or rubber, worn under the socks. Shirt Must have sleeves. The goalie wears a different color from everyone else. Shorts Required legwear. A goalie may swap them for tracksuit bottoms. Soccer The name of this sport, clipped long ago from the word association. Socks Also called stockings. One of the five required items, worn over the shin pads. Squad number The figure on a shirt that tells one player from another. Stoppage time Minutes added at the end of each half to make up for delays during play. Studs The small points under a shoe that keep a player from slipping on grass. Supporter A fan: someone who follows a team. Underdog The side few people think will win.
How this list was compiled: 194 soccer words chosen and defined for this site, in eight themed lists (positions; shots and goals; passing and dribbling; kicks and restarts; goalkeeping and defending; fouls, cards and referees; the field; match day and gear) plus three cross-cutting lists: the 24 single-word favorites that open the page, 28 short words of 3 to 5 letters and 23 long words of 9 to 11 letters. 82 entries have a space or a hyphen (Center back, Left back, Box-to-box, Center forward, Inside forward, Target man, Goal poacher, False nine, Utility player, Outfield player, Bicycle kick, Toe poke, Top corner, Hat trick, Side netting, Through ball, Long ball, Square ball, One-two, Give-and-go, Lay-off, Flick-on, Back pass, Half volley, Step over, Keepie uppie, First touch, One touch, Mazy run, Tiki-taka, Man on, Corner kick, Goal kick, Free kick, Penalty kick, Spot kick, Throw-in, Drop ball, Set piece, Dead ball, Sudden death, Center spot, Penalty spot, Corner arc, Coin toss, Vanishing spray, Clean sheet, Slide tackle, Man-to-man, Offside trap, Low block, Flat back four, Last man, Parking the bus, One-on-one, Fifty-fifty, Hand ball, Yellow card, Red card, Sending off, Fourth official, High foot, Laws of the Game, Straight red, Goal line, Penalty area, Goal area, Six-yard box, Penalty arc, Center circle, Halfway line, Corner flag, Technical area, Near post, Row Z, Full time, Stoppage time, Extra time, Golden goal, Own goal, Shin guards, Squad number); the grid hides each as one run of letters and the list shows it as typed. Inside any one list no word contains another, forwards or backwards, which is why Goal sits with the shots, away from Goalkeeper, Goal kick, Goal line and Own goal, why Goalie and Keeper sit with the defending words, away from Goalkeeper, why Tackle and Penalty sit with the fouls, away from Slide tackle and Penalty kick, why Volley sits with the shots and Half volley with the passes, why Ball sits with the gear, and why Kick, Pass, Post, Card and Box are not entries of their own. No clue contains its own word, because the clue replaces the word in clue mode. The words are generic names of positions, skills, restarts, calls, places and equipment: no league, club, cup, tournament, trophy, stadium, player, product or brand name is included, and moves named after a player were left out. Spellings are American (center, defense, equalizer, offense), with the British word given in the clue where children may meet it (pitch, boots, kit). Figures kept are those the cited articles give for the full-size game: eleven players a side, posts 8 yards apart under a bar 8 feet up, a penalty mark 12 yards out, a penalty area 44 yards by 18, a goal area 20 yards by 6, a 10-yard center circle and free-kick distance, a one-yard corner arc, a ball 27 to 28 inches around, five penalties each in a shootout, Laws that date back to 1863 and have been set out as seventeen since 1938, the back-pass rule of 1992 and video review in the Laws since 2018. Clock lengths, and youth field, goal and ball sizes, vary by age group and were left out. No year is given for the first squad numbers: the glossary says 1928, but the article on the subject records numbered shirts in Australia in 1911. Definitions are our own wording; on 2026-09-20 the clues that ran close to a cited article were rewritten. Facts were checked on 2026-09-19, and the clues corrected on 2026-09-20 were checked that day (also against https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squad_number_(association_football) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kick-off_(association_football) ), against these English Wikipedia articles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_association_football_terms , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_football , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_of_the_Game_(association_football) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_football_positions , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goalkeeper_(association_football) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defender_(association_football) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midfielder , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_(association_football) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_pitch , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fouls_and_misconduct_(association_football) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kit_(association_football) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_boot , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_guard , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penalty_area , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corner_kick , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throw-in , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goal_kick , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dropped-ball , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kick-off_(association_football) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penalty_card , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_(association_football) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substitute_(association_football) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formation_(association_football) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanishing_spray , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heading_(association_football) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_kick , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabona , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Step_over , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sliding_tackle , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keepie_uppie , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hat-trick , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Own_goal , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futsal , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_for_association_football . Those articles use British spellings; the word list uses the American ones. Licence: own work