Soccer Terms Flashcards
An administrative body of youth soccer which sets rules and provides information and equipment to youth league referees, coaches and players
AYSO: American Youth Soccer Organization
The pass or passes which immediately precede a goal; a maximum of two assists can be credited for one goal
Assist
A type of kick that gives the ball a curved trajectory; used to get the ball around an obstacle such as a goaltender or defender
Banana kick
When a player kicks the ball in mid-air backwards and over his own head, usually making contact above waist level; an acrobatic shot
Bicycle kick
When an attacker with the ball approaches the goal undefended; this exciting play pits a sole attacker against the goalkeeper in a one-on-one showdown
Breakaway
A foul called on a goalkeeper when he takes more than 4 steps while holding or bouncing the ball
Carrying the ball
A circular marking with a 10 yard radius in the center of the field from which kick offs are taken to start or restart the game
Center circle
When a player uses his chest to slow down and control a ball in the air
Chest trap
A kick lofted into the air to try to sail the ball over the goalkeepers head and still make it under the crossbar into the goal
Chip shot
To kick the ball away from ones goal
Clear
The flag located at each of the 4 corners of the field, inside the corner area
Corner flag
A type of restart where the ball is kicked from the corner arc in an attempt to score; awarded to an attacking team when the ball crosses the goal line last touched by the defending team
Corner kick
When a player from the attacking team moves without the ball to draw defenders away from the ball carrier and give him space
Creating space
When a player attempts a play that the referee considers dangerous to that player or others, such as trying to kick the ball out of the goalies hands, even if no contact is made
Dangerous play
The players on the team that does not have possession of the ball
Defenders
Dimensions of a soccer field
120 yards long by 75 yards wide
The ricochet of a ball after it hits a player
Deflection
A kick awarded to a player for a serious foul committed by the opposition; the player kicks a stationary ball with no opposing players within 10 yards of him; a goal can be scored directly from this kick without the ball touching another player
Direct free kick
A game that ends with a tied score
Draw
The basic skill of advancing the ball with the feet while controlling it
Dribbling
A method of restarting a game where the referee drops the ball between 2 players facing each other
Drop ball
When a goalie drops the ball from his hands and kicks it just after it hits the ground
Drop kick
A move by a player meant to deceive an opposing player; used by a ball carrier to make a defender think the ball carrier is going to dribble, pass, or shoot in a certain direction when he is not
Fake or feint
The official governing body of international soccer since 1904 which established the World Cup tournament; helps set and revise rules of the game, called the 17 laws
FIFA
A solid gold statue given to the champion of each World Cup tournament to keep for the next 4 years. The 2010 World Cup will be played in South Africa
FIFA World Cup Trophy
Name for soccer everywhere except the u.s.; also, what American’s call their popular team sport which evolved from soccer and rugby
Football
The arrangement into positions of players on the field; for example, a 4-3-3 formation places 4 defenders, 3 midfielders, and 3 forwards on the field
Formation
The 3 or 4 players on a team who are responsible for most of a teams scoring; they play in front of the rest if their team where they can take most of its shots, strikers, and wingers
Forwards
A kick awarded to a player for a foul committed by the opposition; the player kicks a stationary ball without any opposing players within 10 yards of him
Free kick
A ball that crosses the goal line between the goalposts and below the crossbar for which a point is awarded; also, the 8-foot high, 24- foot wide structure consisting of two posts, a crossbar, and a net into which all goals are scored
Goal
The rectangular area 20 yards wide by 6 yards deep in front of each goal from which all goal kicks are taken; inside this area, it is illegal for opposing players to charge a goalie not holding the ball
Goal area
A type of restart where the ball is kicked from inside the goal area away from the goal; awarded to the defending team when a ball that crossed the goal line was last touched by a player on the attacking team
Goal kick
The field boundary running along its width at each end; also called the end line; runs right across the front of the goal; the line which a ball must completely cross for a goal to be scored
Goal line
The player positioned directly in front of the goal who tries to prevent shots from getting into the net behind him; the only player allowed to use his hands and arms, though only within the penalty area
Goalkeeper
The two vertical beams located 24 feet apart which extend 8 feet high to form the sides of a goal and support the crossbar
Goalposts
A foul where a player touches the ball with his hand or arm; the opposing team is awarded a direct free kick
Hand ball
3 or more goals scored in a game by a single player
Hat trick
The striking of a ball in the air by a players head
Header
A kick awarded to a player for a less-serious foul committed by the opposition; the player kicks a stationary ball without any opposing players within 10 yards of him; a gaol can only be scored on this kick after the ball has touched another player
Indirect free kick
Time added to the end of any period according to the referees judgement of time lost due to player injuries or intentional stalling by a team
Injury time
The method of starting a game or restarting it after each goal; a player passes the ball forward to a teammate from the center spot
Kickoff
A type of defense where each defender is assigned to mark a different forward from the other team; the most common type of defense for national-level teams
Man-to-man
The 2, 3, or 4 players who link together the offensive and defensive functions of a team; they play behind their forwards
Midfielders
The new U.S. outdoor league scheduled to begin play in the spring of 1995
MLS: Major League Soccer
When a defensive player, instead of going after the ball, uses his body to prevent an offensive player from playing it
Obstruction
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
This Brazilian soccer player is considered the best player of all time. As an ambassador for the game he has helped spread the sports popularity all around the world
Pele’
See penalty shot. A kick taken from the penalty spot 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 defense within its own penalty area; also taken in a tiebreaker to decide a match
Penalty kick
The small circular spot located 12 yards in front of the center of the goal line from which all penalty kicks are taken; positioned at the center of the penalty arc
Penalty spot
A British term for soccer field
Pitch
A term used by referees to indicate that no foul or stoppage is to be called; used by referees when applying the advantage rule
Play on
A playing card-sized card that a referee holds up to signal a players removal from the game; the players team must play the rest of the game shorthanded; presented for violent behavior or multiple rule infractions (two yellow cards= one red card)
Red card
The chief official; he makes all final decisions, acts as timekeeper, calls all fouls and starts and stops play
Referee
The act of a goalkeeper in blocking or stopping a shot that would have gone into the goal without his intervention
Save
To put the ball into the net for a goal; also, the tally of goals for each team playing in a game
Score
A planned strategy that a team uses when a game is restarted with a free kick, penalty kick, corner kick, goal kick, throw-in, or kickoff
Set play
An attempt by a defender to take the ball away from a ball carrier by sliding on the ground feet-first into the ball
Sliding tackle
The defender that marks the best scorer on the attacking team, often the oppositions striker; exists only in a man-to-man defense
Stopped
A teams most powerful and best scoring forward who plays towards the center of the field; also, the name of the mascot for the 1994 World Cup
Striker
The defender that plays closest to his own goal behind the rest of the defenders; a teams last line of defense in front of the goalkeeper
Sweeper
The act of taking the ball away from a player by kicking or stopping it with ones feet; only a minimal amount of shoulder-to-shoulder contact, called a charge, is permitted to knock the ball carrier off balance
Tackling
A type of restart where a player throws the ball from behind his 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 out of bounds across a sideline
Throw-in
When a player uses his body to slow down and control a moving ball, most often using his chest, thighs, or feet
Trap
Organization formed in 1913 to govern soccer in America; Americas link to FIFA, providing soccer rules and guidelines to players, referees and spectators nationwide
USSF: United States Soccer Foundation
Any ball kicked by a player when it is off the ground
Volley
A pass by a ball carrier who sends the ball to a teammate, then runs behind his own defender and quickly recovers a pass back; used to get a player past his defender without having to dribble by him; same as the “give and go” in basketball
Wall pass
The international soccer competition held by FIFA every 4 years between the top professional teams in the world, pitting nation against nation; the most watched event in the world, attracting a television audience of over 3 billion viewers
World Cup
A playing card-sized card that a referee holds up to warn a player for dangerous or up sportsmanship behavior; also called a caution; 2 yellow cards in one game earns a player an automatic red cars, signaling his removal from the game
Yellow card
A type of defense that assigns each defender to a particular area in front of or around his teams goal in which he is responsible for marking any attacker that enters; often used in youth league games but rarely in professional competition
Zone
Players and positions
Composed of 11 players on the field for each team
Goal is scored when the whole of the ball crosses over the opponents goal lime between the uprights and underneath the crossbar. The ball can be propelled with any part of the body except the hands and arms. The foot and head are the main parts used.
Defenders: stopper/sweeper/fullbacks
Midfielders: halfbacks
Forwards: strikers/wings
