Soccer Terms

ADVANTAGE RULE -- a referee can decide not to call an infraction if allowing play to continue creates an advantage for the fouled team.

AFC -- the governing body of soccer in Asia; acronym stands for Asian Football Confederation; based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; president is Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah of Malaysia and general secretary is Peter Velappan also of Malaysia; founded in 1954; current membership stands at 41 nations; has three guaranteed slots in the 1998 World Cup, and Iran claimed a fourth spot by eliminating Australia from the Oceania zone.

ADVANTAGE LAW: A clause in the law that directs the referee to refrain from stopping play for a foul if a stoppage would benefit the team that committed the violation.

ADVANTAGES: Situations where a team has possession of the ball and outnumbers the opposition near the opposing goal.

ANGLE OF RUN; The angle at which a player runs, sometimes applied in relation to the ball and sometimes in relation to the goal.

ANGLE, ALTERING THE ANGLE OF ONE MOVEMENT: Applied to a player controlling the ball and moving it two or three yards to the side and then passing on the second touch.

ANGLE, NARROWING; Applied to defenders, especially the goalkeeper, moving nearer to the ball in order to reduce passing or shooting angles.

ANGLE, PASSING; Applied to the line of the pass, i.e. angling the ball to the right or left of a player.

ANGLE, WIDENEING; Usually applied to supporting players moving into a position where the point of attack can be changed, thereby creating a better angle for a forward pass.

ATTACKER: Any player on the team that has possession of the ball. 2. All players on the team are attackers / attacker.

ATTACKING TEAM: The team that has possession of the ball.

BACK HEADER: A player's use of his head to direct the ball backwards.

BACKS -- nickname or abbreviation of the name given to the defenders who line up in the rear, in front of the goalkeeper; the name refers to the left and right fullbacks as well as the centerbacks, also known as sweepers.

BANANA KICK -- a kick with exceptional curve.

BALANCE; Positioning defenders away from the ball to protect the vital space behind the defense.

BALL CARRIER: A player that has possession of the ball.

BALL WATCHING; Player focuses solely on the ball and loses sight of the opponent he or she is supposed to mark.

BEAT: To get the ball through or around an opponent by dribbling or shooting.

BICYCLE OR SCISSORS KICK -- a strike where the player's body is horizontal in mid-air and the ball is struck over the player's head; this type of kick was popularized by Brazilian great Pele.

BOOKED -- a term referring to a player's name being written down by a referee for either a yellow or red card infraction.

BOOTS -- soccer cleats.

BLIND SIDE; The opposite side of a defender to the ball.

BREAK: When a team quickly advances the ball down the field in an attempt to get its players near the opponent's goal before the defenders have a chance to retreat.

BREAKAWAY: 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.

CAF -- represents African soccer; acronym stands for Confederation Africaine de Football; based in Cairo, Egypt; president is Issa Hayatou of Cameroon and general secretary is Mustapha Fahmy of Egypt; founded in 1956; current membership stands at 51 nations; will be represented by five nations in the 1998 World Cup.

CAP -- represents an appearance in a national team match for a player.

CARRYING THE BALL: A foul called on a goalkeeper when he takes more than 4 steps while holding or bouncing the ball.

CENTER -- when a ball is passed from the wings into the penalty area of the field; also known as a cross.

CENTER CIRCLE: A circular marking with a 10-yard radius in the center of the field from which kickoffs are taken to start or restart the game.

CENTER FORWARD -- striker who leads the attack.

CENTER HALF MIDFIELDERS -- creative force in the midfield; generally where plays are started.

CENTER PASS: A pass from a player located near the sideline towards the middle of the field; used to get the ball closer to the front of the goal.

CENTER SPOT: A small circular mark inside the center circle that denotes the center of the field from which kickoffs are taken to start or restart the game.

CHECKING; Making a movement in one direction, stopping, and then moving off in the opposite direction.

CHECKING, RUN; Movement used to create space between the player with the ball and the marking opponent.

CHEST TRAP: When a player uses his chest to slow down and control a ball in the air.

CHIP PASS: A pass lofted into the air from a player to a teammate.

CHIP SHOT: A kick lofted into the air to try to sail the ball over the goalkeeper's head and still make it under the crossbar into the goal.

CLEAR -- a defensive kick that attempts to get the ball out of a scoring area, particularly the penalty area.

CLEATS: The metal, plastic or rubber points in the bottom of a soccer/football shoe used to provide a player with traction.

CLEARING: The act of moving the ball out from within scoring range. A defensive measure.

CONCACAF -- represents the region of North and Central America and the Carribean basin; acronym drawn from full name -- Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Football; based in New York; president is Jack Warner of Trinidad & Tobago and general secretary is Chuck Blazer of the United States; founded in 1961; current membership stands at 30 nations; will be represented by three nations in 1998 World Cup.

CONMEBOL -- represents South American soccer region; acronym drawn from full name -- Confederacion Sudamericana de Futbol; based in Asuncion, Paraguay; president is Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay and general secretary is Eduardo Deluca of Argentina; founded in 1916; current membership stands at 10 nations; will be represented by four qualifying teams plus defending champion Brazil in 1998 World Cup.

COPA AMERICA -- one of the oldest international soccer events, the Copa America pits the national soccer teams of the CONMEBOL; recently two teams from the CONCACAF -- the United States and Mexico -- have competed as invited members; the tournament began in 1917 and has been played at least every four years but often special editions are scheduled in off years; the tournament takes place in a host country; Argentina has dominated this tournament.

COPA LIBERTADORES -- a club competition that matches the winners of the 10 South America soccer associations; the tournament began in 1960 but has undergone several format changes; Argentine clubs have had more success (16 titles through 1996) than any other two South American national leagues combined.

CONTROL, CUSHION; Control of the ball by withdrawing the surface in contact with the ball on impact, e.g. the thigh.

CONTROL, WEDGE; Control of the ball with the use of a rigid surface, e.g. the sole of the boot.

CONTROLLING, SURFACE; The surface of the body in contact with the ball to bring the ball under control.

COOL DOWN; The portion of practice devoted to stretching muscles and returning body functions to their normal state.

CORNER ARC: A quarter-circle with a radius of 1 yard located at each of the 4 corners of the field.

CORNER FLAG: The flag located at each of the 4 corners of the field.

Counter attack: An attack launched by a defending team soon after it regains possession of the ball.

COVER; 1. Defensive support. 2. To take a position close to your opponent so as to challenge his/her efforts.

CROSS, DIAGONAL; Usually applied in the attacking third of the field to a pass played well infield from the touch-line and diagonally forward from right to left or left to right.

CROSS; FAR POST; A pass made to the area, usually beyond the post, farthest from the point from which the ball was kicked.

CROSS, FLANK (WING); A pass made from near to a touch-line, in the attacking third of the field, to an area near to the goal.

CROSS, HEADERS; 64% of all goals from crosses are scored by headers.

CORNER KICK -- a free kick taken by an attacking player whenever a defender last touches the ball before it crosses the goal line.

CROSS, MID-GOAL; A pass made to the area directly in front of the goal and some six to twelve yards from the goal-line.

CROSS, NEAR-POST; A pass made to the area four to six yards infield from the post nearest to the point from which the ball was kicked.

CROSSBAR: The horizontal beam that forms the top of a goal and sits on top of the two posts; it is 24 feet long and supported 8 feet above the ground.

CROSSES, PRIME TARGET AREA: 4 out 5 goals are scored from crosses into the prime target area.

CUT DOWN THE ANGLE: When the goalie comes out of the goal several feet to make himself closer and larger to an attacker, leaving the attacker less net to shoot at.

DANGEROUS PLAY -- an action on the field ruled by the referee that will likely cause an injury; will at minimum draw a yellow card but could draw a red card for the offending player.

DEFENDER, COMMITTING THE; Attracting the exclusive attention of a defender by moving towards him with or without the ball.

DEFENDERS: 1. The players on the team that does not have possession of the ball. 2. All players on the team are defenders / defender. Defending team: The team that does not have possession of the ball.

DEFENSE, BACK OF THE; The space between the goalkeeper and the defender nearest to him.

DEFENSE: A team's function of preventing the opposition from scoring.

DEFENSIVE PRESSURE: When one or more defenders closely mark a ball carrier to harass him into losing the ball.

DEFLECTION: The ricochet of a ball after it hits a player.

DFK --direct free-kick

DIRECT FREE KICK -- awarded as the result of a foul, such as kicking, tripping, holding or pushing; the kick is taken from the point of the infraction and the designated player taking the kick may score directly without another player having to touch the ball.

DROPPED BALL -- the referee drops the ball onto the ground between two opposing players; it signals the resumption of play after the referee has stopped it for an infraction other than a foul. (Example: play will be halted due to an injury to a player.)

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE -- competition in addition to the UEFA Cup which matches clubs which won their national leagues in a head-to-head, home-and-away tournament; the league is an elimination tournament and is played in addition to the regular league schedule.

EUROPEAN CUP -- UEFA sanctioned competition which occurs every four years between World Cup finals; field includes national teams from throughout Europe; tournament started in 1960; the next tournament is scheduled to be shared by Holland and Belgium in 2000.

EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS CUP -- a club competition pitting the winners of league cups in the prior year in head-to-head competition; cup tournaments are opened to all divisions of a national league, meaning that quite a few surprise teams have found their way into the European Cup Winners Cup tournament; this tournament is an elimination, home-and-away tournament.

FIFA -- World governing body of soccer; founded in 1904; acronym stands for Federation Internationale de Football Association; based in Zurich, Switzerland; president is Joao Havelange of Brazil; general secretary is Joseph "Sepp" Blatter of Switzerland; current membership stands at 191 nations.

FIFA WORLD CUP TROPHY -- Established in 1974 to replace the Jules Rimet Trophy. West Germany became the first winners of the FIFA World Cup Trophy in 1974.

FLANK -- the sides of the field also known as the wing.

FRIENDLY -- essentially an exhibition match with no impact on international competitions; often used to benefit up-and-coming players or sharpen top players for upcoming tournaments or qualifying.

GOAL -- the manner in which points are scored in soccer; to score, the ball must completely cross over the goal line and into the goal; a goal counts as one point.

GOALS -- standing in the center of the goal lines; each goal consists of two wooden posts, 24 feet apart, and a crossbar, 8 feet above the ground.

GOAL AREA -- a 60-foot wide by 18-foot deep rectangular area in front of each goal.

GOALKEEPER -- defends the goal; the only player who can handle the ball within the penalty area with his hands.

GOAL KICK -- a free kick taken either by the goalkeeper or member of the defending team when the attacking team puts the ball over the goal line.

GOAL LINES -- lines which runs from corner flag to corner flag across each end of the field of play and which the goal is situated; represents the end of the playing area at the far end of each side of the field.

GOLDEN GOAL -- where a game ends with the scoring of a goal in overtime rather than by the expiration of an extra time period; used in some international soccer tournaments, particularly in Europe.

HALF -- one of two 45 minute periods in a 90 minute match.

HALFBACKS -- midfielders responsible for marking assigments.

HANDBALL -- infraction called when a player other than a goalkeeper intentionally plays a ball with his hand; if a defender handles within the penalty area, a penalty shot is awarded; if the goalkeeper handles the ball outside the penalty area, a direct free kick is awarded.

HAT-TRICK -- a term referring to a three-goal performance in a single match by an individual player.

HEADER -- when a player uses his head to shoot, pass or control the ball.

IFK --indirect free-kick

INDIRECT FREE KICK -- awarded for less serious infractions to the team fouled; for a goal to be scored on an indirect free kick, a player other than the kicker must touch the ball before it can be scored; the kick is awarded from the point of infraction.

INJURY TIME -- time added to the end of either half by the referee to compensate for time lost due to injuries during each half; the determination of injury time is solely the responsibility of the referee.

INTERCONTINENTAL CUP -- a club competition consisting of a single match between the winner of the European Champions Cup and the Copa Libertadores of South America; played in Tokyo since the mid-1980s; tournament started in mid-1960s.

INTERNATIONAL PLAYER -- player selected to play for his country's national team.

IN BOUNDS: When a ball is within the boundaries of the field, having not completely crossed a sideline or goal line.

IN PLAY: When a ball is within the boundaries of the field and play has not been stopped by the referee. In the attacking third; Once the team has the ball in the attacking third of the field, the attacker must try and keep it there by making it as hard as possible for the defenders to clear the ball.

IINDIRECT FREE KICK; A restart situation which will not score a goal unless touched or played by one other player before going into the goal.

INJURY TIME: Time added to the end of any period according to the referee's judgment of time lost due to player injuries or intentional stalling by a team.

INSTEP DRIVE: A straight shot taken with the instep of a player's foot; usually the most powerful and accurate of shots.

INSTEP: The upper surface of the foot or boot, e.g. the laces.

JAVELIN THROW: Method of goalkeeper distribution used to distribute the ball over distances of 40 or more yards.

JULES RIMET TROPHY -- Original World Cup Trophy. Retired by Brazil in 1970 after becoming the first nation to win the World Cup three times. Named after Jules Rimet, FIFA's first president.

JOCKEY: A way of covering the man with the ball by feinting without committing yourself.

KICKOFF: The method of starting a game or restarting it after each goal.

LINE OF RECOVERY; The path a defender takes when running back towards his/her goal to get on the goal side of the ball.

LINE OF RETREAT; The path a defender takes when moving back towards his/her goal from a position on the goal side of the ball.

LOFTED DRIVE; A powerful kick with the instep through the bottom half of the ball.

LONG POWER SHOTS (OUTSIDE THE PENALTY AREA); The shot may score direct or be deflected by a player into the goal. The goalkeeper may not see the shot through a crowd of players. Even if the goalkeeper makes a save, the goalkeeper may not be able to hold on to the ball or push it out for a corner, and the attacker may have a simple tap-in.

LINESMAN -- two officials who are stationed outside of the touchline to indicate when a ball is out of play or offsides.

MARK -- the close defending of an opposing player.

MARKETING, MAN-TO-MAN; Marking a particular opponent in all the important defensive areas of the field.

MATCH: A soccer/football game.

MIDFIELD LINE OR CENTER LINE: A line that divides the field in half along its width.

MIDFIELDER: A player who links the defenders with the attackers and contributes to both attack and defense.

MOVES THAT START FROM ATTACKING THIRD: 53% of all goals come from moves that start in the attacking third of the field.

NEAR POST: The goal post closer to the ball position.

OBSTRUCTION: When a defensive player, instead of going after the ball, uses his body to prevent an offensive player from playing it.

NUTMEG -- when an attacker moves forward by passing a ball through an opponent's legs.

OFC -- represents soccer region including Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific island nations; acronym stands for Oceania Football Conference; based in Auckland, New Zealand; president is New Zealander Charles Dembsey and general secretary is New Zealander Josephine King; founded in 1966; current membership stands at 10 nations; no representation at the 1998 World Cup; Australia, as the top qualifier was eliminated by Iran.

OFFICIAL FIFA BALL -- a ball that meets the specifications of the international sanctioning body; between 27 and 28 inches in circumference and 14-to-16 ounces in weight.

Official game clock: The clock that the referee carries with him on the field so he can signal when each half is over; does not stop during the game, even when play does.

OFFICIALS: The referee and 2 assistant referees who work together to make sure the game is played according to the laws of game; responsible for stopping and restarting play, keeping track of the score and the time remaining and citing violations of the laws, called fouls; they wear uniforms that distinguish them from the players on both teams.

OFF-SIDE, CANNOT BE DECLARED OFFSIDE; A player can not be declared off-side by the referee if he receives the ball direct from a goal kick, a corner kick or a throw in.

OFF-SIDE: A situation in which an attacker positioned in the opponents' half of the field does not have two opponents between him or herself and the goal at the moment the ball is played to him or her.

OFFSIDE TRAP -- a defensive scheme which attempts to push defensive players forward in the hopes of putting an attacking player offside.

ONE-TIME -- when an attacker strikes a shot off a pass or rebound without stopping the ball to gain control.

ONE TOUCH: 72% of all goals are from one touch.

OUT OF BOUNDS: When a ball is outside the boundaries of the field, having completely crossed a sideline or goal line.

OUT OF PLAY: When a ball is outside the boundaries of the field (pitch) or play has been stopped by the referee.

OUTSIDE PENALTY AREA: 16% of all goals are from outside the penalty area.

OVERLAP: A tactic used to move defenders and midfielders into attacking positions.

PASS, CHIP; A pass made by a stabbing action of the kicking foot to the bottom part of the ball to achieve a steep trajectory and vicious back spin on the ball.

PASS, FLICK; A pass made by an outward rotation of the kicking foot, contact on the ball being made with the outside of the foot.

ON DEFENSE: Describes a team that does not have possession of the ball.

ON OFFENSE: Describes a team in possession of the ball.

ONE TOUCH SOCCER: Interpassing among teammates without stopping the ball.

PASS, HALF VOLLEY; A pass made by the kicking foot making contact with the ball at the moment the ball touches the ground.

PASS, PUSH; A pass made with the inside of the kicking foot.

PASS, SWERVE; A pass made by imparting spin to the ball, thereby causing it to swerve from either right to left or left to right. Which way the ball swerves depends on whether contact with the ball is made with the outside or the inside of the kicking foot.

PASS, VOLLEY: A pass made before the ball touches the ground.

PASSING: When a player kicks the ball to his teammate.

PENALTY ARC: A circular arc whose center is the penalty spot and extends from the top of the penalty area; designates an area that opposing players are not allowed to enter prior to a penalty kick.

PENALTY AREA -- a 24-yard wide by 18-yard deep rectangular area in front of each goal; the area in which the goalkeeper can use his hands.

PENALTY KICK -- awarded for any personal fouls or for intentionally handling of the ball by a defending player within the penalty area; a penalty shot is taken from the designated spot, 12 yards from the goal line in the center of the penalty area, with only the goalkeeper defending the shot.

PENALTY SHOT; The result of a direct foul committed by a defender within his or her penalty area.

PENALTY SPOT: 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.

PLAY ON: A term used by referees to indicate that no foul or stoppage is to be called; used by referees when applying the Advantage Law.

PLAY, CONDITIONED; Applying an artificial restriction, e.g. all players must pass the ball on the first touch.

PLAY, CROSS-OVER; Applied to the movements of two attacking players moving in opposite directions past each other. These movements are usually made with the ball but can also be made without it.

PLAY, ONE-TOUCH: Passing the ball first time, i.e. without controlling the ball.

PITCH -- a British term used to define the field of play; the field of play is rectangular, with dimensions not more than 130 yards nor less than 100 yards in length, and not more than 100 yards and not less than 50 yards in width; for international matches, such as the World Cup, the length shall not be more than 120 yards nor less than 110 yards and the width shall not be more than 80 yards nor less than 70 yards.

PK --penalty-kick

PLAY, SHADOW; A method of coaching which allows players to create movements without opposition.

PLAYER, CHALLANGING; Applied to a defending player attempting to dispossess an attacking player with the ball.

PLAYER, COVERING; Applied to a defending player who is assisting the challenging player by adopting a position which will enable him/her to challenge if the challenger is beaten.

PLAYER, SUPPORTING; Applied to an attacking player who has positioned to receive a pass from the player in possession of the ball. Usually, but not always, the supporting player is behind the ball.

POKE TACKLE: Method of tackling in which a player extends his or her leg and kicks the ball away from an opponent.

POSSESSION: Player or team having/in control of the ball.

PRESSURE TRAINING; A method of training players to perform a technique many times in rapid succession for a limited period of time.

PRIME SCORING AREA; 22% of all goals are from the area of the far post from the prime scoring area.

RED CARD -- the card shown to a player being ejected from a match by the referee; players ejected cannot be substituted for, and often a red card offense carries a penalty of additional matches missed.

REFEREE -- the only on-field official charged with enforcing the rules of the game; acts as timekeeper as well; has the authority to expel a player from a game for repeated fouling or misconduct behavior.

READY POSITION: The goalkeeper's basic stance when the ball enters shooting range.

RECOIL: To draw back part of body upon contact with the ball. This absorbs the shock on impact.

RED CARD: A playing card-sized card that a referee holds up to signal a player's removal from the game; the player's team must play the rest of the game shorthanded; presented for violent behavior or multiple law infractions (two yellow cards = one red card).

REFEREE: The chief official makes all final decisions, acts as timekeeper, calls all fouls and starts and stops play.

RESTARTS (OF THE GAME); Are from , corner kicks, drop balls, free kicks, goal kicks, penalty kick, place kick, and throw-in.

RUN OF THE BALL; Movement with the ball without dribbling past an opponent.

RUN, BLIND SIDE; A run by an attacker on the opposite side of a defender from the ball.

RUN, CROSS-FIELD; A run made side-to-side as opposed to end-to-end or diagonally.

RUN, DIAGONAL, INSIDE-TO-OUTSIDE; A run made by an attacker, diagonally, from a central position towards a touchline.

RUN, DIAGONAL, OUTSIDE-TO-INSIDE; A run made by an attacker, diagonally, from a flank (wing) position towards a central position.

RUN, OVERLAP: The movement of an attacking player from a position behind the ball, outside the player with the ball and into a position ahead of the ball.

RUNNING STRAIGHT; Defenders will be much less worried about attacker who run straight up and down the field than those who move across it. Running straight is not likely to trouble the defenders, who will be able to mark players and space as well as support one another.

RUNS, SPLIT; Runs made usually by central forward players in opposite directions in order to create space in central attacking positions.

SAVE: The act of a goalkeeper in blocking or stopping a shot that would have gone into the goal without his intervention.

SCORE: To put the ball into the net for a goal; also, the tally of goals for each team playing in a game.

SCORERS: Players who score goals.

SCORING OPPORTUNITY: A situation where a team stands a good chance of scoring a goal.

SET PLAY: 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 PLAYS: 40% of all goals are from set plays (free kicks, corners and throw-ins).

SHIELDING: Positioning between the ball and an opponent attempting to gain possession.

SAVE -- the goalkeeper stopping a scoring opportunity by either catching the ball or knocking it away from the goal.

SHIELDING -- when a player places his body between an opponent and the ball; often preceeds an offensive maneuver during an attack.

SHOOTOUT -- a tie-breaking procedure; occurs after extra time in international matches; occurs after regular time in Major League Soccer; there are two basic methods: a) in international matches, shootouts are determined with penalty kicks; b) in Major League Soccer and other North American leagues, the situation is a one-on-one where the attacker takes possession of the ball from 35 yards away, and has to dribble and score against the opposing goalkeeper.

SHINGUARDS: Pads that strap onto a player's lower leg to protect the shins should he or she be kicked there.

SHOOTING ON TARGET (AT THE GOAL): 1. The average number of shots on target for each game is 6.5 shots. 2. The average number of shots to score 1 goal is 3.5 shots on target. 3. 10 shots on target in a game gives an 86% chance of winning.

SHOOTING: When a player kicks the ball at the opponent's net in an attempt to score a goal.

SHOT: A ball kicked or headed by a player at the opponent's net in an attempt to score a goal.

SHOULDER CHARGE: Minimal shoulder-to-shoulder contact by a defender against a ball carrier; the only contact allowed by the law unless a defender touches the ball first.

SIDE TACKLE: An attempt by a defender to redirect the ball slightly with his foot away from a ball carrier running in the same direction.

SKILL: The application of the correct technique on demand.

SLIDE TACKLE -- sliding into the ball and knocking it away from an opponent; if the player executing a slide tackle hits the attacker's legs before striking the ball, it results in a foul; if poorly executed, a slide tackle will result in a foul with either a red or yellow card being issued (this is also referred to as a professional foul).

SLIDING TACKLE: An attempt by a defender to take the ball away from a ball carrier by sliding on the ground feet-first into the ball.

SOCCER GAMES ARE WON BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SPACE; Before a team can take advantage of space, it must first create the space. Space is created either by a single player or by coordinated team plays. Space can be given away by mistakes of the defending team. Attacker must always plan on the basis that the defender will give away nothing.

SPACE, CREATING; Increasing the distance between, to the side, in front of, or behind opponents.

SPACE, EXPLOITING; Utilizing effectively in attack the space already created.

SQURE PASS: A pass made by a player to a teammate running alongside him.

STEAL: When a player takes the ball away from an opposing player.

STOPPER: A central marking defender.

STRIKERS -- terms used for forwards or attackers; target player to whom the rest of the team will look during its attack; chosen for their scoring abilities.

SUBSTITUTION: Replacement of one player on the field with another player not on the field.

SUNDAY SHOT -- a desperation shot from long out that remarkably results in a goal.

SUPPORT, WIDE-ANGLED; Support at a sufficiently wide angle to give the greatest possibility for passing the ball forward.

SWEEPER: The "free" player in defense who covers the marking defenders.

SWERVE, IN-SWERVE; A ball curling in towards the target, e.g. an in-swerve corner swerving towards the goal.

SWERVE, OUT-SWERVE; A ball curling away from the target, e.g. an out-swerve corner swerving away from the goal.

TACKLE: A challenge using the feet, to win the ball from an opponent.

TACKLING: Taking the ball from your opponent by using the feet.

TAKE-OVER; A term sometimes used to describe a cross-over movement where the player without the ball takes the ball from the dribbling player.

TAKING PLAYERS-ON; Applied to dribbling past opponents.

TECHNIQUE: A single player performance, e.g. a good push pass, chest trap, turning, jumping, etc.

TERRITORY: The half of the field which a team defends.

THE 8 POINTS TO SPREAD OUT SIDE-TO-SIDE.
1. The decision to spread out must (should) be taken early (at the time the team gains possession) and the team must (should) cover the ground as quickly as possible.
2. Spreading out from side-to-side, means wide out to the side line (touch line).
3. Runs must (should) be made at different angles into spaces, but not losing sight of the ball.
4. Take up positions or spaces that makes it difficult for defender to mark and have support.
5. Attacking player must (should) be in positions or spaces that give them wider field of vision as possible to receive the ball.
6. The ball must (should) be played to a teammate that can take advantage of forward play; not because your teammate is in the biggest space.
7. A pass should be delayed until a teammate is in position to receive it and control it. A bad pass or poor control can destroy the space that has been created.
8. The team must take advantage of the space that has been created by forward play. If teammates insist on playing the ball square, or back, possession might be retained. Then, the initiative and the opportunity to take advantage of space will be lost.

THIGH TRAP: When a player uses his thigh to slow down and control a ball in the air.

THINGS TO REMEMBER IN DEFENDING, Once the Defender is in position goal side of the ball, the Defender must think about his/her line of recovery, marking and challenging an opponent. The Defender has 5 options.
1. Track an Attacker who is making a run to the back of the defense.
2. Occupy important space goal side of the ball.
3. Mark an Attacker in the area of the ball.
4. Cover a teammate who is challenging the Attacker with the ball.
5. Challenge the Attacker with the ball.
THINGS TO REMEMBER IN PASSING, (best option first);
1. Pass the ball into space in back of the defense.
2. Pass the ball to feet of the most advanced attacker.
3. Pass the ball beyond at least one defender.
4. Pass the ball cross the field to switch the line of attack.
5. Pass the ball back to a supporting teammate.

THINGS TO REMEMBER ON FREE-KICKS, corners and throw-ins;
1. Move in to prearranged marking position quickly.
2. Mark close in the area of the ball.
3. Mark in back of the attacker.
4. Mark the space in front of the attacker.
5. The goalkeeper be in the right position.
6. Seal off as much space as possible inside the penalty area.
7. Player in the wall line up, tallest on the outside (in line with ball and post) and the shortest is on the inside.

THINGS TO REMEMBER TO GAIN MORE SET PLAYS, (best option first);
1. Pass the ball to the back of the defense.
2. Cross the ball to the back of the defense.
3. Dribbling in the attacking third of the field.
4. Pressuring defenders in the attacking third of the field.
5. Shooting at goal in the attacking third of the field.

THIRDS OF THE FIELD;
Areas roughly 35 yards in length signifying the defending, the middle, and the attacking thirds of the field.

THROUGH PASS: A pass sent to a teammate to get him/her the ball behind his defender; used to penetrate a line of defenders.

THROW-IN: 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.

TOUCH LINES -- the boundary lines running the full length of the field on each side of the playing area.

TRAP -- the use of any legal part of the body to gain control of an airborn ball.

TURNING WITH THE BALL; The act of receiving the ball when facing one's goal and turning, with the ball under control, to face the opponent's goal.

TURNOVER: The loss of possession of the ball.

UEFA -- represents the European soccer region; acronym stands from full name -- Union of European Football Associations; based in Geneva, Switzerland; president is Lennart Johansson of Sweden and general secretary is Gerhard Aigner of Germany; founded in 1954; current membership stands at 49 nations; will be represented by 14 nations plus host nation France in 1998 World Cup.
UEFA CUP -- competition among European club teams; a field of selected number of teams is drawn from UEFA member leagues throughout Europe; qualified teams include the top positioned teams in most leagues (although poor performing leagues are generally limited in representants), and in select leagues teams up to fifth place in the standings are invited to compete; the tournament is run in addition to the regular season with mid-week matches generally the rule.

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT: Rude behavior.

U.S. CUP -- international friendly tournament hosted annually by the United States except in World Cup final years; tournament was first played in 1992.

VOLLEY, HOOK; A hooking or circular movement by the kicking leg where the leg is parallel with the ground when contact is made on the ball.

VOLLEY: Any ball kicked by a player when it is off the ground.

VOLLEYS; 17% of all goals are from volleys.

W POSITION: Position of the goalkeeper's hands when fielding a chest-high ball.

WALL PASS: Give and go pass, or interpassing between two attacking players, where the player acting as the wall plays the ball first time and off at a similar angle at which the ball was received. The pass is usually made behind an opponent.

WALL PLAYER; The player acting as the wall in a wall pass.

WALL: A line of 2 to 5 defending players pressed together shoulder-to-shoulder to protect their goal against a close free kick; creates a more difficult shot by reducing the amount of open goal area the kicker has to shoot at.

WARM UP; Exercises that warm the muscles and prepare the body for vigorous activity.

WEIGHT OF THE PASS; A term quite frequently used to describe the pace of a pass.

WINGS OR THE WINGERS: The outside forwards who play to the sides of the strikers and whose primary task is to provide them with accurate crossing passes so they can shoot at the goal; often the fastest players and best dribblers on a team.

WORLD CUP: 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.

WALL -- the line of players used to prevent a direct kick from scoring; lined up 10 yards from where the direct kick is taken.

WINGER -- player on left or right side of the attack whose role is close to the touchline; supports forwards and midfielders.

WORLD CUP -- the mother of all international soccer competitions; held every four years in a host country with national teams representing 32 countries (increased from 24 following the 1994 World Cup); 30 teams qualify in competitions with automatic bids going to the past champion and host nation; the tournament has been played every four years since 1930, with the exception of 1942 and 1946 due to World War II; only six countries have won the World Cup: Brazil (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994); Germany (1954, 1974, 1990); Italy (1934, 1938, 1982); Uruguay (1930, 1950); Argentina (1978, 1986); and England (1966); France hosts the 1998 tournament, with the 2002 edition to be the first co-host tournament in Japan and South Korea.

YELLOW CARD -- a caution card showed to a player by the referee after a dangerous play foul; a second yellow card in the same match earns the offending player a red card and automatic ejection; some leagues and tournaments have rules regarding the receipt of yellow cards in successive matches, which often result in a one-game ban.

ZONE: A type of defense that assigns each defender to a particular area in front of or around his team's goal in which he is responsible for marking any attacker that enters.