30 Must-Know Soccer Terms, Phrases and Slang

66 soccer terms explained, from nutmeg, Panenka and tiki-taka to park the bus, clean sheet and VAR, plus the slang and sayings soccer gave English.

Soccer terminology travels further than the sport’s own rulebook: half of it turns up in commentary, the other half in the stands. The words related to soccer below cover the laws, the positions and the tactics, and the words associated with soccer culture, the ones fans invented, are here as well. When a commentator uses something unfamiliar, the soccer glossary further down gives you the one-line version.

Must-Know Soccer Terms, Phrases and Slang:

Soccer Glossary: Every Term A to Z

Term	What It Means
Advantage	The referee letting play continue after a foul because stopping would hurt the fouled team.
Aggregate	The combined score of two legs of a tie, home and away.
Assist	The final pass or touch that sets up a goal for a teammate.
Bicycle kick	A shot struck with the body in the air and the legs scissoring overhead, played backward over the head.
Box	The penalty area. Fouls by the defending team inside it are punished with a penalty kick.
Brace	Two goals by one player in a single match.
Cap	One appearance for a national team. A player’s cap count is the shorthand for international experience.
Center back	A central defender, usually one of two in the middle of the back line.
Clean sheet	A match finished without conceding. Credited to the goalkeeper and the defense together.
Corner kick	The restart from the corner arc, awarded when a defender last touches the ball over their own goal line.
Counter-attack	Breaking forward at speed the moment possession is won, before the opponent can reorganize.
Cross	A ball delivered from wide into the penalty area for teammates to attack.
Crossbar	The horizontal bar on top of the goal, 8 feet (2.44 meters) above the ground.
Derby	A match between local rivals. The fixture that carries the most weight in a club’s season.
Dive	Falling deliberately to win a foul or a penalty, punished with a yellow card for simulation.
Dribble	Moving the ball with short controlled touches while keeping it away from opponents.
Extra time	Two further periods, usually 15 minutes each, played when a knockout match is level after full time.
False nine	A center forward who drops deep into midfield instead of staying up front.
Formation	How a team arranges its outfield players, written back to front, such as 4-4-2 or 4-3-3.
Free kick	The restart awarded after a foul, taken direct at goal or indirect via a teammate.
Fullback	A defender on the right or left side of the back line.
Goal kick	The restart from inside the goal area when the attacking team puts the ball over the goal line.
Goalkeeper	The one player allowed to handle the ball inside their own penalty area. Also keeper, or goalie.
Hand ball	Deliberately playing the ball with hand or arm, punished with a free kick or a penalty. The goalkeeper is exempt inside their own area.
Hat-trick	Three goals by one player in a single match.
Header	Playing the ball with the head, whether to clear, to pass or to score.
Holding midfielder	A midfielder who sits in front of the defense to break up attacks, also called a number 6.
Kick-off	The restart from the center circle that begins each half and follows every goal.
Man of the match	The player judged best on the day. Named after the final whistle by broadcasters or officials.
Marking	Staying tight to an opponent to deny them the ball or to close them down the moment they get it.
Nutmeg	Playing the ball through an opponent’s legs and collecting it on the other side.
Offside	Being nearer the opponent’s goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last defender when a teammate plays the ball forward.
Offside trap	Defenders stepping up together to leave attackers in an offside position.
Own goal	Putting the ball into your own net, which counts for the other team.
Panenka	A penalty chipped softly down the middle as the goalkeeper dives away. Named after Antonín Panenka, who scored one in the 1976 European Championship final.
Park the bus	Pulling almost the whole team behind the ball to defend a result, with no intention of attacking.
Penalty kick	A free shot from the penalty spot against the goalkeeper alone, awarded for a foul inside the penalty area.
Penalty shootout	Alternate penalty kicks, five per team and then sudden death, to settle a tied knockout match.
Pitch	The field of play. Dimensions vary within the range the laws allow.
Playmaker	The player who creates chances with passing, often wearing the number 10.
Pressing	Chasing the ball high up the field as a unit, to win it back close to the opponent’s goal.
Red card	A sending-off for violent conduct, a serious foul or a second yellow. The team plays on a player short.
Referee	The official who applies the laws, manages the game and issues cards, supported by assistants on the touchlines.
Relegation	Dropping to a lower league after finishing near the bottom of the table.
Screamer	A goal struck from distance with real power, usually into the top corner.
Set piece	A rehearsed routine from a dead ball, such as a corner, a free kick or a long throw.
Sitter	A chance so easy it should have been scored, and often was not.
Six-yard box	The goal area, the small box in front of the goal.
Slide tackle	A tackle made by sliding along the ground to play the ball away from an opponent.
Stoppage time	The minutes added at the end of each half to cover injuries, substitutions and other delays.
Striker	The forward whose main job is scoring, playing on the shoulder of the last defender.
Substitution	Replacing a player on the field with one from the bench, within the limit the competition allows.
Sweeper	A defender playing behind the back line to clear anything that gets through. Largely replaced by modern zonal systems.
Through ball	A pass threaded between defenders into space for a runner to chase.
Throw-in	The two-handed restart from behind the touchline after the ball has gone out on the side.
Tiki-taka	A possession style built on short passing and constant movement, made famous by Barcelona and the Spanish national team.
Touchline	The long boundary line along each side of the field.
Upper 90	American term for the top corner of the goal, where the crossbar meets the post at 90 degrees.
VAR	Video assistant referee. Officials reviewing footage of goals, penalties, red cards and mistaken identity, who advise the referee on the field.
Volley	Striking the ball out of the air before it bounces.
Wall	The line of defenders standing together to block part of the goal at a free kick.
Wall pass	The one-two: pass to a teammate, run past the defender, take the return in space.
Wingback	A wide player in a back three or five who defends and attacks along the whole flank.
Winger	An attacker playing wide, who takes on defenders down the flank and delivers crosses.
Woodwork	The frame of the goal, posts and crossbar. A shot off the woodwork is one that hit it and stayed out.
Yellow card	A caution for a serious foul or unsporting behavior. Two in one match make a red.

What Is It Called When…? Soccer Terms by Situation

Know what happened but not the word for it? Find the situation on the left and the soccer term on the right.

When…	It Is Called
A player scores three goals in a match	Hat-trick
A player scores two goals in a match	Brace
The ball goes through a defender’s legs	Nutmeg
A team concedes no goals	Clean sheet
A team puts everyone behind the ball to defend a lead	Park the bus
A penalty is chipped softly down the middle	Panenka
A player kicks the ball over their own head while in the air	Bicycle kick
The ball hits the post or the crossbar	Woodwork
A player passes and gets the ball straight back	Wall pass, or one-two
A defender puts the ball into their own net	Own goal
The referee lets play continue after a foul	Advantage
Defenders step up together to catch attackers offside	Offside trap
A player falls to win a foul without being fouled	Dive
The ball goes in the top corner of the goal	Upper 90, or top bins
An easy chance is missed from close range	Sitter
A long-range shot flies in spectacularly	Screamer
A knockout match is level after extra time	Penalty shootout
A team finishes near the bottom and drops to a lower league	Relegation

#1 Nutmeg

Playing the ball through an opponent’s legs and collecting it on the other side. In British slang it is shortened to “meg”. The origin of the word is disputed, and one popular theory links it to the 19th-century nutmeg trade, where being nutmegged meant being fooled.

In a sentence: “He megged the center back and ran through on goal.”

#2 Hat-trick

Three goals by one player in a single match. The term comes from cricket, where a bowler who took three wickets with three consecutive balls was presented with a hat. A perfect hat-trick is one goal with the left foot, one with the right and one header.

In a sentence: “She completed her hat-trick from the penalty spot.”

#3 Tiki-taka

A style built on short passes, constant movement and keeping the ball for long spells. It is linked with Barcelona under Pep Guardiola and the Spain team that won the 2008 and 2012 European Championships and the 2010 World Cup.

In a sentence: “They played tiki-taka for ten minutes and the other team never touched the ball.”

#4 Clean sheet

A match in which a team concedes no goals. It is credited to the goalkeeper and the defense, and a goalkeeper’s clean sheet count is a key statistic. American English also calls it a shutout.

In a sentence: “That’s her twelfth clean sheet of the season.”

#5 Panenka

A penalty chipped softly down the middle as the goalkeeper dives to one side. It is named after Antonín Panenka, who scored with it to win the 1976 European Championship final shootout for Czechoslovakia against West Germany.

In a sentence: “He tried a Panenka and the keeper just stood there and caught it.”

#6 Derby

A match between two clubs from the same city or region, such as Manchester United against Manchester City. In Britain it is pronounced “darby”, and the origin of the sporting meaning is disputed.

In a sentence: “Nobody cares about the table in a derby.”

#7 Offside

An attacker is offside if, when a teammate plays the ball, they are in the opponent’s half and nearer the goal line than both the ball and the second-last defender, and they become involved in play. Standing in an offside position is not an offense by itself, and nobody can be offside directly from a goal kick, corner kick or throw-in.

In a sentence: “The flag is up, he was half a yard offside.”

#8 Wall pass

A pass to a teammate who plays it back first time into the space behind a defender, acting like a wall the ball bounces off. In Britain it is also called a one-two, in the US a give-and-go.

In a sentence: “A quick wall pass on the edge of the box and she was through.”

#9 Yellow Card

A caution shown by the referee for offenses such as unsporting behavior, dissent or persistently breaking the laws. Two yellow cards in one match make a red card, and most competitions suspend a player who collects a set number over several games.

In a sentence: “That’s his fifth yellow card, so he misses the next game.”

#10 Stoppage Time

Time added at the end of each half for delays such as substitutions, injuries and VAR reviews. The fourth official shows the minimum on a board, and the referee decides when to end it. It is also called added time or injury time.

In a sentence: “They scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time.”

#11 Free Kick

A restart awarded after a foul or another offense. A direct free kick can go straight into the goal, an indirect one must touch another player first, and the referee signals an indirect one by raising an arm. Opponents must stand at least 10 yards (9.15 meters) away.

In a sentence: “He curled the free kick over the wall into the top corner.”

#12 Penalty Kick

A direct free kick from the penalty spot, 12 yards (11 meters) from goal, awarded for a direct free kick offense by a defender inside their own penalty area. The goalkeeper must have at least part of one foot on the goal line when the kick is taken.

In a sentence: “She sent the keeper the wrong way from the penalty kick.”

#13 Red Card

A sending-off. The player must leave the field and cannot be replaced, so the team plays a player short. Straight reds are shown for serious foul play, violent conduct or denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, and a suspension follows.

In a sentence: “They played the last 30 minutes with ten men after the red card.”

#14 Set Piece

Any planned play from a dead ball: corners, free kicks and sometimes long throw-ins. Teams rehearse them in training, and many professional clubs employ coaches who work only on set pieces.

In a sentence: “We’ve conceded three goals from set pieces this month.”

#15 Striker

The most advanced forward, whose main job is to score. A team may play one striker, often called the number 9, or two up front.

In a sentence: “They need a striker who can finish the chances they create.”

#16 Sweeper

A defender who plays behind the line of defenders to clear up balls that get past them. The role was common from the 1960s to the 1980s, with Franz Beckenbauer as the best-known example, and has almost disappeared with flat back fours. Italians call it the libero.

In a sentence: “With a sweeper behind them, the defenders could mark tightly.”

#17 Through Ball

A pass played into the space behind the defense for a teammate to run onto. It is aimed at where the runner will be, not where they are, and the timing has to beat the offside line.

In a sentence: “One through ball split their whole defense.”

#18 Volley

Striking the ball before it touches the ground. A half-volley is struck just as the ball bounces. Volleys are hard to keep down, so a clean one is among the most spectacular ways to score.

In a sentence: “He met the cross with a volley and it flew in.”

#19 Winger

A wide attacking player who works along the touchline, beating the fullback and crossing or cutting inside to shoot. An inverted winger plays on the side opposite their stronger foot, such as a left-footer on the right.

In a sentence: “The winger beat her fullback twice and both crosses led to goals.”

#20 Brace

Two goals by the same player in one match. The word comes from the old sense of a pair, as in a brace of pheasants.

In a sentence: “He scored a brace before halftime.”

#21 Cap

An appearance for a national team. In the 19th century English players were given an actual cap for each international, and some federations still present caps today.

In a sentence: “She won her 100th cap against Brazil.”

#22 Dribble

Running with the ball under close control with a series of small touches. Dribbling past opponents one on one is called taking players on.

In a sentence: “He dribbled past three defenders before shooting.”

#23 Extra Time

Two periods of 15 minutes played when a knockout match is tied after 90 minutes. If it is still level after extra time, the match goes to a penalty shootout. In the US it is often called overtime.

In a sentence: “We had nothing left in the legs in extra time.”

#24 Goal Kick

The restart when the attacking team last touched the ball before it crossed the goal line without a goal. It is taken from anywhere in the goal area, and since 2019 the ball is in play as soon as it is kicked, even inside the penalty area.

In a sentence: “Goal kick, and the keeper plays it short to the center back.”

#25 Hand Ball

Touching the ball with the hand or arm, which counts from the bottom of the armpit down. It is an offense when deliberate or when the arm makes the body unnaturally bigger, and only the goalkeeper inside their own penalty area may handle the ball.

In a sentence: “His arm was up above his head, that’s a hand ball.”

#26 Marking

Staying close to an opponent to stop them receiving or using the ball. Man-to-man marking gives each defender a player, zonal marking gives them an area, most visibly at corners.

In a sentence: “Who was marking him at the corner?”

#27 Own Goal

A goal scored when a defending player puts the ball into their own net. It counts for the other team, and if a shot that was going in anyway takes a deflection, the goal usually goes to the shooter instead.

In a sentence: “The cross hit his shin and went in for an own goal.”

#28 Pitch

The playing field, the standard word in British English. The laws allow a range of sizes, and for international matches the field must be 100 to 110 meters long and 64 to 75 meters wide.

In a sentence: “The pitch was waterlogged and the game was called off.”

#29 Referee

The official in charge of the match, who enforces the Laws of the Game written by IFAB, the International Football Association Board. The referee is helped by two assistant referees, a fourth official and, in top competitions, the video assistant referee.

In a sentence: “The referee waved play on and the attack continued.”

#30 Substitution

Replacing a player with one from the bench. Most top competitions allow five substitutions in three windows, a rule brought in during the pandemic in 2020 and later made permanent, and a substituted player cannot come back on.

In a sentence: “He made a double substitution on the hour.”

Soccer Slang Players and Fans Actually Use

Slang	What It Means
Park the bus	Defend with every player behind the ball, usually to protect a lead.
Sitter	A chance so easy that missing it is embarrassing.
Screamer	A spectacular long-range goal.
Worldie	A world-class goal or save, mainly British.
Howler	A terrible mistake, usually by a goalkeeper.
Top bins	The top corner of the goal, in British slang.
Hollywood ball	A flashy long pass that looks good but rarely reaches its target.
Bottle job	A team or player that collapses under pressure, in British slang.
Six-pointer	A match between direct rivals in the table, because the winner gains three points and the loser misses out on three.
Rabona	Kicking the ball with the leg wrapped behind the standing leg.
Hoof	A long, aimless kick upfield.
Gaffer	The manager or head coach, in British slang.

Soccer Expressions and Sayings in Everyday English

Moving the goalposts: Changing the rules or targets after something is under way, from shifting the goals during a game.
Own goal: A self-inflicted setback, common in politics and business for a move that hurts the side that made it.
A game of two halves: A situation that changed completely partway through. Once a stock phrase of soccer commentary, now a cliché in its own right.
Kick off: To start something, from the kick-off that starts each half.
Show someone the red card: To dismiss someone or reject something firmly, from the referee sending a player off.
Political football: An issue the rival sides kick back and forth for advantage instead of solving it.

FAQ

What is it called when a player scores three goals in a game?

A hat-trick. Two goals in a match is a brace, and both terms are used the same way across every league.

What is another name for a soccer field?

The pitch. It is the standard word in British usage and in most commentary worldwide, while field is more common in American English.

What is it called when a player moves the ball down the field?

Dribbling, if the player is carrying the ball with their own touches. Moving it forward by pass is called playing it out or working it forward, and a pass threaded past defenders into space is a through ball.

What is a nutmeg in soccer?

Playing the ball through an opponent’s legs and picking it up behind them. It is a legitimate way past a defender and mildly humiliating for the player it happens to.

What do wall, volley and offside have in common?

All three are soccer terms. A wall is the line of defenders blocking a free kick, a volley is a strike made before the ball bounces, and offside is the law limiting how far ahead of the ball an attacker may be.

What is a soccer supporter called?

A supporter or a fan. Collectively the crowd of a club is its support, and organized groups of them are known as ultras in many countries.

What are some words related to soccer?

They divide into the laws (offside, free kick, penalty kick, hand ball), positions (striker, winger, sweeper, goalkeeper) and skills (nutmeg, volley, through ball, dribble). The soccer glossary above covers all of them.

What are some soccer terms for beginners?

Start with the laws that stop play: offside, foul, free kick, penalty kick, yellow and red card, throw-in, corner kick and goal kick. Then add the positions and a few result words such as clean sheet and stoppage time.

What are some soccer slang terms?

Park the bus for defending with everyone behind the ball, howler for a terrible mistake, worldie for a spectacular goal, sitter for an easy miss and top bins or upper 90 for the top corner. The slang table above has more.

What do you call the top corner of a soccer goal?

In the US it is the upper 90, after the right angle where the crossbar meets the post. In Britain players say the top corner or, in slang, top bins.