Glossary of association football terms
List of definitions of terms and concepts used in football or soccer / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Association football (more commonly known as football or soccer) was first codified in 1863 in England, although games that involved the kicking of a ball were evident considerably earlier.[1] A large number of football-related terms have since emerged to describe various aspects of the sport and its culture.
The evolution of the sport has been mirrored by changes in this terminology over time. For instance, the role of an inside forward in variants of a 2–3–5 formation has many parallels to that of an attacking midfielder, although the positions are nonetheless distinct.[2] Similarly, a 2–3–5 centre half can in many ways be compared to a holding midfielder in a 4–1–3–2.[3]
In many cases, multiple terms exist for the same concept. One reason for this is the progression of language over time. The sport itself, originally known as association football, is now more widely known by the shortened term football, or soccer, derived from the word association.[4] Other duplicate terms can be attributed to differences among varieties of English. In Europe, where British English is prevalent, the achievement of not conceding a goal for an entire match is known as a clean sheet.[5] In North America, where American and Canadian English dominate, the same achievement is referred to as a shutout.[6]
Occasionally the actions of an individual have made their way into common football parlance. Two notable examples are Diego Maradona's goals in Argentina's 1986 World Cup quarter-final win against England. After the match, Maradona described his first goal—a handball that the referee missed—as having been scored "a little bit by the hand of God, another bit by the head of Maradona".[7] His second goal was subsequently voted in a 2002 FIFA poll as the Goal of the century. Both phrases are now widely understood to refer to the goals in that match.[8]
This glossary serves as a point of reference for terms which are commonly used within association football, and which have a sport-specific meaning. It seeks to avoid defining common English words and phrases that have no special meaning within football. Exceptions include cases where a word or phrase's use in the context of football might cause confusion to someone not familiar with the sport (such as clean sheet), or where it is fundamental to understanding the sport (such as goal). Entries on nicknames relating to specific players or teams are actively avoided. Other phrases without entries are specific clubs, rivalries, media organisations or works, unless the name also has a more general meaning within football, as is the case with El Clásico and Roy of the Rovers stuff.
- 12th man – This expression has two different definitions. It usually refers to fans who are present at a football match, especially when they make such noise as to provide increased motivation for the team.[9] The metaphor is based on the fact that a team numbers 11 active players at the start of a game. The term can also be used where a referee is perceived to be biased in favour of one team. "They had a 12th man on the pitch", is a complaint made by fans. It also may refer to a player that's not usually part of the starting eleven, but comes off the bench most of the matches, a concept similar to the sixth man in basketball.
- 2–3–5 – common 19th- and early 20th-century formation consisting of two defensive players (previously known as full backs), three midfield players (half-backs), and five forward players. Also known as the pyramid formation. Variations include the 2–3–2–3 (the Metodo or WW formation), where the inside forwards take up deeper positions.[3]
- 3 points for a win – see Three points for a win.
- 39th game – see game 39.
- 4–4–2 – common modern formation used with four defenders, four midfielders, and two attacking players. There are many variants of this formation, such as the 4–4–2 diamond, where the four midfielders are assembled in a diamond shape without wide midfielders, and the 4–1–3–2, where one midfielder is expected to adopt a defensive position, allowing the other three to concentrate on attacking.[10]
- 4–5–1 – common modern formation used with four defenders, five midfielders and one striker. By pushing the wingers forward, this formation can be adapted into a 4–3–3; teams frequently play 4–3–3 when they have the ball, and revert to 4–5–1 when they lose possession.[11] Variants include the 4–4–1–1, where a striker drops deep or an attacking midfielder pushes forward to play in a supporting role to the main striker, the 4–2–3–1, where two holding midfielders are used, the 4–3–2–1 (or Christmas Tree), which uses three central midfielders behind two attacking midfielders[3][12] and 4-6-0 which utilizes four defenders and six midfielders deployed as one holding player, two wing-backs and three who rotate between attack and defence positions.[13]
- 4th place trophy – The achievement of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League by finishing in the top four places in the English Premier League. The term was coined by Arsene Wenger, who said that "For me, there are five trophies, the first is to win the Premier League... the third is to qualify for the Champions League".
- 50-50 – see fifty-fifty
- 6+5 rule – proposal adopted by FIFA in 2008. Designed to counter the effects of the Bosman ruling, which had greatly increased the number of foreign players fielded by European clubs, the rule required each club to field at least six players who are eligible to play for the national team of the country of the club.[14] The European Parliament prevented the rule from coming into effect in the European Union, declaring it incompatible with EU law – its future remains uncertain.[15]
- Academy – model used by some professional clubs for youth development. Young players are contracted to the club and trained to a high standard, with the hope that some will develop into professional footballers.[16] Some clubs provide academic as well as footballing education at their academies.[17] Also known as a youth academy, or as a cantera in Spanish-speaking countries.
- Added time – see Stoppage time.
- Administration – legal process (sanction) where a business unable to pay its creditors seeks temporary legal protection from them, while it attempts to restructure its debt. Clubs going into administration usually incur a points deduction.[18]
- Advantage – decision made by the referee during a game, where a player is fouled, but play is allowed to continue because the team that suffered the foul is in a better position than they would have been had the referee stopped the game.[19]
- AFC – initialism for either the Asian Football Confederation,[20] the governing body of the sport in Asia, or association football club, used by teams such as Sunderland AFC.[21] It can also mean athletic football club, as seen in AFC Bournemouth.[22]
- Against the run of play – a goal scored, or a win or draw achieved, by a side that was being clearly outplayed.[23]
- Aggregate or aggregate score – combined score of matches between two teams in a two-legged match.[24]
- All competitions or all comps – used to describe a team's or player's statistical progress in various league, domestic, and international matches across a season, career, or other set time period; used particularly when such competitions run concurrent with each other on the calendar (e.g. "Pelé scored 66 goals in all competitions in 1958").[25]
- "A" Match – international match for which both associations field their first team ("A" representative team).[26][27]
- Anti-football – pejorative term for a particularly robust and defensive style of play.[28]
- Apertura and Clausura – league format employed by several football leagues in Latin America, in which the traditional August–May season is divided into two separate league tournaments, each with its own champion. Apertura and Clausura are Spanish for "opening" and "closing".[29][30]
- Apprentice – see Youth
- Arena football – see six-a-side football.
- Armband – worn by a team's captain, to signify that role.[31] Black armbands are occasionally worn by an entire team in commemoration of a death or tragic event.[32]
- Assist – pass that leads to a goal being scored.[33]
- Assistant referee – one of a number of officials who assist the referee in controlling a match.[34]
- Attacker – usually refers to a striker,[35] or any player close to the opposing team's goal line.
- Away – see Home and away.
- Away goals rule – tie-break applied in some competitions with two-legged matches. In cases where the scores finish level on aggregate, the team that has scored more goals away from home is deemed the winner.[24]
- Back of the net – goal in which the ball is usually trapped at the back of the net until it is picked back up.[36]
- Back-pass rule – rule introduced into the Laws of the Game in 1992 to help speed up play, specifying that goalkeepers are not allowed to pick up the ball if it was intentionally kicked back to them by a teammate.[37]
- Backheel – type of pass or shot in which a player uses their heel to propel the ball backwards to another player or to the goal. Sometimes spelt back heel.[38]
- Ball – spherical object normally kicked around by football players. Balls used in official matches are standardised for size, weight, and material, and manufactured to the specifications set in the Laws of the Game.[39]
- Ball boy or ball girl – one of several children stationed around the edge of the pitch, whose role is to help retrieve balls that go out of play.[40]
- Ball recovery – the successful attempt by a team to regain possession of the ball.[41]
- Ballon d'Or – may refer to the current FIFA Ballon d'Or, awarded to the player voted the best in world football, or a previous award, which recognised the best player in European football.[42][vague]
- Barras bravas – organised supporter/hooligan groups in Latin America, similar to the European term Ultras.[43]
- Beach football – variant of association football played on a beach or some form of sand.[44] Also known as beach soccer or beasal.
- Behind closed doors – matches in which spectators are not present. Was the norm during large parts of the COVID-19 pandemic. May be imposed as a form of sanction for clubs whose supporters have behaved inappropriately.[45] Such matches are sometimes arranged between clubs, to help hasten a player's return to fitness.[citation needed]
- Bench – area on the edge of the pitch where a team's substitutes and coaches sit, usually consisting an actual covered bench or a row of seats. More formally known as the substitutes' bench.[46] Also sometimes called a dugout.[47]
- Bend – skill attribute in which players strike the ball in a manner that applies spin, resulting in the flight of the ball curving, or bending, in mid-air. Players who are especially adept at achieving this will often be their team's designated free kick taker, as they are able to bend the ball around walls while taking shots at goal. The phrase "bend it like Beckham" stems from English player David Beckham's ability in this regard.[48]
- Bicycle kick – move made by a player with their back to the goal. The player throws their body into the air, makes a shearing movement with the legs to get one leg in front of the other, and attempts to play the ball backwards over their own head, all before returning to the ground. Also known as an overhead kick.[49]
- Big game player – a term that describes a player that often goes under the radar in normal matches but turns up for the occasion in important matches, and somewhat exceeds expectations in "big games".[50]
- Booking – act of noting the offender in a cautionable offence, which results in a yellow card.[51]
- Boot boy – young player who, in addition to his football training, is expected to perform menial tasks such as cleaning the boots of first-team players.[52]
- Boots – player's footwear, normally with studs.
- Bosman ruling – ruling by the European Court of Justice related to player transfers that allows professional football players in the European Union to move freely to another club at the end of their term of contract with their present team. Handed down in 1995, it also banned the restricted movement of EU members within the leagues of member states. Named after Jean-Marc Bosman, the plaintiff in that court case.[53]
- Bottler – refers to a player or a team that initially plays in a reasonably well level, but, due to mistakes, end up in a poor form at the end of the season.
- Box – see Penalty area.
- Boxing Day – day after Christmas. Usually a day when many matches are played in England as part of a festive period schedule.[50]
- Box-to-box – players with the ability to influence the game both defensively and offensively or, more generally, at both ends of the pitch.[54]
- Brace – when a player scores two goals in a single match.[8]
- Break – attacking manoeuvre in which several members of a defending team gain possession of the ball and suddenly counter-attack into their opponent's half of the pitch, overwhelming their opponents' defence in greater numbers, usually as a result of the opposing defenders' being out of position after having supported their attackers.[55]
- B team – at club level, a variant of a reserve team. At international level, refers to occasional matches between national selects without age restrictions but below the highest level, usually to test inexperienced players in a similar environment to gauge their readiness for the senior squad or sometimes using only players based in a particular division.[56][57] Such fixtures were played regularly in some eras and very rarely in others.[58]
- Build-up – The phase of play when a team has possession of the ball and tires to score while the opponent is in an organized defence.
- Bung – secret and unauthorised payment, used as a financial incentive to help a transfer go through.[59]
- Byline – markings on the shortest side of the pitch, which run from the posts to the corners. Also known as the End line.[35]
- CAF – initialism for the Confederation of African Football, the governing body of the sport in Africa.[20]
- Cap – appearance of a player for a national team. Originates from the traditional presentation of a cap to British players who made international appearances.[60][61]
- Cap-tied – a term used when a player has represented a national team and as a consequence is ineligible to play for another. A play on the older term Cup-tied
- Captain – player chosen to lead a team, and in a match to participate in the coin toss before the start of play.[62] Also known as a skipper.[35]
- Caretaker manager – person chosen to perform managerial duties when no permanent manager is installed.[63]
- Catenaccio – tactical system that puts an emphasis on defence. In Italian, catenaccio means "door-bolt", implying a highly organised and effective backline defence to prevent goals.[64]
- Caution – see yellow card.
- Centre circle – 10-yard radius circle around the centre spot.[65]
- Centre spot – mark in the centre of the pitch from which play is started at the beginning of each half, and restarted following the scoring of a goal.[65]
- Challenge – see tackle.
- Channel – empty space between the fullback and the central defender when a defense is playing with a back four. Wide-playing strikers are said to operate "in the channels".[66]
- Champions League – annual confederation-wide tournament involving the champions and other successful teams from that confederation's domestic leagues. The term can refer to the tournaments held in the AFC,[67] CAF,[68] CONCACAF[69] or OFC,[70] but is most commonly used in reference to the competition held by UEFA.[71] The CONMEBOL equivalent is the Copa Libertadores.[72]
- Chance – situation where an attacking player can shoot at goal, with a realistic prospect of scoring. Also known as an opportunity.[73]
- Chip – high trajectory shot or cross, executed by wedging the foot underneath the ball.[74]
- Christmas tree – see 4–5–1
- Clausura – see Apertura and Clausura
- Clean sheet – when a goalkeeper or team does not concede a single goal during a match.[5]
- Clearance – when a player kicks the ball away from the goal they are defending.[35]
- Club – collective name for a football team, and the organisation that runs it.[75]
- Consolation goal – when a losing team scores a goal which has no impact on the final result.
- Compact defending – a defensive tactic related to compactness[76]
- Co-ownership – system whereby two football clubs own the contract of a player jointly, although the player is only registered to play for one club.[77]
- CONCACAF – acronym for the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football, the governing body of the sport in North and Central America and the Caribbean; pronounced "kon-ka-kaff".[20]
- CONMEBOL – acronym for the South American Football Association, the governing body of the sport in South America; pronounced "kon-me-bol".[20]
- Corner flag – flags are placed in each of the four corners of the pitch to help mark the boundaries of the playing area.[65]
- Corner kick – kick taken from within a one-yard radius of the corner flag; a method of restarting play when a player puts the ball behind their own goal line without a goal being scored.[35]
- Corridor of uncertainty – a cross or pass which is delivered into the area in front of the goalkeeper and behind the last line of defence.[78]
- Counter-attack or counterattack – see break.
- Counter-pressing or counterpressing – While pressing is a tactic applied by a team in its defensive shape, counter-pressing is applied immediately after losing the ball in order to quickly regain possession.[79]
- Cross – delivery of the ball into the penalty area by the attacking team, usually from the area between the penalty box and the touchline.[35]
- Crossbar – horizontal bar across the top of the goal.[80]
- Cruyff turn – type of turn named after Dutchman Johan Cruyff; designed to lose an opponent. Specifically, the ball is gently kicked sideways by one foot, but behind the player's own standing leg.[81]
- Cuauhtemiña – skill move attributed to Mexican player Cuauhtémoc Blanco,[82] which he performed notably at the 1998 World Cup.[83] When multiple players attempted to tackle him, he trapped the ball between his feet and jumped over them, releasing the ball in the air and landing with it under control.[83]
- Cup (~ competition, ~ format, ~ tie): a single-elimination tournament, as opposed to a league (round-robin tournament); respectively called after England's FA Cup and Football League. Depending on the competition, cup ties may be a single match or a two-legged tie; often the "cup final" is a single match at a predetermined venue.[84]
- Cup run – a series of wins in a cup competition, usually applied to teams from lower division.[85]
- Cup-tied – where a player is ineligible to play in a cup competition because they have played for a different team earlier in the same competition.[86]
- Cupset – A modern portmanteau of cup and upset, often used in sports journalism to refer to win for an underdog in a knockout competition.[87][88]
- Curl – see bend.
- Curva – curved stands behind the goals in a football stadium, usually home to fanatical fans, or "ultras".[89]
- Custodian – alternative term for a goalkeeper.[90][91]
- D – semi-circular arc at the edge of the penalty area, used to indicate the portion of the 10-yard distance around the penalty spot that lies outside the penalty area. Referred to in the Laws of the Game as "the penalty arc".[65]
- Dead ball – situation when the game is restarted with the ball stationary, such as a free kick.[92]
- Deep – describes the positioning of a player (or a line of players, such as the defence or midfield) who is playing closer to their own goal than they traditionally would. A defence may drop deep against a team with fast attacking players, to reduce the amount of space behind the defence for fast-paced players to break into.[93] Attacking players or midfielders who traditionally play deep may be described as being a deep-lying forward or a deep-lying playmaker.
- Defender – one of the four main positions in football. Defenders are positioned in front of the goalkeeper and have the principal role of keeping the opposition away from their goal.[35]
- Defensive wall – see Wall
- Derby – match between two, usually local, rivals.[94]
- Designated player rule – rule in Major League Soccer that allows teams to nominate players who are paid either partially or completely outside the salary cap.[95]
- Direct free kick – awarded to fouled team following certain listed "penal" fouls.[96] A goal may be scored directly from a direct free kick.
- Dirty work – the type of play undertaken by a defensive midfielder – such as making tackles in midfield, playing short passes to the wing, and breaking up opponents' attacking moves – which is necessary for a team to be successful, but rarely receives recognition or acclaim, and is not considered "glamorous".[97]
- Dissent – breach of the Laws of the Game, whereby a player uses offensive language or gestures towards official(s). In extreme cases it can result in yellow or red cards being issued.[98]
- Diving – form of cheating, sometimes employed by an attacking player to win a free kick or penalty.[92] When being challenged for the ball by an opponent, the player will throw themselves to the ground as though they had been fouled, in an attempt to deceive the referee into thinking a foul has been committed.[99] Also known as a flop.
- Doing a Leeds – when a club incurs substantial debts through over-ambitious spending and subsequently drops down one or more divisions. Named after Leeds United, who reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2001 as a Premier League club but were playing in Football League One only six years later.[100] The phrase is sometimes also used in relation to other clubs, for instance "Doing a Wimbledon".[101]
- Double – most commonly used when a club wins both its domestic league and its country's major cup competition in the same season.[92] Also refers to a pair of victories, home and away, by one club over another in the same league season.[102]
- Dr. Griffin – a pass 'to Dr. Griffin' designates a pass into an empty space, received by no other teammate (alluding to Griffin (The Invisible Man))
- Dribbling – when a player runs with the ball at their feet under close control. Dribbling on a winding course past several opponents in close proximity without losing possession is sometimes described as making a mazy run or mazy dribble.[92][103]
- Drop ball – method used to restart a game, sometimes when a player has been injured accidentally and the game is stopped while the ball is still in play.[104]
- Drop points - when a team does not win all three standings points available to them in a league or tournament game, either through a draw (in which they earn just one point) or a loss (zero points); also used to describe a team losing ground to other teams ahead of them in a league's standings.[105]
- Dugout – see bench.
- Dummy – skill move performed by a player receiving a pass from a teammate; the player receiving the ball will angle their body in such a way that the opponent thinks they are going to play the ball. The player will then intentionally allow the ball to run by them to a teammate close by without touching it, confusing the opponent as to which player has the ball.[106]
- Early doors – term frequently utilized by commentators to describe to early stages of a match.[50]
- El Clásico – derby fixtures in Spanish-speaking countries such as Argentina[107] and Mexico.[108] In Spain, and countries where Spanish is not a primary language, it is commonly understood as the name of the derby between Spanish clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona.[109]
- Elevator team – see Yo-yo club.
- End-to-end stuff – exciting, action-packed match. Usually involves suspense, as end-to-end indicates both teams are creating goal scoring opportunities on opposite sides of the field.[50]
- Equaliser – goal that makes the score even.[35]
- European night – night-time game in a UEFA club competition.[110]
- Exhibition match – see Friendly.
- Expunge – to render all matches played by a given team up to a certain point in a league season null and void and remove them from the league table, recalculating all other teams' records accordingly. This usually occurs when a team is expelled or resigns from the league in mid-season.
- Extra time – additional period, normally two halves of 15 minutes, used to determine the winner in some tied cup matches.[35]
- FA Cup – English knockout competition – the oldest cup tournament in the world.[111]
- False nine – A centre forward who regularly drops back into midfield to disrupt opposition marking.[112]
- Fan – follower of a football team or someone who simply enjoys watching the game. Also known as supporter.[113]
- Fan park – area away from grounds – often in city centres – used to screen matches on large television screens for fans, normally for big tournaments such as the World Cup or other important matches.[114]
- Fans' favourite – player that is extremely popular with fans of a club or nation.
- Farmers league – a derogatory term referring to football leagues perceived not to be as competitive as others.[115] The literal definition of farmers league is a league that involves players who have day-time jobs farming and play football in the evenings.[citation needed]
- Favourite – team that is expected to win a particular match or tournament.[116] Opposite of underdog.
- FC – initialism for football club, used by teams such as Watford FC.[117]
- Feeder club – a smaller club linked to a larger club, usually to provide first-team experience for younger players who remain contracted to the larger club, with several varying aspects agreed by the participants including length of agreement, number of players involved and coaching input from the larger club.[118][119][120] More commonly known as a 'farm team' in other sports. Differing from a reserve or 'B' team which is an integral part of a club below its first team.
- Feign injury – see play-acting
- Fergie time – the idea that Manchester United, when managed by Sir Alex Ferguson ("Fergie"), got what rival fans considered to be generous and/or excessive added time when Ferguson's team were losing, particularly at home.[121]
- Field of play – see pitch.
- FIFA – acronym for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football), the world governing body of the sport; pronounced "fee-fa".[122]
- Fifty-fifty – a challenge in which two players have an equal chance of winning control of a loose ball.[123]
- Final whistle – see full-time.
- First eleven – the eleven players who, when available, would be the ones usually chosen by the team's manager to start a game.[124]
- First team – the most senior team fielded by a club.[125]
- First touch – skill attribute for a player which signifies their ability to bring the ball completely under control immediately upon receiving it.[126]
- Fixture congestion – situation where a team is required to play many matches in a short period of time. Extended runs in cup competitions or prolonged spells of bad weather can cause matches to be postponed, causing fixture congestion as the team is required to catch up all the postponed matches. A team may appeal to a governing body to extend their season but it is not compulsory for a governing body to act upon a request.[127]
- Flag – small rectangular flag attached to a handle, used by an assistant referee to signal that they have seen a foul or other infraction take place. One assistant referee's flag is a solid colour (often yellow), and their colleague's has a two-colour (often red and yellow) quartered pattern. Some flags have buttons on the handle, which will activate an alarm worn by the referee to attract their attention. Can also refer to the corner flag.[128] The action of an assistant referee signalling with the flag is called flagging.[129]
- Fixture – scheduled match which has yet to be played.[130]
- Flat back four – defensive positioning system, in which the primary first position of each member of a four-man defense is in a straight line across the pitch; often used in conjunction with an offside trap. In formations with three centre backs, the phrase "flat back three" is sometimes used.[131]
- Flick-on – when a player receives a pass from a teammate and, instead of controlling it, touches the ball with their head or foot while it is moving past them, with the intent of helping the ball reach another teammate.[132]
- Football – a widely used name for association football.[133] Can also refer to the ball.
- Football League – English league competition founded in 1888, the oldest such competition in the world.[134]
- Football programme – also known as match programme; booklet purchased by spectators attending a football match containing information relevant to it, including lists of players, short articles penned by commentators and the like. Older programmes may have considerable value as collectables.[135]
- Football pyramid – also known as league system; hierarchy of leagues which teams can be promoted or relegated between, depending on finishing positions or playoffs. They are often referred to as "pyramids" due to their tendency to have increasing number of regional and local divisions further down the tiers (or "steps"), leading to a pyramid-like structure.[136]
- Formation – how the players in a team are positioned on the pitch. The formation is often denoted numerically, with the numbers referring to the corresponding number of players in defensive, midfield and attacking positions.[137]
- Fortress – home ground of a team boasting a strong home form.[50]
- Forward – see Striker.
- Fourth official – additional assistant referee, who has various duties and can replace one of the other officials, in case of injury.[138]
- Fox in the box – see Goal poacher.
- Foul – breach of the Laws of the Game by a player, punishable by a free kick or penalty. Such acts can lead to yellow or red cards depending on their severity.[92]
- Free kick – the result of a foul outside the penalty area, given against the offending team. Free kicks can be either direct (shot straight towards the goal) or indirect (the ball must touch another player before a goal can be scored).[92]
- Freestyle football – art of a player expressing themself with a football, while performing various tricks with any part of their body. Similar in style to keepie-uppie and kemari, it has become a widespread sport across the world and is practised by many people.[139]
- Friendly – match arranged by two teams with no competitive value, such as a player's testimonial or a warm-up match before a season begins.[92]
- Fullback – position on either side of the defence, whose job is to try to prevent the opposing team attacking down the wings. Also spelt full back or full-back.[140]
- Full-time – either (1) the end of the game, signalled by the referees whistle (also known as the final whistle), or (2) a footballer or coach whose only profession is football, and by extension a club employing such players and coaches.[141]
- Futsal – variant of association football that is played on a smaller hard court surface and mainly played indoors.[142] Involves two teams with five players each, one of whom is the goalkeeper, with an unlimited number of substitutes permitted and is played in two periods each lasting 20 minutes.[142] Similar, but not identical, to six-a-side football.
- Game of two halves – a close match where one team dominates each half.[35]
- Game 39 – proposal to play an extra round of Premier League matches played outside of the United Kingdom.[143] Also known as the 39th game. Named as such because, since the Premier League is played by 20 teams, and the competition system is the double round-robin (see round-robin tournament), each team plays 38 games in a season.
- Game(s) in hand - situation where a team have played fewer games than one or more other teams in their league at a given point in the season and therefore have the opportunity to score more points than the other team(s) during the remainder of the season
- Garbage ball – a football associated with street football and other informal games where manufactured footballs are not available. They consist of various types of garbage, often discarded plastic, which are held together with twine.[144]
- Ghost game – a betting scam, first discovered in the early 2010s, in which bookmakers, either by being deceived or as accessories, post odds and take bets on a match that never actually takes place.[145][146]
- Ghost goal – situations where a ball fairly crossed the goal line but did not result in a goal, or a goal was awarded despite the ball not crossing the line.[147]
- Giant-killing – a lower division team defeating another team from a much higher division in that country's league.[148][149]
- Give-and-go – see One-two.
- Goal – the only method of scoring in football; for a goal to be awarded the ball must pass completely over the goal line in the area between the posts and beneath the crossbar.[104]
- Goal average – number of goals scored divided by number of goals conceded. Used as a tie-breaking method before the introduction of goal difference.[150]
- Goal difference – net difference between goals scored and goals conceded.[35] Used to differentiate league positions when clubs are tied on points.[151]
- Goal from open play – any goal that is not scored from a dead ball situation.[152]
- Goal hanger – A somewhat disparaging term for a striker who is perceived to spend most of the match in or near the opposing penalty area, waiting for an opportunity to score a goal. Gary Lineker and Filippo Inzaghi are two players who have been described as such.[153][154]
- Goalkeeper – a specialist playing position with the job of defending a team's goal and preventing the opposition from scoring. They are the only player on the pitch that can handle the ball in open play, although they can only do so in their penalty area.[35] Known informally as a keeper or a goalie.
- Goal kick – method of restarting play when the ball is played over the goal line by a player of the attacking team without a goal being scored.[35]
- Goal line – line at one of the shorter ends of the pitch, spanning from one corner flag to another, with the goalposts situated at the halfway point; sometimes used to refer to the particular section of the goal line between the two goalposts[155] Also spelt goal-line.
- Goal-line clearance – when a player performs a clearance of the ball right off or near the goal line.[156]
- Goal-line technology – a system to determine whether the ball has crossed the line for a goal or not.
- Goal poacher – type of striker, primarily known for excellent scoring ability and movement inside the penalty area.[157]
- Goalmouth – the section of the pitch immediately in front of the goal.[158]
- Goalmouth scramble – when multiple players from both teams attempt to gain control of a loose ball in the goalmouth. This often results in a short period of chaotic play involving attackers shooting towards goal and defenders blocking shots, balls ricocheting around the goalmouth, and players falling over.[159] Also known as a scrimmage.[160]
- Goal of the century – usually used to refer to Diego Maradona's second goal against England in the 1986 FIFA World Cup.[8]
- Goalpost – vertical bars at either side of the goal.[161]
- Goalside – when a player is located closer to the goal than his opponent.
- Golazo - a spectacular or impressive goal
- Golden Generation – an exceptionally talented set of players who are expected to achieve a high level of success,[162] or who have been part of a highly successful squad in a team's history. Usually associated to national teams.
- Golden goal – method of determining the winner of a match which is a draw after 90 minutes of play. Up to an additional 30 minutes are played in two 15-minute halves, the first team to score wins and the match ends immediately.[163] See also Silver goal.
- Grand Slam – achieved by a club that wins all official international competitions.[164]
- Green card – a virtual card awarded after the game by the referee in Italy's Serie B to a player whose actions illustrate "positive behaviour" during the game.[165]
- Groundhopping – hobby among fans, in which the objective is to visit as many football stadiums and grounds as possible. Participants are known as groundhoppers or simply hoppers.[166]
- Group of death – group in a cup competition which is unusually competitive, because the number of strong teams in the group is greater than the number of qualifying places available for the next phase of the tournament.[167]
- Hairdryer treatment – manager yelling at players without mercy in the dressing room, intended to motivate them. In this scenario, the manager acts as the hairdryer. Made popular by former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.[50]
- Half-back – position employed in a 2–3–5 formation, half-backs would play in front of the full-backs and behind the forwards. The middle half-back was known as a centre-half; those on either side were known as wing-halves.[168]
- Half-time – break between the two halves of a match, usually lasts 15 minutes.[169]
- Half-volley – pass or shot in which the ball is struck just as, or just after, it touches the ground.[133]
- Hammer – to beat a team by a big margin.
- Handbags – colloquialism, especially in the United Kingdom, referring to an event where two or more players from opposing teams square up to each other in a threatening manner, or push and jostle each other in an attempt to assert themselves, without any actual violent conduct taking place.[90]
- Hand ball or handball – when a player (other than a goalkeeper inside their penalty area) deliberately touches the ball with their hand or arm (from the tips of the fingers to the top of the shoulder) in active play. A foul is given against the player if spotted.[170]
- Hand of God – Diego Maradona's first goal against England in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, which he scored by using his hand.[171]
- Hang up one's boots – to retire from football[172]
- Hard man – a player noted for his aggressive style of play, especially for strong tackles.[173][174][175]
- Hat-trick – when a player scores three goals in a single match.[176]
- Header – using the head as a means of playing or controlling the ball.[133]
- High foot – colloquialism for what is described in the Laws of the Game as "Playing in a dangerous manner".[177] A foul is awarded if the referee determines that a player's foot has moved into a dangerously high position while trying to play the ball, especially if the foot threatens or causes an injury to an opponent.[178]
- Holding role or Holding midfielder – central midfielder whose primary role is to protect the defence.[179]
- Hold up the ball – when a player, usually a forward, receives a long ball from a teammate, and controls and shields it from the opposition, with the intent of slowing the play down to allow teammates to join the attack.[180]
- Hole – space on a pitch between the midfield and forwards. In formations where attacking midfielders or deep-lying forwards are used, they are said to be "playing in the hole".[90]
- Hollywood ball – a spectacular-looking long range pass, but one which rarely achieves what the passer hopes.[181]
- Home and away – a team's own ground and their opponent's, respectively. The team playing at their own stadium is said to have "home advantage."[182][183]
- Hooligans – fanatical supporters known for violence.[184]
- Hospital ball – sometimes referred to as hospital pass; when a player plays a slightly under-strength pass to a teammate, to such an extent that it becomes likely that both the teammate and an opposing player will come into contact with the ball simultaneously, therefore increasing the likelihood of one or both players suffering an injury while challenging for the ball.[citation needed]
- Howler – glaring and possibly amusing error made by a player or referee during a match.[185]
- IFAB – initialism for the International Football Association Board, the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football.[186]
- Indirect free kick – type of free kick awarded to the opposing team following "non-penal" fouls, certain technical infringements, or when play is stopped to caution or dismiss an opponent without a specific foul having occurred. Unlike in a direct free kick, a goal may not be scored directly from an indirect free kick.[187]
- Indoor football – see six-a-side football.
- Indoor soccer – see six-a-side football.
- Injury recovery – the time it takes for a player to recover from having been injured.[188]
- Injury time – see stoppage time.
- Inside forward – position employed in a 2–3–5 formation. The inside forwards played just behind the centre forward, similar to the modern attacking midfielder or second striker.[189]
- Intercept – to prevent a pass from reaching its intended recipient.[190]
- International break – period of time set aside by FIFA for scheduled international matches per their International Match Calendar. Also known as FIFA International Day/Date(s).[191]
- International clearance – clearance required from foreign or overseas football associations before the transfer of a player can be completed where that player is moving across national or international borders.[192]