| A.R. |
Abbreviation for Assistant Referee. One AR typically is
positioned on one side of the field at one end of the field and carries
a flag to signal fouls, out-of-bounds, substitutions, etc. The other AR
is positioned on the opposite sided of the field at the other end. |
| Assist |
The pass that leads to the
goal. Many say it's as important as the
goal itself, some say it's even more important. |
| Away |
Generally called by the keeper to tell defenders to
clear the ball away from the goal in any direction (except towards the
goal). Panic in voice is normal. |
| Back Pass |
A pass that is hit backwards
(away from the goal you are attacking) |
| Booked |
To receive a yellow card or red card from the
official. |
| Carry |
A call to an offensive player (with the ball) to dribble
the ball up the field in open space. A defensive player is not nearby. |
| Card (Yellow/Red) |
Yellow card is for a flagrant penalty (taunting, cursing, tackling
from behind, etc). Red card is for fighting, intentionally trying to do
harm, etc. A player receiving a red card is ejected from the game and
his team must play a man down (no replacement player for ejected
player). In some instances, the ejected player is ineligible for the
next game. A player receiving a second yellow card (referred to as a soft red
in high school) is also ejected without replacement
(except in high school rules, in which case a substitution is allowed). |
| Center It |
A call to an offensive player to pass the ball to a waiting teammate
in the center of the field. |
| Center Referee or Center |
The Center Referee is the boss on the field. He or she
has the main responsibility for calling the game. The Center is
typically supported by two Assistant Referees positioned at opposite
side of the field. |
| Challenge |
A call to defender to apply
pressure or to attack
an offensive player (with the ball) in order to steal the ball. |
| Chip Shot |
A high looping shot on goal intended to go over the
keeper's head into the goal. |
| Creating Space |
This is the act of leaving an
area of the field in order to draw the defense away from that area so
that you (or one of your teammates can use the space to your advantage
in the future. |
| Cross or Crossing Pass |
A pass made from a player on
one side of the field towards the
middle of the field many times towards the goal. |
| Defensive Third |
The third of the field closest
to the goal you are defending. |
| Dive or Take a Dive |
When an attacker pretends to have been fouled by falling
to the ground. Most often done inside the 18 or penalty box. Sometimes
the Referee will mistakenly award a PK. However, on occasion the Referee
will book the diver (yellow card) for poor sportsmanship. |
| Dive In |
A poorly executed challenge by a defensive player
in an area of the field or in a defensive situation where jockeying
would have been a better play. May be accentuated with references to
"Swan" or "One-and-a-half" and other diving term. |
| Drop |
A call to play the ball towards the offensive player's
own goal in order to take the ball out of defensive pressure. |
| Eighteen |
A call from an attacker to a teammate to pass the ball
to the 18 yard box (also called penalty box) for the attacker to run to. |
| Far Post |
This is the goal post (the
post that makes up the side of the goal) that is furthest from the ball
at the given time. |
|
Find Your Marks |
A call for defenders to chose an opposing player to defend. |
| Fifty-fifty Ball |
A loose ball that two players have equal access to,
usually one in the air that has to be won by a header.
Players that can consistently win a fifty-fifty ball are highly valued
by their coaches (and tend to have headaches or wear out shin guards). |
| Flat Back Four |
A type of zonal defending that
involves 4 defenders each responsible for an area across the back of the
defense. The reason it's called flat is that they players usually don't
have as much deep support as they would with a sweeper behind them. |
| Formations |
Whenever you hear about
formations, you hear some weird numbers like 4-4-2 or 3-4-3 or something
like that. To explain it real simply, the numbers work from the back
forward and the keeper is never counted. So, a 4-4-2 is a formation
with 4 backs, 4 midfielders, and two forwards along with one keeper. |
| Forwards |
The players who start off
closest to the goal the team is attacking. First and foremost, the
forwards are responsible for scoring goals or at least creating scoring
opportunities. |
| Follow (the shot) |
A call for attackers to run towards the keeper in order to kick a ball
that the keeper may block (instead of catch) or deflect. |
| Header |
The art of striking the ball with one's forehead
(and living to tell about it). |
| Jockey |
A call for defenders to position themselves in a defensive position
against an attacker so the attackers progress is slowed, but so that the
defender is not beaten. This process allows other defenders to
recover. |
| Make a Run |
An offensive player runs (without the ball) to an
open position to receive the ball. |
| Man-On |
A call to an offensive player (with ball) telling him that a defensive
player is approaching. |
| Midfielders |
The line up between the
forwards and the defenders, and are the ones who link the two together.
They have equal responsibility both offensively and defensively. |
| Near Post |
This is the goal post (the
post that makes up the side of the goal) that is nearest to the ball at
the given time |
| No Man's Land |
The area of the field in front of the goal where a goal
keeper is not close enough to the attacker to block a shot and too far
away from the goal to make a save. Typically a chip shot is used
to clear the ball over the keeper and into the goal. |
| No Turn |
A call to a defensive player to position himself in a way so as not to
allow the offensive player (with ball) to face the defensive player, but
rather for the offensive player to be forced to play with his back to
the defensive player. |
| Offside |
A difficult principle for parents to understand especially when their
child has been called for it. Referees do not call this infraction
consistently and may argue amongst themselves (in private, of course) as
to when it should be called. Very simply, it is a foul when an offensive
player (without the ball) is positioned closer to the opposing goal than
any two defenders, including the keeper (usually the keeper is one of the
defenders), before and when the ball is played (could be kicked, headed, chested, thighed, or any other way legally played) past the second to
last defender. A player may move into an offside position after the
ball has been played, no longer being illegally positioned. The player does not need to
receive the ball before moving into the offside position, but cannot
move behind the defenders until the ball is played. |
| Overlapping Run |
This is a run where Player A
runs from behind player B and goes past her (overlaps) to either receive
the ball or to create space for Player B. |
| Penalty Box |
Also known as the 18 yard
box. This is the area where the keeper is allowed to use her
hands. Also, any foul in this box that would result in a direct kick
results in a penalty kick. |
| Post |
Referring to the goal post. "Make a near-post
run." See also Make a run. Also used by the keeper to command
players to "post-up" or stand on both posts, usually on corner kicks or
free kicks from near the touchline. |
| Pressure |
A call to defender to apply challenge or to
attack an offensive player (with the ball) in order to steal the ball. |
| Push up |
A call to defensive players to move up the field towards the mid line.
Sometimes this forces the opponent's forward to move toward the mid line so as not
to be offside. Also used to describe coaches' favorite
encouragement technique. |
| Recover |
A call to defenders to regain their position between the attacker (with
or without the ball) and the goal they are defending. This is
frequently called when defenders are pushed up and the opponents
mount a quick counter attack. |
| Serve |
To serve a ball usually means
to play a long ball into the 18 yard box to a runner or runners. It
could be a cross or a ball from a back in early. |
| Settle |
The process of receiving the ball and causing it to
stop at or near one's feet using one's feet, head, chest, thigh or any
other way legally touched. May be from a pass, a punt, a header, etc. |
| Square Pass |
A pass that is hit parallel to
the goal line. In other words, a ball that is played to a player that
goes in the direction of either of the side lines. |
| Step Up |
A call to defenders to move quickly away from their own goal towards the mid line in order
move the offensive players away from the goal (otherwise the offensive
players would be in an offside position). Similar to
push up. |
| Stopper |
Plays right in front of the
sweeper and is responsible defensively either for the first forward down
field or the first midfielder down field (depending on the way the team
plays) |
| Sweeper |
The player who plays furthest
back on the field (just in front of the keeper) who doesn't have any
marking responsibilities and is mainly responsible for helping others
out defensively when they have lost their mark. |
| Switch |
A call for the offensive to play the ball to the opposite side of the
field. For example: when ball is moved up left side of field, a call to switch would mean the ball
would be played either directly or by multiple players to the right side of
the field. When played quickly, switching the ball can take advantage of
a defense that has lost its shape. |
| Support |
A call to players on the offensive team without the ball to give the
player with the ball options to pass the ball out of pressure, usually
when attacking or shielding. |
| Through ball |
To play a pass behind the defense for one of your players to run onto. This
pass has to be made with perfect pace and accuracy so it beats the
defense and allows attackers to collect it before the goalkeeper. |
| Touchline |
The touchline is the sideline.
If you hear someone say that the ball "goes into the touch" it means
that it is just out of bounds. |
| Turn |
A call to an offensive player (with his back to the defense) letting him
know that he can turn and face the defense without a defender nearby. |
| Wall |
A call for defenders to make a wall in front of the goal. This is called
when a free kick is to be made. |
| Wall Pass |
A wall pass is one where
Player A passes the ball to Player B and then makes a run. Player B
returns the ball to Player A one touch. Think of it as if Player B is
simply a wall and the ball is played into the wall and comes back to the
player with the same angle. Similar to a give-and-go in
basketball. |
| Watch the Runner |
A call to a defender to find and defend against a fast moving attacker (without
the ball). |
| You Got Me |
A call from an offensive player to a teammate indicating that he is open
to receive a pass. |
