Soccer Terms

Soccer Vocabulary and Soccer Words

1st Team Squad
4th Official (a 'spare' referee who could be substituted in if the match referee is injured)
Assistant Manager
Away Fans
Away Team
Ball Boys
Camera Man
Captain
Caretaker Manager
Central Defender
Central Midfielder
Coach (= manager)
Commentator
Crowd
Defender
Fans
Football Player
Football Team
Footballer
Footballer's Wives
Full Back
Gaffer ( manager in soccer lingo)
Goalkeeper
Groundsman
Home Fans
Home Team
International
Key Man
Left Back
Left Midfield
Man of the Match
Manager
Mascot
Match Official
Media Crew
Midfielder
New Signing
Physio (= medic who treats injuries during games)
Player-Manager (as the name suggests a manager who can also play for the team)
Referee
Referee's Assistant (formerly Linesman)
Reserves
Right Back
Right Midfield
Rival Fans
Skipper ( Captain in soccer lingo)
Soccer Player
Squad
Star Player
Stewards
Striker
Substitutes
Sweeper
Target Man
Under 16's
Under 18's
Under 19's
Under 21's
Winger
Youth Team Squad

Boots
Captain's Armband
Goalkeeper's Gloves (Goalie's in soccer lingo)
Jersey
Referee's Watch
Referee's Whistle
Scarf (fans wearing the club's scarf)
Shin Pad
Shirt
Shorts
Socks
Stockings (a bit old fashioned word for socks)
Studs

'The Line' (a term used for the line behind the goal - i.e. if the ball crosses 'The Line' it will be a goal
18 Yard Line
6 Yard Line
Advertising Boards
Centre Circle
Centre Spot
Corner
Corner Flag
Crossbar
End (e.g. the 'Clock' End at Highbury, sometimes certain 'stands' are named after a famous player, chairman, sponsor, etc)
Executive Boxes
Goal Line
Goal Mouth
Goal Net
Ground
Halfway Line
Penalty Box
Penalty Spot
Playing Surface
Stadium
Stands
Substitute's (Subs) Bench - aka 'The Bench'
Technical Area
Terraces
The Pitch
The Uprights
Turf
Undersurface Heating

'A Half' (typically used when referring to a 45min period, e.g. the 1st Half)
'Studs Showing'
1st Leg
2nd Led
5-a-Side
Active Play
Aggregate Score
Back Pass
Brace (2 goals by the same player in the same game)
Caution (i.e. a player has been given a Yellow Card)
Champions
Competition
Cup Competition
Cup Final
Cup Game
Direct Free Kick
Dissent
Dive
Extra Time
Foul
Free Kick
Fulltime
Fulltime Score
Golden Goal
Halftime
Halftime Score
Handball
Hattrick (3 goals by the same player in the same game)
Indirect Free Kick
Injury Time
League Match
Obstruction
Offside Rule
Penalty
Penalty Shootout
Play Acting
Professional Foul
Red Card
Replay
Score Line
Sending Off (i.e. a player has been given a Red Card)
Sliding Tackle
Tackle
The 'Last Defender'
Time Wasting
Two-Footed Tackle
Violent Conduct
Yellow Card

'Curler'
'Dummy'
'Keepy Uppies'
'Shimmy'
'Sliderule' Pass (a 'perfect' pass in soccer lingo)
Back Heel
Banana Shot
Bicycle Kick
Block
Catch
Chip
Dribble
Flying Header
Half Volley
Header
Lob
Long Pass
Nutmeg (to pass the ball between a player's legs)
One Handed Save
Outside of the Foot Shot
Overhead Kick
Pass
Penalty Save
Save
Short Pass
Side Foot Pass
Side Foot Shot
Sidestep
Thunderbolt
Tip Over the Bar
Volley

4-3-3 Formation
4-4-1-1 Formation
4-4-2 Formation
4-5-1 Formation
5-3-2 Formation
Attacking Formation
Defensive Formation
Diamond Formation
Triangle Passing
Wall

After Match Reaction
Away Colours (Colors)
Derby (a game between two neighbouring teams e.g. Liverpool vs Everton)
Halftime Oranges ( Halftime oranges, well it's a term used more in the lower leagues,
Sunday league, school/youth teams etc. Quite literally, in lower league
teams matches, they have oranges at halftime! I believe its more
'historic' than anything else - quite nostalgic! It has become a bit a
term that is used to accompany halftime commentary. For example, "The
referee has blown for halftime, and the players are off for some well
earned halftime oranges')
Halftime Pie
Home Colours (Colors)
Match Programme
Pre-Match Entertainment
Press Conference (e.g. when a new player is signed and then 'officially' introduced to the press)
Stretcher


these in depth soccer terms are suitable for soccer lesson plan vocabulary for older kids