Glossary of association football terms

was first codified in 1863 in England, although games that involved the kicking of a ball were evident considerably earlier. 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. Similarly, a 2–3–5 centre half can in many ways be compared to a holding midfielder in a 4–1–3–2.
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. 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. In North America, where American and Canadian English dominate, the same achievement is referred to as a shutout.
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". 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.

Inclusion criteria

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, or where it is fundamental to understanding the sport. 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.

0–9

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. 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, three midfield players, and five [|forward] players. Also known as the pyramid formation. Variations include the 2–3–2–3, where the [|inside forwards] take up deeper positions.
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.
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. 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, which uses three central midfielders behind two attacking midfielders 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.
4th place trophy – Colloquial term for 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. The European Parliament prevented the rule from coming into effect in the European Union, declaring it incompatible with EU law – its future remains uncertain.
A
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. Some clubs provide academic as well as footballing education at their academies. Also known as a youth academy, or as a cantera in Spanish-speaking countries.
Added time – see [|Stoppage time].
Administration – legal process 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].
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.
AFC – initialism for either the Asian Football Confederation, the governing body of the sport in Asia, or association football club, used by teams such as Sunderland AFC. It can also mean athletic football club, as seen in AFC Bournemouth.
Against the run of play – a goal scored, or a win or draw achieved, by a side that was being clearly outplayed.
Aggregate or aggregate score – combined score of matches between two teams in a two-legged match.
All competitions or all comps – used to describe a team's or player's statistical progress in all senior [|league] and [|cup] matches across a [|season], career, or other set time period; used particularly when such competitions run concurrent with each other on the calendar. Players' statistics are often reported separately as "league only" and "all competitions".
"A" Match – international match for which both associations field their first team.
Anti-football – pejorative term for a particularly robust and defensive style of play.
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".
Apprentice – see [|Youth]
Arena football – see [|six-a-side football].
Armband – worn by a team's captain, to signify that role. Black armbands are occasionally worn by an entire team in commemoration of a death or tragic event.
Assist – [|pass] that leads to a goal being scored.
Assistant referee – one of a number of officials who assist the referee in controlling a match.
– usually refers to a striker, 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.
B
Back of the net – goal in which the ball is usually trapped at the back of the net until it is picked back up.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ball recovery – the successful attempt by a team to regain possession of the ball.
Ballon d'Or – is an annual football award presented by French news magazine France Football since 1956 to honour the player deemed to have performed the best over the previous season.
Barras bravas – organised supporter/hooligan groups in Latin America, similar to the European term [|Ultras].
Beach football – variant of association football played on a beach or some form of sand. 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. Such matches are sometimes arranged between clubs, to help hasten a player's return to fitness.
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. Also sometimes called a dugout.
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.
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.
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".
Booking – act of noting the offender in a cautionable offence, which results in a [|yellow card].
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.
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.
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.
Box-to-box – players with the ability to influence the game both defensively and offensively or, more generally, at both ends of the pitch.
Brace – when a player scores two goals in a single match.
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.
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. Such fixtures were played regularly in some eras and very rarely in others.
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.
Byline – markings on the shortest side of the pitch, which run from the posts to the corners. Also known as the End line.