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Football terms can be alienating to those who don't watch the game.

As with any sport, there are words, phrases and idioms that we take for granted as vernacular. Say them to those who don't watch football, however, and you may get a puzzled look.

Football has given the world phrases, too. For example, radio commentators used to split the pitch into specific zones, meaning that a backpass became known as “back to square one” in the 1930s.

As football experts at the forefront of the game for 30 years, FourFourTwo has helped to bring several phrases and words into the mainstream, after all.

Here's our comprehensive guide to some of the more common terms you'll hear in football.

FourFourTwo's full list of football terms: The contents

Against the run of play / Anti-football / Between the lines / Bicycle kick / Big-game player / Blindside / Block/low block / Bosman / Bouncebackability / Box midfield / Box to box / Brace / Cap-tied / Catenaccio / Channel / Compact / Cover shadow / Cruyff turn / Cup-tied / Dead-ball specialist / Double Pivot / Elastico / False Nine / 50/50 / 50+1 rule / Fox in the box / Free man/spare man / Galactico / Gegenpressing/counter pressing / Ghost goal / Giant-killing / Group of Death / Half space / Half-turn / High press / Hollywood pass / Horseshoe / Hospital pass / In someone's pocket / Inverted full-back / No.6 / No.8 / No.10 / Numerical superiority / Nutmeg / Overlap / Overload / Panenka / Park the bus / Playmaker / Poznan / Professional foul / Rabona / Rainbow flick / Raumdeuter / Regista / Remontada / Row Z / Screamer / Shape / Single pivot / Sitter / Spacing / Squeaky bum time / Stepover / Switch of play / Tapping up / Target man / Testimonial / The 12th man / Through ball / Tifo / Tiki-taka / Top bins / Total football / Transition / Trequartista / Ultra / Woodwork / Yo-yo club / Zonal marking

Below, you can find FourFourTwo's full glossary of football terms.

A

What is against the run of play in football?

The “run of play” can be a bit vague, but basically means: which side is dominating the attack and creating the most chances, either in the game as a whole or in that period of the game?

So, if a team score with their first shot for 20 minutes, having faced ten shots in that time... they have just scored against the run of play.

What is anti-football?

This term can be used a bit snobbily at times and is almost always used negatively. Anti-football refers to teams who will focus on making games very difficult for the opposition almost to the complete exclusion of doing anything exciting or attractive themselves.

It's those teams who just look to defend in huge numbers, commit fouls, and maybe try to sneak a goal on the counter-attack. This can be a valid strategy, particularly when a limited team is up against a far better side; it truly becomes anti-football when a side does it routinely regardless of their opposition, or when it's two sides who should be more or less equals on paper but one of them takes this approach anyway.

B

What does between the lines mean in football?

Football teams generally set themselves up in several lines of players: defenders, midfielders, attackers. The lines are sometimes very rigid, sometimes they're quite rough, but they'll always be there. This is how we're able to refer to things like "4-4-2" - that's four defenders, four midfielders, two attackers.

Getting between the lines is therefore very important to most teams' strategies, as if you're able to break past one line of defence, you're going to find yourself with a lot more time and space on the ball before meeting the next line of defence - which makes it easier for the attacking team to do something dangerous. Attacking teams will want to get between the lines; defending teams want to stop it from happening.

What is a bicycle kick in football?

Also known as an 'overhead kick' or, in America, a 'Pele kick' (despite Pele by no means being its inventor nor its master).

If you're able to look at the picture above you should get it immediately. If not: a bicycle kick is when a player with their back to goal hits an aerial ball by falling or jumping backwards into a horizontal position while kicking one leg up in the air to strike the ball. It is exceptionally difficult to do this accurately so they are rare, but when they work they are absolutely spectacular.

What is a big-game player in football?

There are some players who just have a knack for repeatedly putting in excellent performances or scoring important goals in the most high-pressure games: cup finals, must-win games, local derbies and so on. Zinedine Zidane, Steven Gerrard and Didier Drogba are good examples.

These players are big-game players, also known in US sport (and increasingly in football) as 'clutch' players.

What is the blindside in football?

As in a blindside run. It's when an attacking player (usually a centre-forward, but not always) is standing next to a defender and notice that they are looking in the direction of the ball. Instead of moving past the defender by running in front of them, the attacker might instead run behind the defender's back, hoping the defender will be so focused on the ball they are not aware that the attacker has already started running. This is referred to as going on the defender's blindside.

Even if it's only a momentary thing, it can give the attacker a crucial advantage over the defender in reaching the ball if a teammate provides a suitable pass to meet the attacker's run.

What is a block or low block in football?

You will hear of teams "playing a high line" or "playing deep" when they don't have the ball, and these two opposite terms both refer to how high up the pitch they choose to put their last line of defence. Both strategies have advantages and disavantages.

A low block is “playing deep” - that is, when the last line of defence is close to their own goal, usually in a narrow line that is often no wider than the width of the penalty box.

Teams playing a low block often accept that they are not going to have much of the ball, so instead of trying to win it higher up the pitch, they prioritise making themselves as hard as possible to break down in the most dangerous area: in and around their own penalty box.

What is a Bosman in football?

A brief history lesson, this one. It used to be the case that even once a player's contract expired, the club they played for were still able to demand a transfer fee from any other club who wanted to sign them. That all changed in the 1995.

That's because in 1990, an otherwise entirely obscure Belgian player called Jean-Marc Bosman sued his then-club RFC Liege, the Belgian FA and UEFA, arguing that the practice was contrary to EU employment laws as it amounted to restraint of trade. In 1995, after protracted legal proceedings, Bosman won his case in the European Court of Justice.

From then on, the moment a player's contract expired, they were free to join whatever club they wanted, with no transfer fee payable to their now-former club. The term 'going on a Bosman' or 'available on a Bosman' was thus used as shorthand for players who moved (or were available to move) in this fashion. The term has fallen out of fashion these days, though, and is more often referred to as 'going as a free agent' or 'available as a free agent'.

What does bouncebackability mean in football?

If you have to ask this, we presume you are neither familiar with the term 'bouncing back' nor the pulped Alan Partridge autobiography of the same name.

Even the best teams lose sometimes, and bouncebackability is what stops that odd loss from becoming two defeats in a row. It's the ability to suck up a defeat and move onto the next game as if it never happened, playing back at your best and immediately responding with a win.

What is a box midfield in football?

Imagine a box. Basically square, isn't it. Now imagine a midfield shaped like a box. There. You've got it.

This can take a number of different forms - 3-2-2-3, 4-2-2-2, even a 4-2-3-1 with the centre forward coming back into midfield - but whatever the shape, it's a box midfield: that is, four central midfielders laid out in two lines of two.

Naturally, that means you get two sitting more defensively, and two further up the pitch, possible getting as high as the centre-forwards to become extra players in the forward line.

What does box-to-box mean in football?

Nearly always used before the word 'midfielder', a box-to-box player is one with the ability to keep running from the edge of one penalty area to the other and back again all game long, seemingly without tiring or losing their pace. The 'box', naturally, refers to the penalty box.

That means that on top of a huge amount of stamina, a box-to-box midfielder at the highest level needs to be good at both ends of the pitch - both defensively capable an an attacking threat.

Below the very elite level, you might find that a box-to-box player is one who does a huge amount of defensive work and can carry the ball forward well to help create attacks, but who isn't necessarily going to get loads of goals or assists: having brought it forward, they will lay it off to more technical players to apply the final touch.

What is brace in football?

Simple one this: when a player score three goals in a game, it's a hat-trick. When they score two, it's a brace.

The term originates in hunting, as in 'a brace of pheasants' (a pair of pheasants), and as used to mean 'pair' by William Shakespeare in The Tempest ("My brace of lords").

C

What does cap-tied mean in football?

A play on the term 'cup tied' (see below), a cap-tied player is one who has already established a binding allegiance to one international team and thus cannot ever go and play internationally for another country.

There are a lot of players who are eligible to play for more than one country under FIFA's criteria (which we won't bore you with here), but the moment you make a senior competitive appearance for one country, you are unable to play for another and are thus cap-tied.

You do occasionally see footballers who play in a senior friendly for one country before switching to another country, such as Diego Costa playing in a friendly for Brazil before switching to play for Spain, having become a Spanish citizen some years before.

There are other, less common wrinkles to this: for instance, if you played at youth football for one country and they were the only country you were eligible to play for at the time (i.e. you get your second passport later on), you cannot then later play for your 'new' country.

Special dispensation is also sometimes made for newly-recognised countries - for instance, players who previously represented Yugoslavia were permitted to go on and play for the numerous different countries that became separate independent states in the 1990s.

What is Catenaccio in football?

From the Italian for 'door bolt', and appropriately so: Catenaccio is (or was) a highly-organised tactical system designed specifically to prioritise defensive solidity and playing on the counter-attack.

You don't see it much at all these days, but Catenaccio was developed and perfected in Italy in the mid-20th century and became a hugely successful tactic in the 1960s both on the club and international scene. The use of a sweeper and heavy man-marking were particularly distinctive features.

The ploy was ruthlessly exposed by the more position-swapping nature of the Dutch Total Football in the 1970s, however (it become very hard to man mark when the opposition players keep switching around with one another).

If you see the term used today, it is almost certainly a misnomer, referring simply to very defensive football. See 'anti-football' and 'park the bus'.

What is a channel in football?

Usually, when people talk about the channels, they're talking about the space in between a full-back and a centre-back.

Forwards will often look to make runs into these channels (a word used as an analogy to a river's channels) because it can create confusion about which defender ought to be picking up that run: is it the full-back or the centre-back? Even a moment's hesitation can be enough to create an opening on goal.

Less commonly, you might hear about the 'horizontal channels' - that is, that gaps between the midfield and the defence - but more usually that will be referred to as 'between the lines' (see above).

What does compact mean in football?

If a team is compact in defence, it means it's hard for opposition to find space between their players.

Usually, it's used to talk about the width of the defensive lines. You will sometimes see sides playing very wide, especially if they're actively trying to stop wingers and full-backs from making crosses or runs into the box.

When the opposite is true - the defenders are mostly standing in a tight line within the penalty box, say - they can be described as ‘compact’. Often, a narrow, compact team are quite happy for the opposition to play crosses into their box, because they are confident that they have excellent headers of the ball who will deal with anything you throw at them.

The term applies looking up the length of the pitch too, though. Some teams are happy to let their midfield push up the pitch away from the defence to try and win the ball higher up the pitch, where others may prefer their midfield to stay very close to the defenders. Again: this is being 'compact'.

What is a cover shadow in football?

A little question for you, like one of those old army recruitment adds. You're defending and an attacking player has the ball in front of you. Do you close them down and try to win the ball? Do you mark another player to stop them from being passed to?

Neither, if you're playing a cover shadow method. Instead, you mark the space between the ball and a potential pass recipient.

This can allow defending teams to have the best of both worlds: done well, it can restrict opportunities for passes into dangerous areas, but also leave your players a just slightly higher up the pitch than if they were man marking, ready either to move again to defend the next pass, or to spring into attack if their side succeeds in intercepting the ball.

What is a Cruyff turn in football?

It's a skill so simple that every child learning to play football is taught it, but in the early 1970s it was so novel and bamboozling that it left defenders looking like absolute morons. Even now, it can still have the same effect on occasion.

Named after the man who made it famous, Johan Cruyff, a Cruyff turn is when a player swings their foot though they are about to kick the ball, only to adjust at the last moment and place their foot around the back of the ball and turn 180 degrees in the opposite direction around the ball.

What does cup-tied mean in football?

Some cup competitions have rules that only allow a player to represent one club in that competition. So, if you play a game for Huddersfield Town in the cup and then get a big move to Liverpool in the January transfer window, you wouldn't be allowed to play for the Reds in that competition having already played for the Terriers, because you would be cup-tied.

This rule honestly made a lot more sense in the days before strict transfer windows - the idea was to stop teams from going out and signing a new hotshot striker before a big cup final, or whatever - and so some competitions have dropped it as a rule in recent years; the Champions League, for instance.

The rule is still in effect for the FA Cup and League Cup, though, so when a new signing is made, you will sometimes see reference to them being unable to play in the cup because they are cup-tied.

D

What is a dead-ball specialist in football?

Set pieces, set plays, dead balls: they're all the same thing, namely free kicks, penalties and corners.

Accordingly, a dead-ball specialist is a player who is particularly excellent at shooting, crossing or both from free kicks and corners.

These players can be very valuable, particularly in teams with players who are capable of finishing from corners. Trent Alexander-Arnold, James Ward-Prowse and David Beckham are just a few prime examples from the Premier League past and present.

What is a double pivot in football?

Far simpler than the technical language would suggest, a double pivot is simply when there are two central midfielders in between the defence and whatever more attacking players are further up the pitch.

That makes it the '2' in a 4-2-3-1, which is what it usually describes, but it can also be found in a 4-4-2, a 3-4-3 or a 3-5-2.

As long as it's two clear central midfielders who work in harmony with one another and neither is straying too far from the other, boy, you got a double pivot going.

E

What is an elastico in football?

Sadly not the mirror-image nemesis of Reed Richards, but rather a fairly basic-looking football skill that is deceptively difficult to pull off successfully.

Also known as the flip-flap, the elastico It's effectively an extremely high-speed inverted version of Stanley Matthews' favourite gambit from the 1950s, when the winger would run at a defender and shape his body as if he was going to cut inside, only to touch the ball the other way and go around the defender.

While Matthews would use his entire body to sell and execute the feint, though, the elastico is far more subtle, with attacking player only really selling the move by extending the outside of their foot towards one side of the ball and then rapidly wrapping their toe across to the other side to quickly tap it past their opponent.

F

What is a false nine in football?

Time was that a no.9 was a no.9 - that is, that a no.9 was a proper centre-forward whose job was just to score goals.

But over time, the false nine has become more and more common, with the term coming into popular use in the late 2000s/early 2010s to describe how the extremely successful Barcelona and Spain sides of the era used their centre-forwards.

Rather than constantly looking to get as close to goal as possible, like a traditional no.9, the false nine would start high up the pitch but then drop away from goal to find space just in front of the defenders, usually with midfielders and/or wingers overlapping them to run at the defence.

The gambit worked for those Barcelona and Spain sides because it left defenders in two minds about whether to follow the false nine to limit their space, or stay back to deal with the attacking players running past the false nine.

What is a 50/50 in football?

A lot of the time in football, one player is clearly closer to a loose ball than another. But when two players are equally close to the ball and either one of them could feasibly get there first, it's called a 50/50 ball - as in, each player has a 50% chance of getting to the ball first.

By extension, you will often hear commentators talking about a 50/50 challenge. This is when one or both players commit to a challenge for the ball, usually in the form of a sliding tackle.

A little bit more forgiveness is often extended to players for fouls committed in 50/50 challenges (or should be, in the eyes of pundits), as it's usually quite clearly an earnest attempt to win a ball they have a right to challenge for.

What is the 50+1 rule in football?

Club ownership rules differ from country to country and league to league - but Germany's 50+1 rule is one of the most talked-about regulations.

The rule says that German football clubs must give the majority of their voting rights to fans - so a minimum of 50 per cent of the votes, plus one vote.

That system is credited with German football keeping ticket prices down, attendances being high, the traditions of each club being maintained, and protests against the club's owners often being well-co-ordinated and successful.

Critics of the system argue it is anti-competitive (Bayern Munich have long dominated German football, on the whole) because it dissuades potential investors from putting big money into German football clubs.

It is possible to get around the rules, with a bit of effort, as RB Leipzig are accused of having done. A handful of other clubs, including Bayer Leverkusen, have been granted exemption as their owners have been in situ for over 20 years.

What is a fox in the box in football?

The role of the centre-forward has changed a lot over the years, with strikers being given more responsibility to contribute to other parts of the game than just putting the ball in the net.

But there are still strikers who really do just specialise in scoring loads and loads of goals, to the extent that any lack of all-round play away from goal becomes mostly irrelevant to discussing their ability.

Where a player almost exclusively does that, and does so from close to goal - inside the penalty box - they can be described as a fox in the box, thanks to foxes being associated with wiliness and cunning. You might also see them called a poacher.

It's effectively a positive version of the more derisory 'goalhanger', which is used to describe players who do little more than wait around upfield waiting for an opportunity to score. To graduate from a mere 'goalhanger' to the vaunted 'fox in the box', you need to move cleverly, anticipate the movement of the ball and defenders, finish consistently well, and... well, just score loads and loads of goals.

Some players from past and present who have been described as a 'fox in the box' include Gerd Muller, Gary Lineker, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Jamie Vardy, Sergio Aguero, Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski.

What is a free man or spare man in football?

A lot of passing in football is done in triangles, with two players starting out by exchanging passes before a third player breaks away from their position to make themselves available for the next pass.

This third player is the spare man or free man - as in, they have made themselves free (available) to pass to.

G

What is a Galactico in football?

Football clubs using statistics and analytics to decide who they're going to sign is now so commonplace as to be entirely unremarkable, and there are some clubs - Brighton, Brentford, Liverpool - who have excelled at putting the numbers at the heart of their recruitment.

And then there's Real Madrid. While they no doubt do consider those things for most of their roles, the Spanish giants have long made transfer decisions that effectively go 'who's the best player with a big name we can get for this position?'. These are the Galacticos - loosely translated, 'superstars'.

Real have arguably worked that way on and off since the 1950s, but the term gained popularity just after the turn of the millennium when Real made at least huge signing every single summer: Luis Figo in 2000, followed by Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, David Beckham, Michael Owen, Robinho and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The last generation of Galacticos saw Real break the world transfer record three times in four years with moves for Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale; and in more recent times, Real have moved heaven and earth to sign players like Vincius Jr, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe.

What is a gegenpressing or a counter press in football?

German for ‘counter-pressing’, gegenpressing refers to a mode of defence whereby a team will try to win the ball back as soon as they lose possession, rather than following the more traditional gambit of dropping back into a defensive shape.

When a team wins possession and goes from defending to attacking (or vice versa), that's called a 'transition'. Proponents of gegenpressing, most famously Jurgen Klopp, rely on the principle that a team is actually most vulnerable to attacks if you are able to win the ball off them during one of these transitions.

The style requires players to be highly positionally aware and extremely fit, so it's very hard to do well and very easy to get wrong - but some of those who have excelled at it have enjoyed phenomenal success.

What is a ghost goal in football?

Goal line technology has more or less killed off the ghost goal at levels where it is in effect, but take it from us: they are the most frustrating thing that could possibly happen in a game.

The term refers to one of two opposite scenarios: either the ball has entirely crossed the goal line but the goal is not given (e.g. Frank Lampard against Germany at the 2010 World Cup), or the ball has not crossed the line yet is awarded as a goal (as West Germany argue happened in England's favour in the 1966 World Cup final).

What does giant-killing mean in football?

A giant-killing occurs when a much smaller team knocks out a bigger team. It's often used in cup competition and is most commonly associated with the FA Cup, a tournament famed for its shock ties in which Davids have toppled Goliaths for over 100 years.

What is a Group of Death in football?

A Group of Death refers to a particularly tough group in a tournament where multiple strong teams are drawn together, making progression difficult. Since it's common practice for only two teams to advance from a four-team group, at least one top-tier side is usually eliminated early.

The term is most often used in international competitions like the World Cup and European Championship but became common during Champions League group stages, too. The phrase became popular after the 1970 World Cup when a group containing England, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, and Romania was dubbed el grupo de la muerte by Mexican journalists.

H

What is a half space in football?

If you are to split a pitch into five sections vertically, the two outer spaces are the wings, with the half-spaces the vertical channels between the centre and the wings.

Typically, the half-space is an area that players can receive the ball in advanced positions without being isolated on the touchline or crowded in central areas. Attacking midfielders and inverted wingers often operate in these zones to create goal-scoring opportunities, with positional play sides such as Pep Guardiola's Barcelona and Manchester teams utilising these areas for better angles for through balls and crosses.

What is a half-turn in football?

A half-turn is a body positioning technique used when receiving the ball, where a player angles themselves between facing forward and sideways, enabling them to scan the pitch, control the ball efficiently, and transition quickly from receiving to ball-carrying.

Midfielders like Phil Foden and Luka Modric excel at playing on the half-turn, enabling them to break opposition lines with progressive passes or dribbles. It is a key skill for playmakers but has become more prominent in defensive roles in recent years, with the increase in popularity for high presses (see below).

What is a high press in football?

A tactical strategy derived from the days of Johan Cruyff, a high press sees the team out of possession aggressively pressure the opposition in their own half to force mistakes and regain possession quickly.

This approach relies on coordinated pressing triggers, athleticism and organisation in disrupting build-up play. The advantage is that when it works, your team can create chances by winning these high turnovers – as Jurgen Klopp demonstrated at Liverpool.

While effective in winning the ball higher up the pitch, however, it can leave teams vulnerable to counterattacks if not executed properly.

What is a Hollywood pass in football?

A Hollywood pass is a long, ambitious ball – usually diagonally across the pitch – that looks spectacular but has a low probability of success.

What is a horseshoe in football?

The horseshoe describes the shape of a predictable passing pattern from a team circulating the ball from one wing to the other, struggling to break into central attacking areas where a defensive block is camped.

A horseshoe is more of often than not used to describe an attack negatively, as it can be ineffective unless combined with sudden tempo changes, line-breaking passes, or intelligent movement between the lines.

What is a hospital pass in football?

A hospital pass is a weak, under-hit pass that gets its name from putting the receiving player at risk of injury due to an incoming challenge. Not every hospital pass will put a player at physical injury, though – it's just a way of describing a poorly hit ball.

I

What does it mean to be in someone's pocket in football?

The phrase “in someone’s pocket” refers to a dominant defensive performance where a player effectively nullifies an opponent.

If a defender “has a striker in their pocket,” it means they marked them out of the game. Ashley Cole's battles with Cristiano Ronaldo could be described as such.

What is an inverted full-back in football?

An inverted full-back is a defender who moves into central midfield areas instead of staying wide when their team is in possession.

The role came about at Bayern Munich under Pep Guardiola, when the Catalan moved the likes of David Alaba and Philipp Lahm from their full-back berths in to create a solid block with the defensive midfield ‘pivote’ while Bayern were on the ball. This was used both defensively and offensively.

Bayern's inverted full-backs were used as a transition control, giving Bayern numerical superiority in the centre of the pitch and three excellent defensive players who could stop counter-attacks – while Alaba and Lahm were also technically superb footballers who functioned like deep-lying midfielders in helped to recycle possession and dictate the flow of the game from deep.

Since then, Guardiola has used inverted full-backs at Manchester City, while Mikel Arteta, Xavi, Enzo Maresca and Ange Postecoglou have also employed the role in their own set-ups.

J

K

L

M

N

What is a No.6 in football?

The no.6 is another word used to describe a defensive midfielder. This is a role responsible for protecting the backline, controlling possession, and breaking up opposition attacks.

The role requires excellent positioning, anticipation, and passing ability, with players like Sergio Busquets, Andrea Pirlo and Rodri stellar examples of players who dictate play while providing defensive cover. Some defensive midfielders are deep-lying playmakers, while others focus purely on ball-winning and screening the defence – but all can be described as no.6s.

What is a No.8 in football?

A no.8 is a particular midfielder who is neither a no.6 nor no.10. The majority are categorised as box-to-box midfielders who contribute both defensively and offensively in both boxes, needing a mix of stamina, tactical awareness, and technical skill to shuttle between attack and defence.

But no.8s don't have to be the high-octane midfield engines winning balls and box-crashing: a no.8 can be a subtler player depending on the system. Some teams employ secondary playmakers alongside their no.10s – like Bernardo Silva next to Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City – who is responsible more for tempo control than ball-winning.

What is a No.10 in football?

The no.10 is an attacking midfielder who operates behind the strikers, linking midfield and attack.

Traditionally, this playmaker is responsible for assists and goals, offering high levels of vision and dribbling, with legends like Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, and Zinedine Zidane epitomising the role. While the role has often been seen as a luxury player, this role is often reserved for the most skilful and creative player in any team.

What does numerical superiority mean in football?

Numerical superiority occurs when a team outnumbers the opposition in a specific area of the pitch, creating an overload, and therefore an advantage in possession and passing options.

While the term is most usually used when referring to midfield or attacking areas, it can be applied anywhere on the pitch. A manager could attain numerical superiority in wide areas by asking a full-back to overlap or in buildup, by getting a midfielder to drop into the defence.

What is a nutmeg in football?

Considered one of the most satisfying and simply skills in the sport, a nutmeg is when a player passes the ball through an opponent’s legs before retrieving it on the other side. It is a flashy and effective dribbling technique used to embarrass defenders and create attacking opportunities.

O

What is an overlap in football?

An overlap sees a player run past a teammate that has the ball in order to apply pressure on the defence and create space for the attacking team.

It can create a 2v1 overload and either allow the ball carrier to cut inside, or pass to the overlapper and create a crossing opportunity.

Gary Neville liked doing this so much with his best mate David Beckham on the right-hand flank with England and Manchester United that he named his podcast after it.

What is an overload in football?

Simply put, overloads occur when one team is able to put more players into a specific area of the pitch than their opponents. This can be done by an attacking team with the ball and also without the ball, as a team can put more defensive players than attackers into the final third.

It’s also the name of the first, and best, single from the Sugababes, but that’s nothing to do with football tactics, we’re afraid.

P

What is a Panenka in football?

When Czechoslovakian midfielder Antonin Panenka stepped up to take the ninth and eventually decisive penalty in the 1976 European Championship final against West Germany, he not only delivered his country’s first major honour, but he also coined a phrase to boot.

Showing nerves of steel, the Bohemians Prague star simply chipped the ball into the middle of the goal as Sepp Maier dived to the left and the Penenka penalty was born.

While the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Andrea Pirlo have produced flawless Panenkas in major international tournaments, there’s always the prospect of it going wrong - see Gary Lineker having his Panenka saved in 1992 when he could have equalled Sir Bobby Charlton’s all-time England goalscoring record, or Lionel Messi’s effort hitting the bar against Ecuador in a quarter-final shootout in last summer’s Copa America as examples of how not to do it.

What does it mean to park the bus in football?

To ‘park the bus’ is a brilliantly simple way of describing an opponent who sets their stall out to defend deep in their own half and show little attacking ambition.

We have Jose Mourinho to thank for this idiom, as he first used it to describe Tottenham’s style of play when his Chelsea side played out a goalless draw in 2004. Ironically, ‘parking the bus’ soon became synonymous with Mourinho’s style of play.

What is a playmaker in football?

A playmaker is the kind of player fans pay money to watch, as he or she will be the one who sets the tone for their side’s attacking play, often showing superb passing vision, controlling the tempo or conjuring up goalscoring opportunities.

Some, say Andrea Pirlo or Luka Modric will operate behind the midfield in a deep-lying role, while others like Zinedine Zidane will operate further forward.

What is the Poznan in football?

While turning your back to the match which you’ve travelled to watch, potentially at a significant financial cost, sounds counter-productive to the match-going experience, it doesn’t half create a good spectacle when done right.

The Poznan is a celebration that sees fans turn their backs to the pitch, link arms and jump up and down. It’s named after supporters from Polish side Lech Poznan, who have been doing it since the 1960s, but Manchester City supporters took a shine to it when they played them in the Europa League in 2010 and are one of several reams to adopt it for themselves.

What is a professional foul in football?

A professional foul is no ordinary foul. These are the fouls that are usually committed with the intent of stopping an opponent from scoring a goal and/or denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (that’s the DOGSO you hear the likes of Dermot Gallagher discussing on Refwatch).

Professional fouls usually result in a yellow or red card, depending on the nature of the offence.

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What is a rabona in football?

The rabona is one of those moves that should be left to the experts, and even then, they may get it wrong (we’re looking at you, David Dunn).

This move is when a player crosses, passes or shoots with their kicking leg crossed behind their standing leg. Done well, it bamboozles the opponent and creates something out of nothing, done badly, you end up on your backside having gifted the defender the ball.

The word comes from the Spanish phrase ‘hacer la rabona’ which literally means ’to play truant’.

What is a rainbow flick in football?

A rainbow flick is either a freewheeling way to express your talent, or a showboating move that sees you deserve to get scythed down, depending on your point of view.

Simply put, the rainbow flick is a move where an attacker rolls the ball up the back of one leg before flicking it over their head with the other foot. It’s a flashy way to get past defenders and into space, with Neymar an expert of the move early in his career.

What is a raumdeuter in football?

German for ‘space investigator’, a raumdeuter is a very specific role used to describe an attacker who plays very little role while their team are in possession. Instead, they will look for the gaps behind a backline, with their movement their primary attribute.

Coined to describe German attacker Thomas Muller, the raumdeuter is an incredibly niche role that the majority of teams will never set up with – but certain players over the years including Dele Alli and Theo Walcott have been likened to the original raumdeuter for their style of swooping into the box despite little effect during buildup.

What is a regista in football?

A role that's derived from classic Italian systems, a regista is a deep-lying playmaker who dictates play from a withdrawn midfield position.

The position differs from a traditional deep-lying midfielder in that it is a highly technical role that has very little defensive responsibility and is seen as a lock-picking player from deeper areas starting attacks, dictating play and controlling the tempo of a game.

What is a remontada in football?

A remontada (Spanish for ‘comeback’) refers to an astonishing turnaround in a football match, often from a seemingly hopeless position.

The most famous example is Barcelona’s 6-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the 2017 Champions League after losing the first leg 4-0.

What does Row Z mean in football?

No, your stadium doesn't have to be that tall. When a ball is sent wildly into the crowd – often into the highest rows of the stadium – it’s said to have gone into Row Z.

This is a phrase that described wayward attempts on goal or panicked defensive clearances alike.

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What is a screamer in football?

A screamer is a long-range goal struck with immense power and precision, often from outside the box. These goals usually leave goalkeepers with no chance and are celebrated for their spectacular nature. Think Steven Gerrard’s 2006 FA Cup final strike or Wayne Rooney’s volley against Newcastle.

What does shape refer to in football?

Shape refers to a team's tactical structure and organization, both in and out of possession. A well-drilled shape ensures defensive stability, compactness, and attacking fluidity, while team losing its shape often struggles defensively and gets caught out.

What is a single pivot in football?

A single pivot – or ‘pivote’ as it is referred in Spanish football – is a lone defensive midfielder responsible for shielding the defence and dictating play.

Pep Guardiola was known as a definitive single pivot during his time at Barcelona, bringing back the role to his own teams during his management career. Teams can field either a single or double-pivot depending on whether they place one lone defensive midfielder in their system or two within close proximity.

What is a sitter in football?

A sitter is a glaringly easy goal-scoring opportunity that a player fails to convert. Sitters are typically missed from close range with little defensive pressure. Think Fernando Torres' open-goal miss against Manchester United in 2011.

What does spacing refer to in football?

Spacing refers to how well players position themselves in relation to teammates and opponents.

Good spacing allows for quick ball circulation, passing angles, and defensive stability. Poor spacing leads to congestion, limiting attacking opportunities. Top teams, such as Manchester City, meticulously manage spacing to dominate possession and break down opposition defenses.

What does squeaky bum time mean in football?

Coined by Sir Alex Ferguson, squeaky bum time describes the tense, nerve-wracking final stages of a season or match when results are crucial.

It often applies to title races, relegation battles, or closely contested knockout games and reflects the anxious energy of players, managers, and fans as they await a decisive moment. It was later added to the dictionary.

What is a stepover in football?

A stepover is a dribbling move where a player feints by moving their foot over the ball before accelerating in the opposite direction. This trick, used by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho is designed to deceive defenders in one-against-one situations and create space.

What is a switch of play in football?

A switch of play is a long, diagonal pass that moves the ball from one side of the pitch to the other. This tactic stretches the opposition, exploiting open spaces and shifting defensive lines.

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What does tapping up mean in football?

Tapping up refers to the act of an unauthorised approach to a player under contract with another club. Clubs must have permission before looking to speak to players ahead of a transfer – and failure to gain that permission is considered an illegal transfer practice which can lead to fines or bans.

What is a target man in football?

A target man is a physically strong striker who, well, is used as a target for the rest of the team to launch long balls up to. A player in this role must excel at holding up play, winning aerial duels, and bringing teammates into the attack.

This role suits teams that play direct football and rely on crosses or long balls. Classic target men include Didier Drogba and Olivier Giroud, who used strength and positioning to trouble defenders.

What is a testimonial in football?

A testimonial match is a friendly organised to honour a player’s long-term service to a club, usually after a decade of playing. These matches are often charity events where former teammates and legends participate.

What does a the 12th man refer to in football?

The 12th man refers to the passionate support of a team’s fans, whose energy and vocal backing can influence matches. Clubs with intimidating atmospheres, such as Liverpool’s Anfield or Borussia Dortmund’s Yellow Wall, are known for their 12th man effect. This psychological advantage can lift players and intimidate opponents.

What is a through ball in football?

A through ball is a precise pass played between or behind defenders into space for a teammate to run onto. This type of pass is a key weapon for creative midfielders like Lionel Messi and Kevin De Bruyne, who use vision and timing to break defensive lines.

What is a tifo in football?

A tifo is a large-scale visual display created by football fans, often involving banners, flags, or mosaics. These displays are choreographed to celebrate club identity, mark historic moments, or intimidate opponents. European clubs like Borussia Dortmund and Lazio are known for their elaborate tifos.

What is tiki-taka in football?

Tiki-taka is a term used to describe a possession-based football philosophy primarily used by Pep Guardiola and Spain's golden generation of 2008-12. Not that Pep himself apparently liked the term…

Characterized by short, quick passing and fluid movement, late Spanish broadcaster Andres Montes is generally credited with coining and popularising the phrase, “Estamos tocando tiki-taka, tiki-taka” – “we are playing tiki-taka, tiki-taka”.

The style relied on technical ability, spatial awareness, and positional play to control matches rather than physicality – though is was used derogatorily by some to describe a tedious style of passing football with no penetration.

What does top bins means in football?

Top bins is derived from Sky show Soccer AM, in which a bin is placed in the top corner of the goal. Anyone who manages to hit the sweet shot into said corner is said to hit it… top bins.

The phrase has transcended TV culture now, however, with managers and players using it in interviews.

What does total football mean?

Total Football – or totaalvoetbal – is a tactical philosophy where players constantly interchange positions, allowing fluid and dynamic play. Developed by the Dutch in the 1970s, it was famously implemented by Rinus Michels first with Ajax, before he led the Netherlands at the 1974 World Cup with highly technical players capable of picking up each other's positions across the pitch.

But the style has its roots elsewhere, with English coaches Jimmy Hogan and Vic Buckingham credited for originating the pass-and-run style that enabled players to be free-roaming. Hugo Meisl's Austria national football team – known as the ‘Wunderteam’ – are sometimes credited as the first side to play Total Football, which Hungary and River Plate both had variations of the ideas long before the Oranje showcased it to the world on colour TV in West Germany.

What is a transition in football?

There are four phases of play that teams can be in: in possession, out of possession, attacking transition or defensive transition.

A transition refers to the phase of play when a team shifts from being in possession to out, or vice versa. This is sometimes called a counter-attack, too, with ‘transitional’ teams and players being those who are particularly good at breaking from defence to attack.

What is a trequartista in football?

A term from Italian glossaries, trequartista is a kind of attacking midfielder who plays between the lines, linking midfield and attack with creativity and flair. Where it differs from a traditional no.10, however is that a trequartista doesn't stay high, dropping into midfield, even as deep as a no.6 could be, to control a game with vision, movement, passing ability and the nous to roam freely around the pitch.

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What is an ultra in football?

An ultra is a die-hard football supporter known for creating intense atmospheres with chants, banners, and pyro displays. While often unfairly tarnished with the same brush as hooligans, ultras are deeply passionate and often politically involved in club affairs.

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What does the woodwork refer to in football?

The woodwork refers to the goal frame: this can be either the crossbar or either of the posts. When a shot strikes the woodwork, it means the ball has hit the goal frame instead of going in.

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What is a yo-yo club in football?

A yo-yo club frequently moves between divisions, regularly gaining promotion only to be relegated shortly after. Clubs like Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion have earned this label in recent decades due to their constant switching between the Premier League and Championship.

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What is zonal marking in football?

Zonal marking is a defensive strategy where players cover specific areas rather than marking opponents man-to-man. This system is often used for defending set-pieces, ensuring space is covered rather than chasing individual attackers.

Managers have a choice of marking 1v1 or zonally. Zonal marking can help keep a compact defence's shape and may be used, for example, in a high line to play the offside trap or against a burly target man whose movement won't surprise a well-positioned centre-back.

1v1 is preferable to zonal marking, however, for defenders who are physically superior to their attackers. Most coaches will ask for a mix of both styles of defending in different scenarios, with every defender in constant flux between wanting to be tight to their attacker or anticipate their next move.