Football glossary 118 terms
Four categories: live commentary, tactics columns, data and stats, and the Laws of the Game. Tap a term for a one-line definition and an animated tactics board.
🔥 Trending in commentary and on social right now
🎙 Live Commentary 56 terms
- DelayディレイDefending by holding off instead of diving in, to buy time.
- Low Blockブロックを敷く／ローブロックDropping into your own half and killing space with a wall-like shape.
- The Pocket / Near Zoneポケットを突く（ニアゾーン）Running into the “corner” beside the penalty area.
- Between the Linesライン間で受けるReceiving in the gap between the opponent's defensive and midfield lines.
- Channel Runチャンネル（チャンネルラン）Running the lane between the full-back and centre-back.
- High Pressハイプレス／プレッシングWinning the ball high up as a group, deep in the opponent's half.
- RetreatリトリートNot pressing, and dropping everyone back into your own half.
- IsolationアイソレーションDeliberately clearing team-mates away to leave your star 1v1.
- Cut InsideカットインDribbling diagonally inside from the wing toward the centre.
- Overlap / Underlapオーバーラップ／インナーラップA player from behind running past the ball-carrier to go forward.
- Second Ballセカンドボール（の回収）The loose ball that spills out after a duel.
- Compact / Stretchedコンパクト／間延びWhether the shape is squeezed tight or stretched loose.
- Vertical Pass into Feet楔のパス（くさびを入れる）A sharp vertical pass into a forward's feet.
- Cover ShadowカバーシャドウClosing down while using your back to block a passing lane.
- Press Trap / Escapeはめる／はがすHerding into a defensive trap is ‘the trap’; escaping it is ‘breaking out.’
- DuelデュエルA one-on-one contest for the ball.
- Press BackプレスバックA forward pressing while running back toward his own goal.
- Run in Behind裏抜け（背後を取る）Breaking into the space behind the opponent's back line.
- Through Passスルーパス（キラーパス）A pass into empty space for a runner to meet.
- Early CrossアーリークロスA cross played early rather than after reaching the byline.
- IntensityインテンシティPlay intensity including duels, transitions and running.
- FlickフリックA one-touch play that only changes the ball's direction.
- Long Throw-inロングスローHurling a throw-in straight into the box as an attacking weapon.
- GolazoゴラッソA super goal that makes you shout out loud.
- Kamada's 1mm鎌田の1ミリThe equaliser vs the Netherlands at the 2026 WC that grazed Kamada's head by a millimetre.
- Physical ContactフィジカルコンタクトBodying up. Fair shoulder-to-shoulder contact is part of football.
- Designed Set Pieceデザインされた（セットプレー）A free kick or corner broken down by a routine drilled in training.
- Momentum Arrow（攻守の）矢印The direction a player's momentum and weight are pointing.
- InterceptionインターセプトReading and stealing an opponent's pass in flight.
- Trap / First TouchトラップThe skill of controlling an incoming ball into the next play.
- Overhead / Bicycle Kickオーバーヘッド（バイシクル）Leaping to kick a ball higher than your head backward.
- Hold-up PlayポストプレーA forward holding the ball with his back to goal to link team-mates.
- Long-range ShotミドルシュートA long-range shot from outside the penalty area.
- One-Two / Wall Passワンツー（壁パス）A two-player combo: play it off a team-mate and take the return on the run.
- Crossクロス（センタリング）A sideways or diagonal ball from wide into the box.
- Near / Far Postニアサイド／ファーサイドThe side nearer the ball is the near post; the far side is the far post.
- ClearanceクリアBooting a dangerous ball far away from in front of goal.
- Super SubスーパーサブA trump-card substitute who changes the game off the bench.
- Holding the Ball溜め（ため）Holding the ball to make time and wait for team-mates to join.
- Width / Stay Wide / Tuck In幅を取る（張る・絞る）Using the pitch's full width. Waiting out wide is ‘staying wide’; coming inside is ‘tucking in.’
- Switch of PlayサイドチェンジA long pass that swings the ball to the opposite flank at once.
- CoveringカバーリングDefence that instantly backs up behind a beaten team-mate.
- Malíciaマリーシア‘Cunning’ used to win within the rules.
- Power PlayパワープレーAn all-out assault late on, sending tall players and even the keeper forward to lob it in.
- Punt Kick / Feedパントキック／フィードA GK dropping the ball from his hands and kicking it long directly.
- DerbyダービーA match between rival clubs from the same city or region.
- Giant KillingジャイアントキリングA big upset where an underdog beats a powerhouse.
- Sano Recovery佐野回収A phenomenon of hoovering up midfield loose balls at an absurd rate. From Kaishu Sano.
- Passer & Receiver出し手と受け手The passer and the receiver. A pass is always a joint effort by two.
- Closing the Gameゲームをクローズする／クローザーEnding the match with the lead intact. The specialist is the ‘closer.’
- Cutting the Passing Laneコースを切る（限定する）Blocking passing lanes with body angle and positioning to narrow the opponent's options.
- Putting a Lid On蓋をするSealing off a dangerous route or player so it can't be used.
- Cutbackカットバック（マイナスの折り返し）A last pass from near the goal line back away from goal.
- Shifting Gearsギアを上げるDeliberately raising the attacking tempo by a level.
- Immersive ViewイマーシブビューA new broadcast camera that puts you on the pitch from a player's eye level.
- adidas Match BalladidasボールThe official tournament ball. With a built-in sensor, it also aids precise decisions.
📝 Column & Analysis 33 terms
- Half-spaceハーフスペースThe zone “between centre and wing” when the pitch is split into five vertical lanes.
- Five Lanes5レーン理論Designing attacks by dividing the pitch into five vertical lanes.
- Positional Play / Juego de PosiciónポジショナルプレーOut-doing opponents through positioning — designing “where to stand.”
- False Nine / Zero Top偽9番（ゼロトップ）A centre-forward who drops from the front line into midfield.
- Inverted Full-back偽サイドバックA full-back who plays in central midfield rather than out wide.
- Negative Transitionネガティブトランジション（ネガトラ）The moment of switching from attack to defence.
- Positive Transitionポジティブトランジション（ポジトラ）The moment of switching from defence to attack.
- Gegenpressingゲーゲンプレス（カウンタープレス）Immediately swarming to win the ball back on the spot after losing it.
- Build-upビルドアップConstructing the attack by passing out from the GK and defenders.
- OverloadオーバーロードDeliberately gathering players in one area to create a numbers-up.
- Lay-offレイオフA forward who receives a vertical pass and knocks it short to a runner behind.
- Third Man Run3人目の動き（サードマン）A “third man,” not the passer or receiver, running in to collect.
- Anchor / Pivoteアンカー／ピボーテA lone defensive midfielder stationed in front of the back line.
- StormingストーミングKick, recover, press instantly — a philosophy of creating storm-like chaos.
- Numerical / Positional / Qualitative Superiority数的優位／位置的優位／質的優位Being better off than the opponent in numbers, in position, or in individual quality.
- Zonal / Man-markingゾーンディフェンス／マンツーマン“Guard a space” or “track a man” — the two main defensive systems.
- Thirds of the Pitchアタッキングサード（ゾーン1・2・3）Splitting the pitch into three horizontal parts, numbered 1-2-3 from farthest to the attacker.
- Vital AreaバイタルエリアThe danger zone in front of the box, between the DF and MF lines.
- Mid BlockミドルブロックSetting the defensive block at mid height, in the middle third.
- Conducción / Carryコンドゥクシオン（キャリー／持ち運び）A centre-back or similar carrying the ball forward by dribbling.
- Salida Lavolpianaサリーダ・ラボルピアーナA midfielder dropping between the CBs during build-up to make a back three.
- Diagonal RunダイアゴナルランA run cutting across the pitch on the diagonal.
- Pinningピン留めFixing an opponent in place through positioning alone.
- High LineハイラインA defensive setting that keeps the last line high up.
- Counter Attackカウンター（ショート／ロング）A fast attack right after winning the ball, before the opponent gets set.
- VolanteボランチA defensive midfielder steering both phases from the base of midfield.
- Shadow Strikerシャドー（セカンドトップ）An attacker just behind the CF — the ‘2’ in a 3-4-2-1.
- False Shadow偽シャドーA variable where the shadow leaves his spot to drop into midfield and build.
- Polyvalent / UtilityポリバレントThe versatility to play several positions at a high level.
- The Ace as a Tactic戦術三笘（戦術ヴィニシウス）Making ‘let the ace go 1v1’ itself a team rule.
- Football IQサッカーIQThe ‘mental speed’ to read a situation, predict, and choose the best option.
- Fluid System可変システムA setup that reshapes the formation between attacking and defending phases.
- Baiting the Defender食いつかせるDeliberately drawing a defender out to use the space he leaves.
📊 Data & Stats 13 terms
- Expected GoalsxG（ゴール期待値）A 0–1 figure for the chance a given shot is scored.
- Expected AssistsxA（アシスト期待値）A figure for how likely a pass was to lead to a goal.
- Passes Per Defensive ActionPPDAHow many opponent passes are allowed per one defensive action.
- Heat MapヒートマップA colour-shaded map of where a player spent the most time.
- Pass Networkパスネットワーク図A diagram of who passed to whom, shown by line thickness.
- Possessionポゼッション（ボール支配率）The share of match time a team held the ball.
- Progressive PassプログレッシブパスA pass that advances the ball significantly toward goal.
- Field TiltフィールドティルトShare of play in the opponent's final third — who was pinning who back.
- AssistアシストThe record for the pass ‘one before’ a goal.
- Hat-trickハットトリックOne player scoring three goals in a single match.
- Clean SheetクリーンシートFinishing a match without conceding. A medal for the GK and defence.
- Points勝ち点Win = 3, draw = 1, loss = 0 — the points that decide league standings.
- Actual Playing TimeAPT（アクチュアルプレーイングタイム）The net time the ball was actually in play out of the 90 minutes.
⚖️ Rules & Referee 16 terms
- Offsideオフサイド（戻りオフサイド）Being ahead of the second-last defender when the pass is played is an offence.
- Offside TrapオフサイドトラップDeliberately stepping the DF line up to catch a forward offside.
- Denying an Obvious Goal-Scoring OpportunityDOGSO（ドグソ）“Denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity” — in principle a straight red.
- Video Assistant Referee / On-Field ReviewVAR／OFRAn assistant referee using video, and the pitch-side monitor review.
- AdvantageアドバンテージNot blowing for a foul when letting play go on favours the attacking side.
- Mitoma's 1mm三笘の1ミリThe historic 2022 WC vs Spain call where the ball stayed on the line by just 1.88mm.
- Hydration Break飲水タイム（ハイドレーションブレイク）A roughly one-minute drinks break once per half in extreme heat.
- Additional TimeアディショナルタイムTime added at the end for stoppages. Formerly ‘loss time.’
- Handballハンド（ハンドリング）An offence of handling the ball with hand or arm — but not ‘touch = automatic foul.’
- Penalty / Free KicksPK／直接FK・間接FKRestart variations that change by the place and type of foul.
- Simulation / Diveシミュレーション（ダイブ）Falling with no contact to deceive the referee. A cautionable offence.
- Own Goalオウンゴール（OG）Putting the ball into your own net.
- Referee CamレフェリービューFootage from a small camera worn by the referee.
- 5-Second Countdown5秒カウントダウンA finger countdown the ref shows when a keeper holds the ball too long.
- Sub 10s Rule交代時の10秒ルールA rule that a substituted player must leave promptly from the nearest line.
- 1-Min Wait After Treatment負傷治療後の1分待機A player treated on the pitch waits off it briefly before returning.