the player positioned directly in front of the goal who tries to prevent shots from getting into the net behind him; the only player allowed to use his hands and arms, though only within the penalty area.
 
the front opening to each goal.
 
the two vertical beams located 24 feet apart which extend 8 feet high to form the sides of a goal and support the crossbar.
 
kicking an opponent's legs.
 
 
the intermission between the 2 periods or halves of a game.
 
see Periods.
 
a foul where a player touches the ball with his hand or arm; the opposing team is awarded a direct free kick.
 
3 or more goals scored in a game by a single player.
 
the striking of a ball in the air by a player's head.
 
the curved trajectory of a ball due to spin imparted on it by a kicker, such as in a banana kick.
 
International Football Association Board — the organization consisting of 4 British soccer organizations and FIFA that approves all changes in the official international rules of soccer called the 17 Laws.
 
when a ball is within the boundaries of the field, having not completely crossed a sideline or goal line.
 
when a ball is within the boundaries of the field and play has not been stopped by the referee.
 
a kick awarded to a player for a less-serious foul committed by the opposition; the player kicks a stationary ball without any opposing players within 10 yards of him; a goal can only be scored on this kick after the ball has touched another player.
 
time added to the end of any period according to the referee's judgment of time lost due to player injuries or intentional stalling by a team.
 
a straight shot taken with the instep of a player's foot; usually the most powerful and accurate of shots.
 
the 5-minute rest period between periods of a game.
 
keeping a ball in the air with any part of the body besides the hands or arms; used for practice and developing coordination.
 
the trophy given to the World Cup winner between 1930 and 1970, after which it was permanently retired.
 
the method of starting a game or restarting it after each goal; a player passes the ball forward to a teammate from the center spot.
 
the 17 main rules for soccer established by FIFA.
 
a pass sent ahead of a moving teammate to arrive at a location at the same time he does.
 
an alliance of teams that organizes sporting competition.
 
the 2 officials who assist the referee in making his decisions; they monitor the sidelines and goal lines to determine when a ball goes out of bounds and they carry a flag to signal their observations.
 
 
a high-arcing kick.
 
a type of defense where each defender is assigned to mark a different forward from the other team; the most common type of defense for national-level teams.
 
guarding a player to prevent him from advancing the ball towards the net, making an easy pass or getting the ball from a teammate.
 
a soccer game.
 
the region of the field near the midfield line; the area controlled by the midfielders.
 
 
a line that divides the field in half along its width.
 
the 2, 3 or 4 players who link together the offensive and defensive functions of a team; they play behind their forwards.
 
Major Indoor Soccer League — started in the U.S. in 1977 playing games of 6 players per side in modified hockey rinks covered by artificial turf; became the MSL in 1990.
 
when a particular offensive player is far superior to the defender marking him.
 
Major League Soccer — the new U.S. outdoor league scheduled to begin play in the Spring of 1995.
 
Major Soccer League — a U.S. indoor league which formed in 1990 from the MISL and folded in 1992.
 
North American Soccer League — an outdoor league formed in the U.S. in 1967 that attracted great international players including Pele and huge audiences to the U.S. in the 1970s; folded in 1985.
 
a team consisting of the best players in a country chosen to represent it in international competitions such as the World Cup.
 
National Collegiate Athletic Association — governs and organizes sports at the collegiate level; has its own soccer committee.
 
the goalpost closest to the ball.
 
hemp, jute or nylon cord draped over the frame of the goal and extending behind it; also used to refer to the goal itself.
 
National Professional Soccer League — a U.S. indoor league that plays its games in a modified hockey rink, much like the former MISL; plays by non-traditional rules to create a faster-paced, higher-scoring game; also, a different league by the same name that played in the 1960s, merging with another league to form the NASL.
 
when a defensive player, instead of going after the ball, uses his body to prevent an offensive player from playing it.
 
the function of trying to score goals.
 
see Attacker.
 
 
the clock that the referee carries with him on the field so he can signal when each half is over; does not stop during the game, even when play does.
 
the referee and 2 linesmen who work together to make sure the game is played according to the rules of soccer; responsible for stopping and restarting play, keeping track of the score and the time remaining and citing violations of the rules, called fouls; they wear uniforms that distinguish them from the players on both teams.
 
a violation called when a player in an offside position receives a pass from a teammate; an indirect free kick is awarded to the non-offending team.
 
an attacking player positioned so that fewer than 2 opposing defensive players (usually the goalie and 1 other defender) are between him and the goal he is attacking; a player is not offside if he is exactly even with one or both of these defensive players.
 
describes a team that does not have possession of the ball.
 
describes a team in possession of the ball.
 
the opposite of offside.
 
describes an attacking player who does not have anyone marking him.
 
when a ball is outside the boundaries of the field, having completely crossed a sideline or goal line.
 
when a ball is outside the boundaries of the field or play has been stopped by the referee.
 
when a goaltender or defender passes the ball from close to his own goal toward the other team's goal; used to start a counterattack.
 
when a winger moves away from the sideline towards the center of the field to create space for a teammate to advance the ball undefended along the side of the field.
 
the extra periods played after a regulation game ends tied; used in collegiate and championship international matches to determine a winner.
 
when a player kicks the ball to his teammate; used to move the ball closer to the opposing goal, to keep the ball away from an opponent or to give the ball to a player who is in a better position to score.
 
short for penalty kick; also, a punishment given by the referee for a violation of the rules.
 
a circular arc whose center is the penalty spot and extends from the top of the penalty area; designates an area that opposing players are not allowed to enter prior to a penalty kick.
 
a rectangular area 44 yards wide by 18 yards deep with its long edge on the goal line; the goalkeeper may use his hands to block or control the ball only within this area.
 
 
a kick taken from the penalty spot by a player against the opposing goalie without any players closer than 10 yards away; awarded for the most severe rule violations and those committed by the defense within its own penalty area; also taken in a tiebreaker to decide a match.
 
the small circular spot located 12 yards in front of the center of the goal line from which all penalty kicks are taken; positioned at the center of the penalty arc.
 
to advance the ball behind opposing defenders (between them and their goal).
 
the segments of time into which a game is divided; a regulation game played by adults consists of two 45-minutes halves.
 
a British term for soccer field.
 
to trap, dribble, kick or head the ball.
 
a term used by referees to indicate that no foul or stoppage is to be called; used by referees when applying the Advantage Rule.
 
a tournament that takes place after a season's schedule has been completed; used to determine a champion.
 
a team statistic indicating its degree of success, calculated as follows: 2 points for a win (3 in the 1994 World Cup), 1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss; also, an individual statistic for a player, calculated by totaling 2 points for each goal and 1 point for each assist.
 
control of the ball.
 
goalpost or the area near it.