SECTION 7. GENERAL SOCCER TERMINOLOGY
- soccer
- international soccer (preferred), football (2nd reference)
- goal
- pitch (preferred), field
- club – in reference to the organization
- team – in reference to the players or the team on the pitch
- match (preferred), game
- schedule (preferred), fixture
- roster (preferred), squad
- Matchday (not gameday)
- kit (not jersey)
- Starting XI (preferred), starting line-up, line-up
- formation - only when referring to the shape or arrangement of the players on the pitch, never to the line-up
- head coach (not manager)
- goalkeeper (not goalie)
- defender
- midfielder
- forward
- penalty box (1st reference), box (2nd reference), penalty area (3rd reference)
- penalty kick (1st reference), penalty (2nd reference)
- PK(s) is only acceptable as second reference and for social and titles
- a team wins "in" a penalty-kick shootout (or PKs), NOT "on"
- penalty shootouts (1st reference), shootouts (2nd reference)
- offside (not off-side, not offsides)
- stoppage time (1st reference), added time (2nd reference)
- set piece
- used to describe a free kick, a corner kick, throw-in, or, to a lesser extent, a penalty kick
- goal kicks are never referenced as set pieces
- use a hyphen ("set-piece") if used as a preceding modifier
- a "set play" is a subcategory
- indirect free kick, direct free kick
- shutout (n), shut out (v), clean sheet (n)
- hat trick
- sent off (1st reference), ejected (2nd reference), red carded (3rd reference)
- aggregate score - can be abbreviated as agg.
- referee (never “ref” in an article - “ref” can only be used abbreviated for graphics, matchday guides, or basic information text)
- clean sheet (1st reference), shutout (1st reference)
- backheel (v; n)
- back-to-back
- backflip
- back pass
- bicycle kick
- bye week
- caution, yellow-card offense, bookable offense, second bookable offense, sending-off offense, red-card offense
- come back (v), comeback (n)
- corner, corner kick
- counterattack (v; n)
- direct free kick
- diving, simulation
- Though diving is an act of simulation, simulation can also mean feigning injury or any other act where a player attempts to deceive the referee to gain an advantage. It is usually punished with a yellow card
- doubleheader
- dummy
- extra time (not “extratime”)
- pitch (1st reference and preferred), field (2nd reference)
- final (1st reference and preferred), full time (2nd reference) (not “fulltime”)
- flick on (v), flick-on (n)
- free kick
- friendly, exhibition (match), scrimmage
- A scrimmage usually refers to an unofficial, casual game played during the offseason or a bye week
- matchup
- game plan (n), gameplan (v)
- goal kick
- goalscorer
- golazo
- halftime (n; adj.)
- hand ball
- hat trick
- headbutt (v; n)
- header, headed goal
- home-field advantage
- kick off (v), kickoff (n)
- line up (v), lineup (n), starting XI (n)
- minutes
- in soccer, minutes are written out as a whole number and always rounded up to the next digit
- for example: if the clock marks 32:28, the minute when the action happens is 33, and it's written out as follows for different uses:
- For minutes during regulation (90 minutes)
- "minute 33", "33rd minute" (1st reference) - to be used editorially and on voice over/sound on tape
- 33' (2nd reference) the apostrophe must always go after the number
- to be used on social media copy, listicles, stats, results
- For minutes during extra time (91 - 120 minutes)
- "minute 92", "92nd minute" and only acceptable for editorial/VO/SOT
- 90+2' for listings, box score, social copy and stats
- offside trap
- 1-2, give-and-go
- 1-v-1, 1-on-1 (not 1-vs-1)
- overlap (v; n), overlapping run
- own goal
- panenka
- playoffs
- not “post season”
- postponement
- a game is "delayed" or "postponed", never use "cancellation" or "canceled"
- pregame, postgame
- preseason
- offseason
- olimpico
- rabona
- referee, official
- other officials include:
- the referee’s assistant or assistant referee - can also use “the sideline official”
- the fourth official
- never use gender-specific terms, such as linesman
- Video Assistant Referee (VAR) (1st reference), VAR (2nd reference)
- set piece
- side netting
- slide tackle
- stoppage time
- not "injury time"
- not "added time"
- studs-up (adj.; adv.)
- supporters' groups
- through-ball
- throw-in (n), throw in (v)
- tifo (singular, plural)
- top corner, upper 90
- volley
- half volley
- vs. (never spell out "versus" - the abbreviation (vs.) is always utilized in copy. Never write just the letter v unless part of 1-v-1 or a hashtag)
- wall
- Laws of the Game
