Football Glossary

A-B | C-D | E-F | G-H | I-K | L-N | O-Q | R-S | T-V | W-Z

O

Offside: When an attacking team’s player is beyond the last defender, the game is stopped and there is a free kick for the defensive side

Example: Italian sides traditionally played the offside trap to frustrate the opposing team’s forwards.

(to be) On a roll: When a team has a succession of good results, to be doing well over many games

Example: When Newcastle finally won their first game under Kevin Keegan they went on a roll and remained unbeaten for ten matches.

One-way traffic: When only one team is doing all the attacking

Example: It was one-way traffic as Holland thrashed France 4-1 in the European Championships.

(to be) On/Off target: We use the expression on target to describe when a forward shoots and the keeper has to make a save or a goal is scored. When the ball is wide or goes over it is off target

Example: Fernando Torres had more shots on target last season than any other striker in the top division.

Opponent: This is a member of the other team or the team you are playing against

Example: Argentina have always been a difficult  opponent for England in the World Cup.

Outfit: Another word for team

Example: Tottenham played Celtic in a friendly with The Premiership outfit winning 2-0.

(to) Outshine: if someone (or another team) is better than you, to be beaten by someone else’ performance

Example: Lionel Messi has been outshone by Ronaldo over the season.

(to) Overcome: to beat, to defeat

Example: Manchester United overcame Barcelona in the Champions League 1-0.

(to be) Over the moon: To be absolutely delighted (cliché)

Example: On winning the World Cup in 1966 the England captain Bobby Moore said ‘he was over the moon’.

P

Playmaker

(to) Park the bus: When a team is very defensive and does not attack, when the team is very negative

Example: What Stoke did was park their bus in front of Sorensen’s goal and challenge Liverpool to find a way past. (The Daily Telegraph)

(to go/to be) Pear-shaped: When things do not go as planned: to go dramatically wrong

Example: Things went pear-shaped for Andrei Schevchenko after leaving Milan for Chelsea (EFF: podcast 8).

(to be) Pipped at the post: This means to be beaten at the last moment, just before the post, just before the end of the race or game. In football, we use this to talk about a team who loses the race to be champions at the last minute

Example: Inter were almost pipped at the post by Roma in the race for the Scudetto in Italy last year (podcast 42: 2007-8).

(a) Playmaker: A player on a team that controls the tempo of his side and is usually regarded as the one to break down opposing defences

Example: Barcelona playmaker Xavi was voted the best player at the 2008 European Championships

Premier League (the Premiership): The top division or league in England. Replaced the old Division 1 in 1992

Example: Two teams from the Premier League contested the Champions League final in Moscow in 2008.

Prima donna: A player who thinks that they are above everything, overly selfish and egotistical

Example: Though Ronaldo has often been termed a prima donna surely he is nowhere near as bad as Ashley Cole.

Promotion: When a team moves up a division (opposite of relegation)

Example: West Brom won promotion for the second time in three years last summer.

Promotion race: When a group of teams are fighting to move up a division

Example: Last season’s promotion race in The Championship was a truly exciting one with West Brom; Hull and Stoke eventually winning the promotion spots.

Pundit: An expert on football usually on TV or radio and quite often a former professional player

Example: Former Scottish international Andy Gray is Sky Sports top pundit, though Damon and Damian both think that they are better than him!

Q

(to) Qualify: In order to play in important tournaments or rounds teams have to play and win a set of preliminary matches.

Example: England did not qualify for the last European Championships.

Quarter-final: The last 8 of a knock-out or cup competition, i.e. there 8 teams left in the tournament

Example: England reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 2002 and 2006.