Soccer Terms

A-D | E-H | I-L | M-P | Q-T | U-Z

A

ADVANTAGE RULE -- a referee can decide not to call an infraction if allowing play to continue creates an advantage for the fouled team.

AFC -- the governing body of soccer in Asia; acronym stands for Asian Football Confederation; based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; president is Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah of Malaysia and general secretary is Peter Velappan also of Malaysia; founded in 1954; current membership stands at 41 nations; has three guaranteed slots in the 1998 World Cup, and Iran claimed a fourth spot by eliminating Australia from the Oceania zone.

B

BACKS -- nickname or abbreviation of the name given to the defenders who line up in the rear, in front of the goalkeeper; the name refers to the left and right fullbacks as well as the centerbacks, also known as sweepers.

BANANA KICK -- a kick with exceptional curve.

BICYCLE OR SCISSORS KICK -- a strike where the player's body is horizontal in mid-air and the ball is struck over the player's head; this type of kick was popularized by Brazilian great Pele.

BOOKED -- a term referring to a player's name being written down by a referee for either a yellow or red card infraction.

BOOTS -- soccer cleats.

C

CAF -- represents African soccer; acronym stands for Confederation Africaine de Football; based in Cairo, Egypt; president is Issa Hayatou of Cameroon and general secretary is Mustapha Fahmy of Egypt; founded in 1956; current membership stands at 51 nations; will be represented by five nations in the 1998 World Cup.

CAP -- represents an appearance in a national team match for a player.

CENTER -- when a ball is passed from the wings into the penalty area of the field; also known as a cross.

CENTER FORWARD -- striker who leads the attack.

CENTER HALF MIDFIELDERS -- creative force in the midfield; generally where plays are started.

CHIP -- a high, arching shot that is lofted over the heads of defenders or the goalkeeper.

CLEAR -- a defensive kick that attempts to get the ball out of a scoring area, particularly the penalty area.

CONCACAF -- represents the region of North and Central America and the Carribean basin; acronym drawn from full name -- Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Football; based in New York; president is Jack Warner of Trinidad & Tobago and general secretary is Chuck Blazer of the United States; founded in 1961; current membership stands at 30 nations; will be represented by three nations in 1998 World Cup.

CONMEBOL -- represents South American soccer region; acronym drawn from full name -- Confederacion Sudamericana de Futbol; based in Asuncion, Paraguay; president is Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay and general secretary is Eduardo Deluca of Argentina; founded in 1916; current membership stands at 10 nations; will be represented by four qualifying teams plus defending champion Brazil in 1998 World Cup.

COPA AMERICA -- one of the oldest international soccer events, the Copa America pits the national soccer teams of the CONMEBOL; recently two teams from the CONCACAF -- the United States and Mexico -- have competed as invited members; the tournament began in 1917 and has been played at least every four years but often special editions are scheduled in off years; the tournament takes place in a host country; Argentina has dominated this tournament.

COPA LIBERTADORES -- a club competition that matches the winners of the 10 South America soccer associations; the tournament began in 1960 but has undergone several format changes; Argentine clubs have had more success (16 titles through 1996) than any other two South American national leagues combined.

CORNER KICK -- a free kick taken by an attacking player whenever a defender last touches the ball before it crosses the goal line.

D

DANGEROUS PLAY -- an action on the field ruled by the referee that will likely cause an injury; will at minimum draw a yellow card but could draw a red card for the offending player.

DIRECT FREE KICK -- awarded as the result of a foul, such as kicking, tripping, holding or pushing; the kick is taken from the point of the infraction and the designated player taking the kick may score directly without another player having to touch the ball.

DROPPED BALL -- the referee drops the ball onto the ground between two opposing players; it signals the resumption of play after the referee has stopped it for an infraction other than a foul. (Example: play will be halted due to an injury to a player.)