Soccer Terms | Everything You Need to Know

It doesn’t matter how you measure it, soccer (or football outside the US) is the most popular sport on the planet by a long margin. With three and a half billion fans, it’s a good one billion ahead of the next most popular sport (cricket, seeing as you asked) and three billion more than the most popular US sport of baseball.

The men’s Champions League final is the most-watched annual sporting event in the world with roughly 450 million viewers.

However, if you’re not familiar with the game, the terminology and rules of soccer can be confusing. This guide aims to clear the confusion and guide you through the maze of terms and rules.

If you want quick answers, you can always ask QuillBot’s AI chat to tell you.

What is soccer?

The name “soccer” is universally understood, but not universally used. In the UK and Ireland, the usual term is “football.” The word “soccer” actually comes from the official name of the sport, which is “association football,” distinguishing it from “rugby football.” The word “soccer” is adapted from the “soc” in “association” and has undergone the same alteration that turned “rugby” into “rugger.”

A game of adult soccer lasts 90 minutes divided into two halves of 45 minutes each. The game involves two teams of 11 players using their feet (mainly) to move a ball around a pitch with the aim of scoring a goal by putting the ball into the goal of the opposition.

The laws of soccer

Although soccer has been around in the UK since the 8th century, the rules were only formalized in the mid-1800s. Those rules have remained largely unchanged, although they are periodically tweaked to improve the game.

• Pitch (or field): The playing area of a soccer pitch varies from one ground or stadium to another. The regulations state that it must be longer (between 100 and 130 yards) than it is wide (between 50 and 100 yards). It is marked out with white lines with a central line dividing the pitch into two halves; a center circle with a diameter of 20 yards; a penalty area 18 yards from the goal line and 18 yards from the goal posts; a penalty spot 12 yards from the goal line and in line with the middle of the goal posts; a six-yard box or goal area, starting six yards from the goal posts and extending six yards towards the other end of the pitch; a “D” semi-circle 10 yards from the penalty spot and extending away from the penalty area; a goal at each end of the pitch halfway between the touchlines and on the goal line measuring 24 feet by 8 feet; and one-yard radius arcs in the four corners of the pitch. At each corner of the pitch is a corner flag on a pole at least 1.5 meters tall.
• Ball: Though they were traditionally made of leather, many modern balls are now made from synthetic materials. They must be between 26 and 28 inches in circumference and weigh between 14 and 16 ounces.
• Time: An adult match lasts 90 minutes divided into two 45-minute halves. The referee is the timekeeper and will add time for stoppages at the end of each half. Even if all the time has been used up they will usually allow an attack that is in progress to continue. Stoppage time, or time added on for stoppages, can run to several minutes at the end of each half.
• Goal: The aim of soccer is to score more goals than your opponent. A goal is scored when the ball passes over the goal line and between the goal posts. In soccer, a ball is over the line only when the whole of the ball has crossed the whole of the line. The ball must be propelled into the goal with the feet, head, or any part of the body except the hands (except for the defending goalkeeper’s hands). A goal can be scored directly from a corner kick but not directly from a throw-in. After a goal is scored, the team that didn’t score restarts the game with a kick-off.
• Foul: a foul is any infraction of the game’s rules. It might be a handball or illegal physical contact with an opposing player, offside, time-wasting, unsporting conduct, or dissent. The punishment for a foul will depend on its seriousness and the impact on the game. Less serious offenses like offside are punished with an indirect free kick. More serious offences result in a direct free kick. If that offense occurs inside the penalty area, then the punishment is a penalty. The offending player can also be issued with a caution (or yellow card) or, in the most serious cases, a dismissal (or red card). A second caution for a player in the same match will result in a dismissal. Sometimes the referee will allow play to continue by playing advantage if that puts the offended team in a better position.
• Hands: Only the goalkeeper is allowed to use their hands to touch the ball (except for a throw-in). The goalkeeper has to wear a different strip or kit from the other players and is permitted to wear gloves. They may use their hands only within the penalty area, although they are free to move to any place on the pitch. Once the goalkeeper (or goalie or keeper) picks the ball up, they have a maximum of eight seconds before they release the ball. If any other player deliberately touches the ball with their hand, it is an offense of handball, punished with a direct free kick. The “hand” includes the arm all the way up to a line level with the bottom of the armpit (i.e., not the shoulder). A throw-in is awarded when the ball goes out of touch across sidelines that run the length of the pitch. It is awarded to the team whose player did not touch it last before it went out. The ball is thrown with two hands, starting behind the head, while both the thrower’s feet are touching or behind the line and they are facing the field of play.
• Kick-off: The start of each half begins with a kick-off. There is also a kick-off (or restart) after each goal that is scored. For the kick-off, the ball is placed on the center spot, with all players in their own half of the pitch (except the one taking the kick) and all opposing players outside the center circle. The ball can be played in any direction, and the player taking the kick cannot touch the ball again until another player has done so.
• Free kick: When a foul is committed, the referee can award a free kick. This can be indirect or direct. The ball is placed on the spot where the offense occurred, and the opposing players are not allowed closer than 10 yards. A direct free kick can be shot directly into the goal, but an indirect free kick can only be a goal if it touches another player first. If it goes directly into the goal, it is a goal kick to the defending team. The defending team can place a defensive wall of two or more players between the ball and the goal to help prevent a goal. The wall must be at least 10 yards from the ball. No attacking player may come within a yard of a defensive wall until the kick is taken. If a foul results in a direct free kick but was committed inside the penalty area, then a penalty is awarded and no wall is allowed.
• Corner kick: A corner kick (or corner) is awarded when a player causes the ball to pass over their own goal line between the goalpost and the corner flag (i.e., not in the goal). The ball is placed within or touching the quadrant mark and played by the attacking team. No opponent may be within 10 yards of the ball when the kick is taken. There are many tactical variations on this set piece.
• Goal kick: If the ball is put over the goal line (but not in the goal) by the attacking team, then a goal kick is awarded to the defending team. All opposing players must move out of the penalty area, and the ball must be placed within the six-yard box.

Common soccer terms

Here’s an alphabetical list of common soccer terms to help you understand the game.

• Advantage: When a foul is committed, the referee doesn’t always whistle to stop play; they can continue to see if the wronged team can gain an advantage from play continuing. If no advantage occurs, then the whistle is blown and the play returns to the place of the original offense.

• Aggregate: Some competitions have two-leg rounds at the knockout stage, with each team playing the other at their home ground. The combined score is the aggregate score and determines the winner of the leg overall. In the event of an equal number of goals, the away goals rule used to apply but was abolished in 2021/22 (see below).

• Attack: Outside of the US, the term offense is not used to describe attacking players, tactics, or moves.

• Away goals rule: Previously, in the event of a tied aggregate score, the team that had scored more goals at the opponent’s ground was the winner.

• Backs: Also known as defenders, these are players who mainly operate at the rear of the formation with the main responsibility of defending the goal and marking the attacking players. Sometimes called fullbacks.

• Back pass: When a player passes the ball back to their own goalkeeper, the goalie is not permitted to pick the ball up. Doing so will result in an indirect free kick where the ball was picked up.

• Booking: When a player receives a caution for a foul (a yellow or red card), their name and shirt number are written in the referee’s book. A booking is a yellow card, or “bookable” offense. Cautions are issued for fouls that are serious in terms of danger to the player or advantage gained. The most serious fouls can receive an immediate red card, and two yellow cards in the same game will result in a sending-off.

• Box: The penalty area or penalty box is sometimes known as the box or the 18-yard box. The smaller goal area is also known as the 6-yard box but never just the box.

• Break: A quick counterattack by a team that had been defending.

• Caution: See “booking” above.

• Center-back: A player whose position is as a defender based in the middle of the pitch. Also known as central defender.

• Center forward: The key attacking player, expected to be at the front of attacks and focused on the penalty area.

• Center-half: A playing position in the middle of midfield.

• Chest: To play the ball with the chest, especially to control a pass and chest it down onto the ground.

• Chip: A skillful way of kicking the ball that imparts backspin and height to the pass or shot. Also known as a lob.

• Clean sheet: When a team concedes no goals, it is known as keeping a clean sheet, a term that can also apply to a goalkeeper’s performance.

• Clear or clearance: When a player moves the ball away from their own penalty area, or anywhere close to the goal or into the opponent’s half of the pitch, it is known as clearing the ball or a clearance.

• Cleats: The term used in American English to describe football boots or their studs.

• Coach: Often called the manager, the coach is in charge of the team tactically and often involved in the buying and selling of players.

• Corner kick: Also known as a corner, this is taken by an attacking team from the corner flag at their opponent’s end of the pitch. The ball is often kicked into the six-yard box above the heads of the players who try to head it into the goal (attackers) or away from the goal (defenders). A corner kick is one of the set pieces that teams practice carefully. The defending team is said to have conceded or given away a corner.

• Cross: When a player kicks the ball towards the opponents’ penalty area from the wings, it is known as a cross or crossing the ball.

• Dead ball: Corners, free kicks, and throw-ins are examples of a dead ball situation where play has come to a halt.

• Defender/defense: Unless they are substituted (a permanent change), all players remain on the pitch for the whole game, so at times, all players will be part of the defense. Typically there are four or five specialist defenders. Their task is to tackle or mark the opposition forwards.

• Derby [pronunciation “dah-bee”]: A match between two teams from the same area (e.g., “The Merseyside derby is always a major event”).

• Direct free kick: A direct free kick can be aimed at the goal, and if it passes over the goal line, a goal is scored. If the offense is committed by a player in their own penalty area, then a penalty is awarded. Compare with indirect free kick.

• Dive: If a player simulates being fouled by an opponent, rather than experiencing a fair tackle, it is known as a dive (and can be punished by a yellow card).

• Draw: If the match finishes with the scores equal (including 0-0, or nil-nil), it is a draw. Draw is also used to describe the process of allocating opponents in a cup competition by drawing their names at random to determine who plays whom (e.g., “The World Cup draw was watched by an estimated 300 million people”). The actual match itself can also be described as a draw (e.g., “It was a tense draw between the two local rivals”). A player whose movement on the pitch encourages an opponent to move towards them is said to draw that player (e.g., “Palmer’s clever off-the-ball movement drew two opposing defenders out of the box”).

• Dribble: Both a verb and a noun, a dribble is when a player runs whilst controlling the ball closely at their feet, usually passing opposing players at the same time.

• Drop ball: In the rare event of play coming to a stop without a foul being committed or the ball going out of play, the game is restarted with a drop ball; the referee drops the ball at the feet of one player from each team, who contest it to gain possession.

• Dummy: When a player tricks their opponent by feinting or another ruse, it is called a dummy or selling a dummy.

• Extra time: In knockout competitions like the Champions League or World Cup, games that finish in a draw move on to extra time. As the name suggests, this is an additional period of 30 minutes, divided into two 15-minute halves. If the scores are still level at the end of extra time, the game moves on to a penalty shootout.

• Far post: The post farther from the position of the ball is known as the far post, and the nearer one is the near post.

• Flat back four: A defensive formation with four defenders roughly in a line parallel with the goal line.

• Formation: There are no fixed positions or roles in soccer, apart from the goalkeeper. Instead, a team’s formation is often described in terms of numbers like 4-4-2, 4-3-3, or 5-4-1. These numbers describe how many defenders, midfielders, and strikers/forwards there are, respectively. The numbers add up to 10, because the goalie is a given. Despite these formations, there is infinite flexibility, and you will find wing-backs, attacking midfielders, and defensive midfielders. The formation will usually be indicated by how the players line up at the kick-off.

• Foul: A foul is any infraction of the rules leading to a free kick. Typically, fouls include prohibited physical contact with an opponent (connecting with their body before the ball, tripping them, shoving or pushing them, etc.), a handball by an outfield player, handling the ball outside the area by the goalie, time wasting, dissent, and even unsporting conduct.

• Free kick: When a free kick is awarded, the team being given the free kick must kick the ball from the place indicated by the referee. The ball must be stationary, and the kick can only be taken when the referee approves. The opposing team must be at least 10 yards away from the ball, as measured by the ref. The defending team can form a wall of players to help protect their goal. There are two types of free kick, the direct and the indirect.

• Goal: A goal is both the structure of posts and crossbar supporting a net, guarded by the goalkeeper, and also the act of scoring a goal. When the ball crosses the line into the goal, it counts as a goal, unless it was kicked there from an indirect free kick without touching another player or thrown in directly from a throw-in. Otherwise, it is a goal, irrespective of whichever side scored it.

• Goal kick: When the ball is put over the goal line by the attacking team, then a goal kick is awarded to the defending team. The ball must be stationary and placed somewhere within the six-yard box. The other team must remain outside the penalty area until the ball has been played.

• Half: Either of the two 45-minute periods on each side of halftime.

• Half time: At half time, the teams leave the pitch for a break of 15 minutes.

• Hat trick: Any player who scores three goals in a single game (including extra time but excluding penalty shootouts) has scored a hat trick.

• Header: A header is the act of using the head to propel the ball either as an attacker or defender. It usually involves jumping in the air to reach the ball, especially at set pieces, but a low ball can be reached with a diving header. The verb is head (e.g., “Sue managed to head the ball away just in time”).

• Indirect free kick: Less serious infractions like offside are punished by an indirect free kick. Unlike a direct free kick, it is not possible to score directly from an indirect free kick. Another player (of either team) has to touch the ball before it passes into the goal. If no one touches it, then it is a goal kick.

• Injury time: See stoppage time.

• Inside left/right: A forward whose position on the pitch is in the attack between a center forward and the winger.

• Kick off: See the “Rules” section.

• Kit or strip (UK): Known in the US as uniform, kit refers to the distinctive clothes soccer players wear that help to differentiate between the teams and, within the team, between the goalie and the outfield players. Each player’s shirt and shorts carry a number and usually their name. The numbers are squad numbers that are unique to each player on their team for the current season.

• Mark: To mark a player from the opposing side is to stay physically close to them to prevent them from receiving the ball or to make this very difficult for them. Marking  can be by zone, where a defender protects an area of the pitch, or one-on-one (sometimes man-to-man) marking, where they stay close to a particular attacker, no matter where they move.

• Midfield: An area of the pitch, not specifically defined, but covering the area roughly between the two penalty areas. Players whose position is in this area are midfielders.

• Near post: See far post.

• Net: The goalposts and crossbar support a net to capture the ball when a goal is scored. Net is also used as a synonym for goal (e.g., “neither team was able to find the net”).

• Number: Today, the shirt number worn by each player refers to them individually, and they will wear that number for at least the entire season with that team. In the past, the number designated the playing position, such as Number 9 was the center-forward. You will still hear reference to this in commentaries, which might suggest a player is being used “as a genuine number 9.”

• Obstruction: An illegal use of the body to block your opponent’s access to the ball.

• Officials: The referee is in charge of on-field decisions, timekeeping, and discipline. They are assisted by two referee’s assistants; one patrols the sideline from the corner flag to the halfway line on one half of the pitch, and the other does the same at the opposite end and on the opposite side. They position themselves level with the second rearmost player of the defending team in that half in order to help with offside decisions. They also indicate where a throw-in is to be taken from and judge if the ball has gone out of play, and they can signal to the referee if a foul has been committed. The interventions of referee’s assistants are only advisory—the referee alone decides whether to act on them (except in the case of VAR, below). A fourth official oversees substitutions and displays the number of minutes of stoppage time.

• Offside: The offside rule prevents a player from goal-hanging—lurking by the opposition goal waiting to receive a pass. When the ball is passed forward to a teammate, there must be at least two opposing players between the recipient and the goal line, or they will be judged to be offside. Judging the position of the player at the precise moment a ball is struck is very difficult, and it is one of the main areas where VAR is used. The opposite of offside is onside.

• One-two: Also called a wall pass, this is a rapid passing move between two players (from A to B and back to A) to move the ball past an opponent.

• Own goal: If a player kicks or heads the ball into their own net, it is still counted as a goal and marked on the score sheet with the abbreviation “o.g.”

• Pass: To kick the ball to a teammate.

• Panenka: A type of penalty kick associated with the Czech player Antonín Panenka who employed it to win the 1976 European Championship for Czechoslovakia. It relies on the usual behavior by the goalie of diving to the left or right in anticipation of the shot. The Panenka places the ball (often using a chip) into the middle of the goal, leaving the goalie looking slightly foolish. If the goalie saves it, it is the striker who looks foolish!

• Penalty: When a foul that warrants a direct free kick is committed in a team’s own penalty area, then a penalty (or penalty kick) is awarded instead. The ball is placed on the penalty spot, the goalie must remain on the goal line, and every other player must be outside the penalty area and the D. When the referee blows the whistle, the player taking the penalty is free to strike the ball at the goal. The goalie is permitted to move laterally along the goal line but must not move towards the ball until it has been struck. The other players must remain outside the box and the D until the ball has been struck. If the ball rebounds from the keeper or the goal posts, then it is still in play and the game continues.

• Penalty shootout: At the end of extra time in cup competitions, if the score is still tied, then a penalty shootout takes place. Each team nominates five players who take a penalty against the opposing keeper. Who goes first and which goal is used are decided by a coin toss. Unlike a normal penalty, the remaining players must all remain within the center circle and the penalty taker is not allowed to shoot again from a rebound. After both teams have taken five penalties (or fewer if one team has an unassailable lead), the one with more goals is the winner. If the score is still tied, the game moves to sudden death. For each pair of penalties, if one team misses, then they lose if the other scores.

• Red card: When a player receives two cautions or commits an offense so serious that they are sent off, then they are shown a red card by the referee. The team has to complete the rest of the game with a reduced number of players. If the goalie is sent off, then another player (usually a substitute) replaces them in exchange for an outfield player. If a manager or coach is red carded, they have to leave the technical area and sit in the stands.

• Referee: See Officials.

• Restart: When a goal has been scored, the game recommences with a center kick for the restart.

• Save: When the goalie prevents the ball from entering the net, it is called a save.

• Score: At the end of the game, the number of goals scored is known as the score (e.g., “What’s the score?”). It is also the act of scoring a goal.

• Sending off: A player who receives a red card is sent off. They are no longer permitted to take part in the game.

• Set piece/play: A set piece is a practiced attack from a dead ball situation (especially a free kick, corner, or throw-in). These can be quite elaborate, and the defending team will have tactics in place to frustrate the attacking team’s plans.

• Shoot: To kick the ball at the goal, to take a shot.

• Shoulder barge/charge: Players challenging each other for the ball can exert shoulder-to-shoulder force as long as the ball is within playing distance.

• Striker: A forward whose main task is to score goals.

• Substitute: As well as the 11 players who start on the pitch, teams are allowed a number of substitutes. The number varies by competition but tends to be five. Substitutions are made for tactical reasons, to replace an injured player, or to cover for a sent-off player (although the team will still play with one less member).

• Sweeper: A defender who has a roving role behind the fullbacks across the whole width of the pitch. They “sweep up” any attack that makes it past the defenders.

• Tackle: When an opponent dispossesses a player of the ball legitimately, it is called a tackle. In most cases, as long as the ball is contacted before any part of the opponent’s body, the tackle will be fair. However, tackling from behind between the player’s legs is not permitted, nor is a two-footed, studs-up sliding tackle.

• Tiki-taka: A style of football characterized by rapid short passing of the ball, often associated with FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team.

• VAR (video assistant referee): VAR is used to assist the on-field officials with borderline decisions. The main referee can ask for help from the VAR, or VAR can suggest that the referee check a decision. They are most often used for offside decisions or penalty decisions. Introduced to reduce the controversies caused by “clear and obvious mistakes,” VAR is itself a source of ongoing controversy.

• Wall: When a free kick is awarded to a team near the penalty area, the defending team will often use a wall of players standing in a line to help protect the goal. This is especially true with a direct free kick. The defenders must be 10 yards from the ball, and the attacking team must be no nearer to the wall than one meter (to prevent interference).

• Wing: The sides of the pitch are called wings. Players who are positioned in this area are wingers if they are strikers and wing-backs if they are defenders. A left winger will be on the left of the pitch when seen from their goalkeeper’s perspective looking up the pitch.

• Yellow card: See booking.

Famous soccer quotes

As the most popular sport in the world, there are countless quotes about football. Some of the more famous ones include these:

Legendary players

1. “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing.”—Pelé
2. “The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.”—Pelé
3. “When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with success.”—Diego Maradona
4. “You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.”—Lionel Messi
5. “Talent without working hard is nothing.”—Cristiano Ronaldo
6. “I once cried because I had no shoes to play football with my friends, but one day I saw a man who had no feet, and I realized how rich I am.”—Zinedine Zidane
7. “I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.”—George Best
8. “Football is simple, but the hardest thing is to play simple football.”—Johan Cruyff
9. “God gives gifts to everyone, some can write, some can dance. He gave me the skill to play football and I am making the most of it.”—Ronaldinho
10. “You can change your wife, your politics, your religion, but never, never can you change your favorite football team.”—Eric Cantona
11. “Penalties are only missed by those who have the courage to take them.”—Roberto Baggio
12. “If I have to make a tackle then I have already made a mistake.”—Paolo Maldini
13. “I still look at myself and want to improve.”—David Beckham
14. “The strong one doesn’t win, the one that wins is strong.”—Franz Beckenbauer

Famous managers

1. “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it’s much more serious than that.”—Bill Shankly
2. “Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m European champion and I think I’m a special one.”—José Mourinho
3. “Football, bloody hell.”—Sir Alex Ferguson
4. “The biggest things in life have been achieved by people who, at the start, we would have judged crazy. And yet, if they had not had these crazy ideas, the world would have been more stupid.”—Arsène Wenger
5. “A man with new ideas is a madman, until his ideas triumph.”—Marcelo Bielsa
6. “Football is made up of beautiful little details.”—Claudio Ranieri

Commentators and miscellaneous

1. “Football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win.”—Gary Lineker
2. “Other sports play with the ball, but football is the only one that plays with the heart.”—Eduardo Galeano
3. “The rules of soccer are very simple: if it moves, kick it. If it doesn’t move, kick it until it does.”—Desmond Morris
4. “Everything I know about morality and the obligations of men, I owe it to football.”—Albert Camus (also played goalkeeper in his youth)
5. “The natural state of the football fan is bitter disappointment, no matter what the score.”—Nick Hornby (author, Fever Pitch)

Frequently asked questions about soccer terms

What are the most common soccer terms every beginner should know?

There are many soccer terms that can seem confusing at first. Some are “false friends” to fans of other sports, like “offside,” or “penalty,” because they are familiar words but with different meanings.

Some of the most important soccer terms for beginners include:

• Goal—when the ball completely crosses the goal line between the posts.
• Kick off—how play starts or restarts from the center circle.
• Offside—a rule violation when an attacking player is too close to the opponent’s goal before receiving the ball.
• Foul—illegal contact or actions against an opponent.
• Free kick / Penalty kick—methods of restarting play after a foul, depending on where it happened.
• Corner kick—awarded when the ball goes over the goal line (but not into the goal) after last touching a defending player.
• Throw-in—how play restarts when the ball goes out over the sideline.

You can always ask QuillBot’s AI chat for an answer to your soccer questions.

What’s the difference between “soccer” and “football” terms around the world?

In the United States and Canada, the sport is called soccer, while in most of the world it’s known as football. The rules and gameplay are the same, but some of the terms differ:

• US says field → elsewhere it’s usually called a pitch.
• US says cleats → elsewhere, boots.
• US says uniform/jersey → elsewhere, kit or shirt.
• US says tie → elsewhere, draw.

If you ever need to check what something means, you can ask QuillBot’s AI chat for the answer and explanation.