#Soccer Glossary#
-----------------
 
Definition of common soccer terms and explanation of various 
governing bodies:

TERMS 
----- 

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

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.

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.

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

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 personal 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.)

FLANK -- the sides of the field also known as the wing.

FRIENDLY -- essentially an exhibition match; often used to 
benefit up-and-coming players or sharpen top players for
upcoming tournaments or qualifying.

GOAL -- the manner in which points are scored in soccer; to 
score, the ball must completely cross over the goal line and 
into the goal; a goal counts as one point (the exception to 
this applies in certain indoor soccer leagues).

GOALS -- standing in the center of the goal lines; each goal
consists of two wooden posts, 24 feet apart, and a crossbar, 
8 feet above the ground. 

GOAL AREA -- a 60-foot wide by 18-foot deep rectangular area 
in front of each goal. 

GOALKEEPER -- defends the goal;  the only player who can handle
the ball within the penalty area with his hands. 

GOAL KICK -- a free kick taken either by the goalkeeper or 
member of the defending team when the attacking team puts 
the ball over the goal line.

GOAL LINES -- lines which runs from corner flag to corner 
flag across each end of the field of play and which the 
goal is situated; represents the end of the playing area 
at the far end of each side of the field.

GOLDEN GOAL -- where a game ends with the scoring of a goal in 
overtime rather than by the expiration of an extra time period; 
used in some international soccer tournaments, particularly in 
Europe.

HALF -- one of two 45 minute periods in a 90 minute match.

HALFBACKS -- midfielders responsible for marking assigments. 

HANDBALL -- infraction called when a player other than a
goalkeeper intentionally plays a ball with his hand; if a 
defender handles within the penalty area, a penalty shot 
is awarded; if the goalkeeper handles the ball outside the 
penalty area, a direct free kick is awarded. 

HAT-TRICK -- a term referring to a three-goal performance 
in a single match by an individual player.

HEADER -- when a player uses his head to shoot, pass or control 
the ball.

INDIRECT FREE KICK -- awarded for less serious infractions to 
the team fouled; for a goal to be scored on an indirect free 
kick, a player other than the kicker must touch the ball before 
it can be scored; the kick is awarded from the point of infraction. 

INJURY TIME -- time added to the end of either half by the 
referee to compensate for time lost due to injuries during each 
half; the determination of injury time is solely the responsibility 
of the referee.

INTERNATIONAL PLAYER -- player selected to play for his
country's national team. 

LINESMAN -- two officials who are stationed outside of the 
touchline to indicate when a ball is out of play or offsides. 

MARK -- the close defending of an opposing player.

MATCH -- a term, British in origin, used to describe a game; 
matches last 90 minutes, with a 12-minute rest between halves.

MIDFIELDER -- players who line up in front of defenders and 
behind strikers; creative members of the team whose role is 
to link the forwards and defense.

NUTMEG -- when an attacker moves forward by passing a ball 
through an opponent's legs.

OFFICIAL FIFA BALL: a ball that meets the specifications of 
the international sanctioning body; between 27 and 28 inches 
in circumference and 14-to-16 ounces in weight.

OFFSIDE -- an infraction which occurs when an attacker sends 
a pass to a teammate without two defenders, which can include 
a goalkeeper, between the teammate and the goal.

OFFSIDE TRAP -- a defensive scheme which attempts to push 
defensive players forward in the hopes of putting an attacking 
player offside.

ONE-TIME -- when an attacker strikes a shot off a pass 
or rebound without stopping the ball to gain control.

PENALTY AREA -- a 60-foot wide by 18-foot deep rectangular area 
in front of each goal; the area in which the goalkeeper can use 
his hands.

PENALTY KICK -- awarded for any personal fouls or for
intentionally handling of the ball by a defending player within
the penalty area; a penalty shot is taken from the designated
spot, 12 yards from the goal line in the center of the penalty
area, with only the goalkeeper defending the shot. 

PITCH -- a British term used to define the field of play; the
field of play is rectangular, with dimensions not more than 130
yards nor less than 100 yards in length, and not more than 100 
yards and not less than 50 yards in width; for international 
matches, such as the World Cup, the length shall not be more than 
120 yards nor less than 110 yards and the width shall not be more 
than 80 yards nor less than 70 yards. 

RED CARD -- the card shown to a player being ejected from a 
match by the referee; players ejected cannot be substituted 
for, and often a red card offense carries a penalty of 
additional matches missed.

REFEREE -- the only on-field official charged with enforcing the 
rules of the game; acts as timekeeper as well; has the authority  
to expel a player from a game for repeated fouling or misconduct  
behavior. 

SAVE -- the goalkeeper stopping a scoring opportunity by either 
catching the ball or knocking it away from the goal.

SHIELDING -- when a player places his body between an opponent 
and the ball; often preceeds an offensive maneuver during an 
attack.

SLIDE TACKLE -- sliding into the ball and knocking it away 
from an opponent; if the player executing a slide tackle hits 
the attacker's legs before striking the ball, it results in a 
penalty; if poorly executed, a slide tackle will result in a 
penalty with either a red or yellow card being issued (this 
is also referred to as a professional foul).

STRIKERS -- terms used for forwards or attackers; target player
to whom the rest of the team will look during its attack; chosen
for their scoring abilities. 

SWEEPER -- defender who plays behind the back four with no
marking assigments; the link who supports both defensive 
and attacking play; works in unison with his goalkeeper. 

THROW-IN -- the method of restarting play when the ball has crossed
the touchlines; a throw-in is awarded to the opposing side of 
the team which knocked the ball out of play.

TOUCH LINES -- the boundary lines running the full length of the
field on each side of the playing area. 

TRAP -- the use of any legal part of the body to gain control 
of an airborn ball.

VOLLEY -- a shot where the ball is struck while still airborne.

WALL -- the line of players used to prevent a direct kick from 
scoring; lined up 10 yards from where the direct kick is taken.

WINGER -- player on left or right side of the attack whose role
is close to the touchline; supports forwards and midfielders. 

YELLOW CARD -- a caution card showed to a player by the referee 
after a dangerous play foul; a second yellow card in the same 
match earns the offending player a red card and automatic 
ejection; some leagues and tournaments have rules regarding 
the receipt of yellow cards in successive matches, which often 
result in a one-game ban.

FEDERATIONS AND GOVERNING BODIES
-------------------------------- 

FIFA -- World governing body of soccer; founded in 1904; acronym
stands for Federation Internationale de Football Association;
based in Zurich, Switzerland; president is Joseph "Sepp" Blatter 
of Switzerland.

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 five qualifying teams.

UEFA -- represents the European soccer region; acronym stands
from full name -- Union of European Football Associations; based
in Geneva, Switzerland; president is Lennart Johansson of Sweden
and general secretary is Gerhard Aigner of Germany; founded in
1954; current membership stands at 49 nations; will be
represented by 14 nations plus 1998 World Cup champion France.

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. 

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.

OFC -- represents soccer region including Australia, New Zealand
and South Pacific island nations; acronym stands for Oceania
Football Conference; based in Auckland, New Zealand; president
is New Zealander Charles Dembsey and general secretary is New
Zealander Josephine King; founded in 1966; current membership
stands at 10 nations; no representation at the 1998 World Cup;
Australia, as the top qualifier was eliminated by Iran.

TROPHIES
--------

Jules Rimet Trophy -- Original World Cup Trophy. Retired 
by Brazil in 1970 after becoming the first nation to win 
the World Cup three times.  Named after Jules Rimet, FIFA's 
first president. 

FIFA World Cup Trophy -- Established in 1974.  Current trophy 
in use.  West Germany became the first winners of the FIFA World 
Cup Trophy in 1974. 

MAJOR TOURNAMENTS 
----------------- 

WORLD CUP -- the mother of all international soccer
competitions; held every four years in a host country with
national teams representing 32 countries (increased from 24
following the 1994 World Cup); 30 teams qualify in competitions
with automatic bids going to the past champion and host nation;
the tournament has been played every four years since 1930, with
the exception of 1942 and 1946 due to World War II; only six
countries have won the World Cup: Brazil (1958, 1962, 1970,
1994); Germany (1954, 1974, 1990); Italy (1934, 1938, 1982);
Uruguay (1930, 1950); Argentina (1978, 1986); and England
(1966); France hosts the 1998 tournament, with the 2002 edition
to be the first co-host tournament in Japan and South Korea.

U.S. CUP -- international friendly tournament hosted annually 
by the United States except in World Cup final years; tournament
was first played in 1992. 

EUROPEAN CUP -- UEFA sanctioned competition which occurs every
four years between World Cup finals; field includes national
teams from throughout Europe; tournament started in 1960; the
next tournament is scheduled to be shared by Holland and Belgium
in 2000. 

INTERCONTINENTAL CUP -- a club competition consisting of a
single match between the winner of the European Champions Cup
and the Copa Libertadores of South America; played in Tokyo
since the mid-1980s; tournament started in mid-1960s. 

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. 

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. 

UEFA CUP -- competition among European club teams; a field of 
selected number of teams is drawn from UEFA member leagues 
throughout Europe; qualified teams include the top positioned
teams in most leagues (although poor performing leagues are 
generally limited in representants), and in select leagues 
teams up to fifth place in the standings are invited to compete; 
the tournament is run in addition to the regular season with 
mid-week matches generally the rule. 

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE -- a competition in addition to the
UEFA Cup which matches clubs which won their national leagues 
in a head-to-head, home-and-away tournament;  the league is an 
elimination tournament and is played in addition to the regular 
league schedule. 

st 04-09-02 14:05 et