FOOTBALL VOCABULARY

Assistant referee: the person who runs up and down the football pitch (field).

Sentence: The assistant referee held up his flag to show the referee that the ball was still in play.

Commentator: The person who reports every move of the game while it’s happening.

Sentence: John Motson is one of the most famous British football commentators.

Midfielder: A player who usually stays in the middle of the field.

Sentence: Mesut Ozil is one of the best midfielders in the world.

Defender: A player who tries to stop the other team from scoring a goal.

Sentence: England always does well in the World Cup matches because of their strong defenders

Pep talk: A short talk of encouragement from the coach or manager.

Sentence: The players sat and listened to their coach give them a pep talk in the changing rooms.

Booking: To be given a yellow card to show a serious foul.

Sentence: After two bookings for fighting with the other team, Jonathan was sent off.

Bicycle kick: When the player kicks the ball backward over his own head.

Sentence: Ronaldo is famous for his bicycle kick. When he does it, the fans go crazy.

Scissor kick: When a player kicks his legs like a pair of scissors and passes the ball sideways.

Sentence: Ryan Giggs scissor-kicked the ball skillfully to his teammate.

Cleats: special shoes with small spikes called studs. 

Sentence: The player wore cleats with molded studs to get better traction and grip on the field during the match

Shin guards: These are plastic covers that protect a player’s shins (the bottom part of the leg’s front) from getting kicked.

Sentence: Before stepping onto the field, the players ensured they were wearing their shin guards to protect their legs during intense tackles and challenges.