Studies show that roughly 3.5 billion people in the world are football fans. Football extends beyond languages and cultures which makes it a sport for everyone.

 

Whether you are in the United Kingdom cheering at a football match on a pitch or in the United States playing soccer on a field, knowing the correct vocabulary in English to describe football will make the game more enjoyable!  

 

Positions

 

There are eleven positions on a football team. Each player is important to assist the team in order for them to win. These positions can be divided into four main groups.

 

Forwards

The forwards are the players who score goals and play opposition.

 

Defenders

These players defend their own goal and prevent the opposing team from scoring. They try to kick the ball back to their own players and move the ball closer to their opponent’s goal.

 

Midfielders

Midfielders have to act as both offense and defense. Like their name suggests, they play in the middle of the field.

 

Goalkeepers

A goalkeeper or goalie is the only player on the field who is allowed to use their hands. There is only one goalkeeper on the field at a time and they remain in the goal the entire game.

 

Referee

In each game, there is one head referee or ref who watches the game intently and enforcing the rules of the game. While referees are not a part of the team, they are vital to playing a fair game. There could be up to seven officials making decisions depending on the type of game.

 

Parts of the Game

 

The game of football has many different rules. In order to understand what is happening in the game, it is a good idea to learn how the game is played.

 

Kick-off

At the start of each game and after a goal is scored, a kick-off takes place in the center circle. A coin is flipped, and the winning team gets to decide if they take the kick-off or which goal to attack.

 

Handball

As football does not allow any player except the goalie to use their hands, a handball is a penalty anytime a ball is handled using a player’s hands or arms instead of the other parts of their body.

 

Bicycle kick

Bicycle kicks are trick shots where the player does an acrobatic move to kick the ball backwards over their head, usually landing on their back.

 

Foul

When games become aggressive, sometimes players commit fouls. Fouls are unfair or unsafe actions such as pushing or tripping another player. The referee can call a foul on a player and award the opposing team with a free kick or a penalty kick where they can try to score a shot with little defense. 

 

Hat trick

Scoring one goal in a football game can be challenging but scoring three is almost impossible. When it is done, it is called a hat trick and the player who scored the three goals is awarded the game ball.

 

Dead ball

When the ball rolls into the sidelines or out of bounds, the ball becomes a dead ball. The referee will decide which team was the last to touch it and who gets to kick it back in to resume the game.