Welcome to the Football Language A–Z index.

This page lists football words and phrases discussed in our forum.

Click on a phrase to read the explanation, see examples, and practise using the language in your own sentences. New phrases are added regularly.

📖 You can find more definitions of football terms in our Football Language Glossary.

A

• Absolute shower
• Against the run of play
• Arsenal have been Arsenal-ed
• At it (1) / At it (2)
• At the double
• Away end

B

• Back in the contest
• Back to back promotions
• Backfire
• Blast wide
• Book a spot
• Bring down from the sky
• Build up
• Build up a head of steam

C

• Cagey
• Cat and mouse
• Channel
• Charge in on
• Claim
• Claim the match ball
• Claw
• Clear
• Come to the party
• Come way
• Commit numbers forward
• Condemn to a defeat
• Connect with
• Cracking goal
• Crapico
• Cream a shot
• Crisp finish
• Cruise

D

• Dead and buried
• Dead in the water
• Deck
• Defend the title
• Deft
• Dig in
• Dipping shot
• Dirty win
• Disgrace
• Doctor Tottenham
• Down the channels
• Down the middle
• Down the wing
• Draught excluder
• Driving run
• Drop from the sky
• Drop two points

E

• Edge
• Emphatic
• Equal to
• Equaliser
• Extend their lead

F

• Fizz
• Fizz a shot
• Flight a ball
• Floater
• Flood
• Flying all over the pitch
• Force a corner
• Force wide
• Fresh legs

G

• Gamble
• Give the ball away
• Ghost in
• Glancing header
• Go for goal
• Go up the other end
• Going forward
• Good shape
• Groove

H

• Have a go/ Have a go (2)
• Have too much for
• Hell of a job
• Help back
• Help on
• Here come...
• High
• Home
• Honorary kick off
• Hug the ball
• Humiliation

I

• In
• In the pound seats
• In to the next round
• Into their shape
• It's been coming

L

• Labour on the ball
• Land
• Launch a ball
• Leave in their wake
• Lion's share
• Look for goal
• Lose ground on
• Low

M

• Make way
• Manufacture
• Mauling
• Meek
• Miles off it
• Mourinho-ed

N

• Newly-promoted side
• Nightmare
• Nose in front
• Not at the races

O

• Off
• On the break
• On the grass
• On the rocks
• Open up a team
• Orchestrate
• Out
• Out on their feet

P

• Peach
• Pen in
• Pick that out
• Pinch the ball
• Play a blinder
• Play down rumours
• Play out of their skin
• Plough forward
• Pluck the ball
• Pop
• Pour forward
• Pull a shot wide
• Purchase

R

• Rasper
• Relegate a team
• Rescue
• Ride a challenge
• Ride your luck
• Rise above
• Rocket
• Roll the ball into the net
• Rub salt into someone's wounds
• Run
• Run for the ball

S

• Safe hands
• Sat deep
• Scout
• Scorcher
• Scramble
• Set
• Set Piece United
• Shape the squad
• Shirts
• Shocker
• Sick as a parrot
• Sit the keeper down
• Slam home
• Sloppy
• Sloppy on the ball
• Soccer vs football
• Spank the ball
• Spring forward in numbers
• Stamp on an opponent
• Steady the ship
• Steamroller
• Step up their interest in
• Stick the ball
• Strike for goal
• Stripped of their title
• Swat aside

T

• Tails are up
• Take charge
• Take the ball down
• Team is/Team are
• Ted Lasso
• Tear asunder
• Titanic
• Touch and go
• Tower above
• Track a player
• Turn the screw

U

• Up the wing
• Usher in

V

• Venomous shot

W

• Walkover
• Well pitched
• Work the keeper
• Wriggle free