No. 63 · Access
Football words
A plain-English glossary of football words, from 'six-pointer' to 'goal difference'.
- Brace
- Two goals by one player in one game.
- Bye
- A free pass to the next round, given when the number of teams does not fit the draw.
- Clean sheet
- A game where a team lets in no goals.
- Clean through
- Past the last defender with only the goalkeeper to beat.
- Derby
- A game between two local rivals.
- Double
- Winning the league and the main cup in the same season. Also: beating a team home and away in one season.
- Extra time
- Two halves of 15 minutes played in some knockout games after 90 minutes end level.
- Fixture
- A game that has been scheduled but not yet played.
- Form
- Recent results, usually the last five games, shown as W, D and L.
- Friendly
- A game that counts for no competition. Internationals list them separately.
- Goal difference
- Goals scored minus goals let in. Used to split teams level on points.
- Hat-trick
- Three goals by one player in one game.
- Head to head
- The results between two teams only. Some leagues use it before goal difference to split ties.
- Lineal crown
- An unofficial title passed on like a boxing belt: beat the holder and it is yours.
- Mathematically safe
- So far ahead of the drop zone that even losing every game left could not take you down.
- Neutral ground
- A game at a ground that is home to neither team, common in tournaments.
- Offside
- A player is offside if, when the ball is played to them, they are nearer the goal line than the ball and the second-last defender, in the other half.
- Own goal
- A goal a player scores into their own net by mistake. It counts for the other side.
- Penalty shoot-out
- Five kicks each, then one each, to settle a knockout game that is still level. In records it counts as a draw.
- Play-offs
- Extra knockout games after the season, usually for the last promotion place.
- Points per game
- Points earned divided by games played. Fair for comparing seasons of different lengths.
- Promotion
- Going up a division for finishing near the top, or through the play-offs.
- Qualifier
- A game to reach a tournament, such as a World Cup or a European Championship.
- Relegation
- Dropping down a division at the end of the season for finishing near the bottom.
- Round robin
- A league where every team plays every other team, once or home and away.
- Seed
- A team kept apart from other strong teams in a draw.
- Six-pointer
- A game between two sides chasing the same thing, often at the bottom. The winner gains three points and stops the other gaining three.
- Stoppage time
- Minutes added at the end of each half for time lost to injuries, goals and substitutions.
- Tier
- A level of the league pyramid. The top flight is tier 1.
- Unbeaten run
- Games in a row without a defeat. Draws keep it going.
- Win rate
- The share of games won. A draw is not a win.
- Yo-yo club
- A club that keeps going up and coming back down.