Terms in Team Sports: English Vocabulary List

a method of restarting play in soccer, rugby, and other ball sports, where a player kicks the ball without opposition from the opposing team

"The free kick goes over the wall and into the goal."

"The referee awarded a free kick after the foul, giving the attacking team a chance to score."

a method of kicking the ball where it is dropped from the hands and kicked before it hits the ground

"The punter kicks a high punt downfield."

"The punter kicked a high punt that pinned the opposing team deep in their own territory."

a kick where the ball is placed on the ground before being kicked, commonly used in sports like American football and rugby

"The place kick attempts a field goal."

"The place kicker held the ball upright on a tee before kicking it through the goalposts."

a pass or action by a player that helps a teammate score a point or goal

"The forward scores after a perfect assist."

"The point guard earned an assist by passing to his teammate who scored immediately."

the act of defending a team's goal in sports such as soccer or hockey by preventing the opposing team from scoring

"Goalkeeping is a very important skill."

"Excellent goalkeeping kept the score nil nil until the final minute of the match."

the line that marks the boundary between the playing field and the goal area in sports like soccer, American football, and rugby

"The ball crosses the goal line for a touchdown."

"The referee signaled a touchdown as the running back crossed the goal line with the ball."

the act of catching or stopping the ball and returning it to prevent runs or base advances after the batter hits it in cricket or baseball

"Good fielding stops runs."

"The shortstop demonstrated perfect fielding by scooping the ground ball and throwing to first base."

the line on the side of a soccer or rugby field that marks the boundary

"The ball goes out of play over the touchline."

"The ball went out of play along the touchline and a throw in was awarded to the opponent."

a quick offensive move in basketball or other sports where the team rapidly advances the ball to score before the defense can set up

"The fast break leads to an easy basket."

"The team scored on a fast break after stealing the ball and racing down the court."

the controlled advancement of a ball by a player using repeated slight touches, kicks, or pushes to keep possession and move past opponents

"Good dribble skill."

"He has good dribble skill and can pass defenders easily during the football match."

a method of restarting play in soccer and similar sports where a player throws the ball back into play from the sideline

"The referee gave a throw-in."

"The player took a quick throw-in to restart the game."

to hit a ball in sports before it touches the ground, typically with a quick and controlled strike

"He volleyed the ball over the net."

"The tennis player prepared to volley the ball back over the net before it could bounce on the court."

the skill of making accurate or successful shots in sports like golf, tennis, or basketball

"His shotmaking is excellent."

"His remarkable shotmaking from long distance frustrated the opposing defense all night."

the average number of runs scored by a batter per 100 balls faced

"The batter's strike rate is high."

"The batter's impressive strike rate indicated his ability to score quickly and efficiently against the bowlers."

an uncontrolled ball available for any player to pick it up

"The scrappy loose ball is recovered by the defense."

"The midfielder pounced on the loose ball after the goalkeeper deflected the shot."

a shot where the ball is hit immediately after it bounces

"The tennis player hits a half-volley after the bounce."

"The tennis player hit a half volley off the low bounce just before the ball dropped a second time."

a tactic in sports where a player passes the ball to a teammate and immediately moves into a new position to receive a return pass

"The give-and-go passes the ball and moves forward."

"The two players executed a quick give and go pass to split the defense."

a quick and close-range transfer of the ball between players on the same team

"The short pass keeps possession."

"The tiki taka style relied on accurate short passes to maintain possession and tire opponents."

the continued motion after hitting the ball with a bat, racket, or club

"The follow-through improves accuracy."

"Her follow through after striking the tennis ball brought the racquet across her body."

a strategy where each player defends an assigned area rather than a specific opponent

"The zone defense protects the paint."

"The zone defense covered areas of the court rather than guarding specific players."

the act of hitting a ball or object incorrectly or inaccurately

"The mishit went wide."

"The golfer's mishit shot traveled only fifty yards and landed in the rough."

a deceptive move in basketball and Amerian football where a player pretends to shoot or pass the ball to mislead the defender

"The pump fake makes the defender jump."

"The forward used a pump fake to make the defender jump before driving past him."

a sport that combines elements of soccer and volleyball, played with a ball similar to a football and originating from South Korea

"Jokgu is a Korean sport."

"Jokgu was a Korean sport where players kicked a ball over a net similar to foot volleyball."

a traditional Indian sport involving two teams where players try to tag opponents while holding their breath

"Kabaddi is an Indian sport."

"Kabaddi players held their breath while raiding the opponent's half and tagging defenders."

a pass in sports, typically football or rugby, where the ball is passed sideways or backwards to a teammate

"The lateral pass goes sideways or backward."

"The quarterback threw a lateral pass to his running back behind the line of scrimmage."