Football glossary: 43 terms from Panenka to Rabona

Football has a language of its own. This glossary explains the words you'll hear from commentators, coaches and fans, from tactics to tricks. Many of them come up in HeyFootball, in the dream team positions, the Champions League bracket and the legends in the Icons pack.

Football terms A to Z

Aggregate

The combined score over two legs of a tie. If a team wins 2-1 at home and draws 1-1 away, they win 3-2 on aggregate.

Assist

The pass (or touch) that sets up a goal.

Away goals rule

An old tiebreaker where away goals counted extra in two-legged ties. UEFA scrapped it in 2021.

Ballon d'Or

The famous award for the best player in the world, first given in 1956.

Bicycle kick

An overhead kick where the player flips backwards in the air. Also called a chilena or scissor kick.

Box-to-box midfielder

A midfielder with the energy to defend in their own box and attack in the opponent's.

Brace

Two goals scored by one player in a match.

CAM

Central attacking midfielder: plays behind the striker and creates chances.

CDM

Central defensive midfielder: shields the defence and wins the ball back.

Clean sheet

When a team (or goalkeeper) doesn't concede a goal in a match.

Cruyff turn

A move where the player fakes a pass or cross, then drags the ball behind their standing leg and turns away. Made famous by Johan Cruyff in 1974.

Derby

A match between local rivals, often from the same city.

Double

Winning the league and the main domestic cup in the same season.

Extra time

Two periods of 15 minutes played when a knockout match is level after 90 minutes.

False nine

A centre-forward who drops deep into midfield instead of staying up front, pulling defenders out of position.

Form

How well a team or player is performing right now, usually measured over the last five games.

Gegenpressing

German for 'counter-pressing': winning the ball back immediately after losing it.

Golazo

Spanish for an amazing goal.

Hat-trick

Three goals by one player in a match. A 'perfect hat-trick' is one with the left foot, one with the right and one header.

Inverted winger

A winger who plays on the side of their weaker foot, so they can cut inside and shoot with their stronger one.

Libero

Another name for a sweeper: a free defender behind the back line. Franz Beckenbauer made it famous.

Nutmeg

Playing the ball through an opponent's legs.

Offside

When an attacker is closer to the opponent's goal line than both the ball and the second-last defender at the moment the ball is played to them.

One-two

A quick pass to a teammate who passes straight back as you run past a defender. Also called a wall pass.

Overlap

When a full-back runs past their winger on the outside to give an extra passing option.

Panenka

A penalty chipped softly down the middle as the goalkeeper dives. Named after Antonín Panenka, who did it to win Euro 1976 for Czechoslovakia.

Park the bus

Defending with almost the whole team behind the ball.

Penalty shootout

Used to decide a knockout match that's still level after extra time: players take turns shooting from the penalty spot.

Poacher

A striker who lives in the penalty box and specialises in finishing chances.

Rabona

Kicking the ball by wrapping the kicking leg behind the standing leg.

Regista

A deep-lying playmaker who controls the game with passing from in front of the defence.

Set piece

A restart from a dead ball: corners, free kicks and throw-ins.

Stoppage time

Extra minutes added at the end of each half for time lost to injuries, substitutions and delays.

Target man

A tall, strong striker who wins headers and holds the ball up for teammates.

Through ball

A pass played into the space behind the defence for a teammate to run onto.

Tiki-taka

A style built on short, quick passing and keeping possession, made famous by Spain and Barcelona.

Top bins

A shot into the top corner of the goal.

Total Football

A Dutch system from the 1970s where any outfield player could take over another's position.

Treble

Winning three major trophies in one season, usually the league, the domestic cup and the Champions League.

Trequartista

Italian for a creative player who operates between midfield and attack.

VAR

Video Assistant Referee: officials who review key decisions like goals, penalties and red cards on video.

Worldie

A world-class goal.

xG

Expected goals: how likely a shot is to be scored, based on thousands of similar shots.