Advantage Rule: At the referee's discretion, an infraction may not he called if it gives the offending team and advantage. For instance, play might not he stopped if the referee thought calling a foul gave the defending team an advantage by killing an attack.

Assistant Referee (formerly linesman): On-field official who assists the referee in determining offsides and out-of-bounds possession. The Assistant Referee always stays outside field boundaries.

Association Football: The traditional term for the game in England to distinguish it from rugby football abbreviated assoc. Over time the prefix was dropped and in English custom, "er" added to the end to form the word soccer.

Back Door: The area on the opposite side of the goal mouth from where a cross or corner kick was taken, extremely tough for goal keepers to cover.

Banana Kick: A kick that curves.

Bicycle Kick: Also overhead or scissors kick, a specular [sic?] kick where at contact the player is literally upside down.

Corner Kick: A free kick for the attackers taken from the corner after a a defender puts the ball out of play over the goal line.

Direct Free Kick: Awarded to a fouled team for more serious infraction, can score a goal directly.

Goal: To score a goal the ball must go completely over the goal line inside the posts.

Goal Kick: A free kick taken by the defending team after the ball is put over the goal line by an attacker without scoring.

Half: A match is divided into two, continuously running 45-minute halves.

Hat Trick: Three goals scored by the same player in a single match. Originated in cricket where a player was awarded a new hat for taking three wickets with three balls.

Indirect free kick: Awarded to the fouled team for lesser infractions, the ball must touch another player before scoring a goal.

Injury time: Time sometimes added to the end of either half by the referee to allow for time lost due to injuries or other stoppages. The referee decides how much time to add.

Inswinger : A pass or shot that curves toward the goal.

In Touch: Out of bounds on the sidelines.

Kickoff: How play starts to begin each half or after goals are scored.

Mark: Close defense of an opposing player.

Nutmeg: Playing a ball through an opponent's legs.

Official FIFA Ball: 27-28 in. circumference 14-16 oz.

Offside: Generally, an attacking player is in an offside position when there are fewer than two opponents between the attacker and the goal when the ball is played, unless:

• the attacker receives the ball direct from a goal-kick, a corner-kick or a throw-in.
• The player on the attacking team does not play any part in the attack.

Offside Trap: A defense tactic where a (defensive) player, or players intentionally moves forward to put an attacking player offside.

Penalty Area: 16 meter (18 yard) area arround the goal, from the posts to the left and right and towards the centre. The goalkeeper may touch the ball with his hands within the penalty-area. Fouls within the area (may) result in a penalty-kick.

Penalty Kick: Awarded for direct fouls in the penalty area, a one-on-one kick with only the goalkeeper defending, taken from the 12-yd. penalty spot. Tie matches are broken with a penalty kick shoot-out.

Pitch: The playing field.

Red Card: Shown by the referee to eject a player from game. Red carded players can't return to action or be substituted for.

Referee: The ultimate authority on the field to enforce rules of the game.

Shoulder Charge: Legal shoulder-to-shoulder body contact.

Square Ball: A lateral pass, rather than specially shaped ball.

Sunday Shot: A long, wild, hopeless shot that results in a goal If tried a thousand times, it would only in "during a Sunday league match".

Tackle: Taking a ball from an opponent.

Throw-in: How play is resumed after the ball goes into touch.

Trap: Stopping the flight of the ball and gaining possession with any legal part of the body.

Wall: A line of defenders to prevent a direct kick from scoring.

Wall Pass: A give-and-go where a player uses a teammate to redirect the ball to an open space while drawing defenders away.

Yellow card: Shown to a player by the referee to caution against dangerous play. Two yellow cards in the same match earns the player a red card and ejection (see Red Card).

The Classic 2-3-5: Developed in the 1890's by the English featuring 2 fullbacks, 3 halfbacks and 5 forwards, this was the standard soccer formation until the 1940's.

The Swiss Bolt: Developed in the 1930's in Geneva, called for different attack and defense formations, creating an illusion the opponent was outmanned. A roving deep center back (bolt) evolved into today's sweeper.

The 4-2-4: Famous by the lighting-quick World Cup champions Brazilians in 1958, the two deep wing backs initiated attacks along the touchlines, transforming into an awesome 2-4-4.

The Beckebauer Sweeper: Because West Germany's Franz Beckenbauer was one of the most complete players ever, he transformed the sweeper-into both an attack and defense position during the late 1960s' and changed the game forever.