Basketball slang

● roundball: a nickname for basketball, which is also commonly called

b-ball.
● swish: A shot that goes through the hoop without touching the rim or
backboard. Often described as nothin’ but net. The slang word splash
is sometimes applied to such shots (especially as an interjection when
they are made) because the net “splashes” upward like water into
which something has dropped. (The term is used in the nickname of
sharpshooting backcourt duo Steph Curry and Klay Thompson: the
Splash Brothers).
● air ball: A missed shot that misses the rim and backboard completely
(it literally touches nothing but air). When this happens, fans from the
opposing team will inevitably chant “air ball, air ball.”
● and one: A slang term used to refer to a situation in which a player
makes a shot despite being fouled, in which case they get the points
from the shot and one free throw. Making the free throw results in a
three-point play (or a four-point play, if the shot made during the foul
was a three-pointer).
● flop: An instance of intentionally falling, flailing, or exaggerating contact
in order to draw a foul. Also used as a verb.
● dime: An assist.
● board: A rebound.
● hack: To foul, as in Williams hacked Smith on the way to the basket.
Sometimes used as a noun.
● foul trouble: An informal term used to refer to a player or team
reaching their foul limit, as in They got in foul trouble late in the game.
● buzzer beater: Most commonly refers to a shot made right before time
runs out in the game (and the buzzer sounds), especially when it’s a
game-winning or game-tying shot. The term can also apply to a shot
made right before the end of a quarter or before halftime.
● ankle-breaker: A particularly effective crossover, especially one that
causes the defender to slip or fall down.
● facial: A dunk over a defender, right in their face.
● posterize: To dunk over a defender spectacularly, as in He just got
posterized. The idea is that a photo of the dunk would be the kind to
go on a poster.
 ● catch a body: To dunk over a defender in a particularly aggressive
fashion, as in Morant just caught a body!
● garbage time: The ending minutes of a lopsided game, when the
outcome is no longer in question and mostly bench players are
playing.

Badminton

■ Alley - side-extension of the court by l½ feet on both sides that is used for
doubles play.
■ Back Alley - Area between the back boundary line and the long service
line for doubles.
■ Backcourt - the back third of the court, in the area of the back boundary
lines.
■ Baseline - Back boundary line at each end of the court, that runs parallel
to the net.
■ Bird or birdie - another name for the shuttlecock
■ Carry - An illegal tactic, also called a sling or throw, in which the shuttle is
caught and held on the racket and then slung during the execution of a
stroke.
■ Center Line - Line perpendicular to the net that separates the left and right
service courts.
■ Clear - A shot hit deep to the opponent’s back court.
■ Court - Area of play, as defined by the outer boundary lines.
■ Drive - A fast and low shot that makes a horizontal flight over the net.
■ Drop - A shot hit sohly and with finesse to fall rapidly and close to the net
on the opponent’s side.
■ Fault - A violation of the playing rules, either in serving, receiving, or during
play (see common faults listed below).
■ Flick - A quick wrist and forearm rotation that surprises an opponent by
changing an apparently soft shot into a faster passing one; used primarily
on the serve and at the net.
■ Forecourt - Front third of the court, between the net and the short service
line.
■ Hairpin Net Shot - Shot made from below and very close to the net with
the shuttle rising, just clearing the net, and then dropping sharply down the
other side. The shuttle’s flight approximates the shape of a hairpin.
■ Halfcourt Shot - A shot hit low and to midcourt, used effectively in doubles
against the up-and-back formation.
■ Kill - Fast, downward shot that cannot be returned; a "putaway."
■ Let - A legitimate cessation of play to allow a rally to be replayed.
■ Long Service Line - In singles, the back boundary line. In doubles a line 2
l/2 feet inside the back boundary line. The serve may not go past this line.
■ Match - A series of games (at U.S. Olympic Festival-’93 it is three out of
five), to determine a winner. Midcourt - The middle third of the court,
halfway between the net and the back boundary line.
■ Net Shot - Shot hit from the forecourt that just clears the net and drops
sharply.
■ Push Shot - Gentle shot played by pushing the shuttle with little wrist
motion, usually from net or midcourt to the opponent’s midcourt.
■ Racket - Instrument used by playerto hit shuttlecock Weight:About3
ounces. Length: 27 inches. Made of: Ceramic, graphite, or boron frame;
beef-gut string. Cost: $60-$175 (unstrung).
■ Rally – this occurs when the players hit the bird back and forth several
times before one side scores a point
■ Serve or Service – players put the shuttlecock into play for points by
“serving” it to opponents, hitting it over the net into a special part of the
court near their opponent
■ Service Court - Area into which the serve must be delivered. Different for
singles and doubles play.
 ■ Short Service Line - The line 6 l/2 feet from the net which a serve must
reach to be legal.
■ Shuttlecock - thje name for the object that players hit, made of a ball of
cork or rubber with a crown of feathers in an open conical shape.
■ Smash – when a shuttle is floated high into the air, a player has time to
unleash a powerful overhand shot straight to the floor of the opposing court
■ Wood Shot - a shot that results when the base of the shuttle is hit by the
frame of the racket. Once illegal, this shot was ruled acceptable by the
International Badminton Federation in 1963.

TABLE TENNIS

​ Anti-topspin - a rubber type that deactivates spin and speed, returning a

"dead" ball
​ Backhand - a stroke done directly in front of the body, with the racket
turned so that the back of the hand faces the opponent
​ Backspin - a type of spin where, if struck with a normal racket position, the
ball would not make it over the net
​ Block - a defensive shot done mostly against loops and smashes, where
the racket is in a closed position to keep the ball on the table
​ Chop - a defensive shot that carries a tremendous amount of backspin
​ Closed - a racket angle that allows the top of the ball to be struck
​ Dead ball - a ball returned without any spin. Very difficult to execute, read,
and return
​ Doubles - a format in table tennis where two people play on each side and
must alternate turns at striking the ball
​ Drive - an offensive shot used mostly as a setup or in rallies, where the
racket is in a normal position and the ball is struck at a medium pace
​ Drop shot - a surprise shot where the ball is placed precisely near the net
​ Expedite rule - after a time limit (10 minutes) has expired during a single
game, the receiver automatically wins the point if he/she returns the ball
successfully 13 times in a row. This forces the server to change his rallying
tactics.
​ Forehand - a stroke done to the right-front (for right-handers) of the body,
with the racket in a normal position (palm of hand facing opponent)
​ International Table Tennis Federation - the international governing body
for the sport of table tennis
​ Inverted - See pips-in
​ Let - a stoppage of play as a result of a serve hitting the net or interference
from outside the playing court
​ Lob - a defensive shot used against high-speed balls, where the ball
(usually with unpredictable spin) is returned very high in the air, causing
difficulty in timing and technique
​ Long pips - a rubber type whose surface consists of fairly long pimples.
Produces unpredictable spin.
​ Loop - an offensive shot that carries a tremendous amount of topspin
​ Match - a competition format with the winner winning two of three or three
of five games
​ Medium-long - a serve whose second bounce, given the opportunity,
would bounce near the very end or just off the table. Difficult because the
opponent cannot execute a good attacking stroke
​ Open - a racket angle that allows the bottom of the ball to be struck
​ Penhold - a grip where the racket is held exactly as it sounds, with the
racket handle held straight up and down
​ Pips-in - a rubber type whose surface is smooth yet gripping. Produces
much spin and in many cases better speed. Also known as inverted rubber
​ Pips-out - a rubber type whose surface consists of many tiny pimples.
Produces much control and speed, but little spin
 ​ Push - a defensive shot used to successfully return backspin shots, where
the racket is open to lift the backspin over the net
​ Receive - return of service, usually done tactically to set up an attack
​ Seemiller - Name of 5 time US champion Dan Seemiller. Also the name of
a table tennis grip
​ Serve - the beginning of a point where one player strikes the ball after
tossing it. Usually used tactically to set up a strong attack
​ Set - one game to 11 points in a match
​ Shakehand - a grip where the racket is held exactly as it sounds but with
the middle, ring, and pinky fingers wrapped around the handle
​ Short - a serve that, given the opportunity, would bounce at least twice on
the table. Difficult because the opponent cannot execute a good attacking
stroke
​ Sidespin - a type of spin where, if struck with a normal racket position, the
ball would travel either to the right or left without landing on the table
​ Skunk - an informal rule in table tennis that says that a player wins a game
at a score of 7-0 or 11-1
​ Smash - an offensive, high-speed shot used against high balls, where the
racket is in a normal position to generate the most speed possible. Also
called a kill
​ Topspin - a type of spin where, if struck with a normal racket position, the
ball would travel over the opposite side of the table without hitting the
surface

GYMNASTIC

Aerial: A maneuver in which the gymnast completes a full rotation in the air

without touching the apparatus with her hands. A cartwheel without the use of the
hands is an aerial cartwheel; a forward walkover without the use of the hands is

an aerial walkover.

Amplitude: The height or degree of execution of a move (flight, distance or body

angles). In general, the bigger or higher, the better the amplitude and the score.

Apparatus: One of the various pieces of equipment used during gymnastics

competitions.

Balance: A static position in which the gymnast holds a distinct shape.

Block: A forceful thrust (shrug) of the shoulders intended to amplify the

height/distance the gymnast will travel — most notably on vault.

Choreography: A compilation of movements between acrobatic and dance

elements (jumps, pirouettes, etc.) in a beam or floor routine.

Code of Points: The catalog of criteria by which judges evaluate gymnasts'

routines in major international competitions, including World Championships and

the Olympics. Separate codes for men and women are updated by International

Federation of Gymnastics (F.I.G.) technical committees at least every four years.

Composition: The structure of a women's gymnastics routine (i.e., how each

element is arranged to create a complete exercise). Referred to as "construction"

in men's gymnastics.

Connection value: Bonus points or tenths of points awarded to gymnasts who

incorporate difficult combinations of skills into their routines. The skills must be

performed without pause or interruption to receive the connection value points.

Difficulty score (D-score): The cumulative amount of difficulty contained in the

routine. For vaults, the D-score is predetermined depending on which type of

vault the gymnast performs: the Amanar vault is worth 5.4 difficulty points as

outlined in the latest version of the Code of Points, for example. For all other

routines, the D-score is determined by two judges. Each skill has an assigned

difficulty value. The eight most difficult skills for women and 10 most difficult skills

for men are counted. This includes the dismount. Any connection values are

added as bonus points. The two judges compare scores following the completion

of a routine and reach a consensus, which becomes the Difficulty Score.

The difficulty score is open-ended with no maximum value, while the execution

score is out of a maximum of ten points. The difficulty score plus the execution

score equals a total score.

Deduction: Points or parts of points taken off a gymnast's score for errors. Most

deductions are predetermined, such as a 1.00 point deduction for a fall from an

apparatus.

Dismount: A maneuver to leave an apparatus at the end of a routine, usually

done with an acrobatic element such as a twist or salto.

Element: A single move that has a recognized way of performance and technical

value.

Execution: The performance of a routine, or the form, style, and technique used

to complete the skills included in a routine. Bent knees, poor toe point and an

arched or loosely-held body position are all examples of poor execution.

Execution score (E-score): Each routine starts with a maximum E-score of 10

points. Deductions are made for errors, such as flexed feet and bent knees on

elements or taking steps or stumbling after a landing. The execution score is

determined by a panel of six judges.

Exercise: The performance of a sequence of skills, also referred to as a routine.

FIG: Federation Internationale Gymnastique, the international governing body of

gymnastics.
Grips: Leather hand guards worn during bar routines for protection from friction

and aid with release moves.

Jump: A gymnastic element in a floor exercise or beam routine that takes off

from both legs.

Mount: An element with which the gymnast starts his/her program, and, in most

cases, gets onto the apparatus. On the floor exercise, the first tumbling pass is

known as the mount.

Neutral deductions: Deductions that are not part of a gymnast's E-score or

D-score, and are made after the gymnast's total score is calculated. For example,

an out-of-bounds deduction is a neutral deduction.

Pike position: Position in which legs are kept straight but brought closer to the

upper body, so the lower and upper body form an L shape. The elements

performed in this position are more difficult than the ones in a tuck position.

Regrasp: The catch, with a swing through, after a release skill on the apparatus.

Release: The action of leaving the bar in order to perform a move before

grasping it again. There are many releases, the most complicated include

somersaults and twists.

Routine: A combination of movements or maneuvers on one apparatus

displaying a full range of skills.

Static strength skill: Any move demonstrating strength that is held for three

seconds. Some examples are v-sit, planche, maltese and Manna.

Stick: Completing a landing without taking any steps, and therefore receiving no

landing deductions. "Sticking a landing" is every gymnast's hope at the end of a

routine and can be very difficult, depending on the difficulty of the dismount.

Total Score: The gymnast's D-score and E-score added together minus any

deductions.

Turn: A rotation on the body's axis supported by one or both feet.

Twist: A move in acrobatic skills where a gymnast rotates around the body's

longitudinal axis (the spine).

Skills

Amanar: A two-and-a-half twisting Yurchenko vault. A Yurchenko is a vault

family in which vaults begin with a round-off entry onto the springboard and

continues with a back handspring from the board onto the vault table. The
gymnast then performs two-and-a-half twists during one salto (flip) before landing

on the mat. The Amanar is named after Romanian gymnast Simona Amanar and

is one of the most difficult vaults performed in women's gymnastics.

Arabesque: A pose on one leg with the other leg extended behind the body. The

rest of the body is lowered from the hips to form a graceful curve. Landing a skill

in an Arabesque requires a great deal of control.

Back flip: A move that begins by taking off from one or two feet, then jumping

backward and landing on the feet. Also called a back salto.

Back handspring: A move in which a gymnast takes off from one or two feet,

jumps backward onto the hands and pushes from the shoulders to land on their

feet. Also known as a "flic-flac" or "flip-flop."

Back toss: On men's parallel bars, a backward swing from a handstand with a

brief release to re-catch in a handstand.

Barani: A front flip with a half twist.

Biles on Floor: Seen on women's floor exercise, a double layout with a half

twist. Named for U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, who was the first to perform this

skill in an international competition. Panama's Hillary Heron became the first

gymnast outside of Biles to perform the skill at an international competition at the

World Championships in 2023.

Biles II on Floor: Another movement on women’s floor exercise, a triple-double,

composed of a double backflip with three twists in a tuck position. Named for

U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, who was the first to perform this skill in an

international competition and is currently the only woman to perform the Biles II

in a competition.

Biles on Beam: A double-double dismount from the balance beam consisting of

a double-twisting double backflip. Named for U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, who

was the first to perform this skill in competition and is the only gymnast to

perform it.

Biles on Vault: A roundoff back handspring onto the vault table with a half-turn

entry followed by a front-stretched salto with two twists. Named for U.S. gymnast

Simone Biles, who was the first to perform this skill in competition and is the only

gymnast to perform it.

Biles II on Vault: A Yurchenko style vault with two flips in a pike position. Named

for U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, who successfully performed the skill at the 2023

World Championships. Biles is the only woman to complete the skill.

Circle: A complete circle with the legs together and support on both hands.

Circles are one of the three basic swings on pommel horse.

Clear hip circle: A skill seen on the women's uneven bars and men's high bar in

which the gymnast's hips circle backward around the bar without touching the bar

and the gymnast finishes in a handstand. Often referred to as a free-hip circle.

Iron cross: A rings position in which the arms are stretched fully to the side,

supporting the body, which is held vertically.

Diamidov: Seen on parallel bars, a forward swing with a 360-degree turn on one

arm, returning to a handstand. Named for Soviet gymnast Sergei Diamidov.

Double-double: Any double salto backward with two twists.

Eagle giant: On bars, a front giant with hands turned 360 degrees inward and

with shoulders passing over the top of the bar before the rest of the body.

Flair: One of the three basic swings on pommel horse, a flair is a hybrid of leg

swings and circles. Each flair consists of two undercuts and one circle, which

looks complex at full speed.

Full-in: A double salto with a full twist performed during the first salto.
Full-out: A double salto with a full twist performed during the second salto (as

opposed to a full-in, where the twist is performed on the first salto).

Gainer: Backward salto, taking off from one leg.

Giant: A swing through 360 degrees around the bar, with the body fully extended

in the straight position. It can be performed on uneven bars, high bar, rings and

parallel bars, backward or forward.

Half-in, half-out: A double salto with a half-twist on each salto.

Handspring: A linking move where a gymnast takes off from both feet, jumps

forward, and by placing the weight on the arms and pushing strongly from the

shoulders, springs off the hands forward (or backward) and lands on their feet.

Healy: A full twist following a handstand while releasing one arm and maintaining

support of one hand. Seen on uneven bars and parallel bars, where it's also

known as a reverse Diamidov.

Inbar skills: On horizontal bar or uneven bars, a skill where the body bends and

comes in close proximity with the bar. Stalders, toe-ons and free/clear hips are

examples of inbar skills.

Inward turn: A turn in the direction of the supporting leg or arm; also known as a

"reverse turn."

Inverted giant: Front giant with hands turned 180 degrees inward and the wrists

being the first body part to break the vertical plane. The body then hits a

handstand position as the rest of the body catches up with the wrists.

Jaeger: Seen on high bar, a release from a front giant to a front somersault and

re-grasp on the same side of the bar.

Jam: On high bar or uneven bars, movement from a position with the body piked

and the legs directly between the hands backward until the body is stretched and

hands are turned 180 degrees outward.

Kasamatsu: A vault family in which vaults start with a quarter-turn onto the vault,

a push off the hands and a back salto with a full twist before landing. Difficult to

distinguish from a Tsukahara.

Kip: A move from a position below the bar of an apparatus to a position above it;

seen on the uneven bars, parallel bars and high bar.

Kip-cast: A common method used to get to a handstand on uneven bars and

high bar. Also known as "cast to handstand."

Leg circle: A standard pommel-horse move where a gymnast keeps the legs

together and swings them in a full circle around the horse, with each hand lifted

in turn from the pommel to let the legs pass. Can also be performed on floor

exercise. The gymnast keeps the legs together and swings them in a full circle

around his longitudinal axis passing his legs alternatively under his hands.

Magyar: A traveling movement performed on the pommel horse. There are two

Magyars seen on the apparatus. The first is a backward move the length of the

horse while circling the legs. The second is one circle of the legs with a

simultaneous full counter-turn of the body. Named for Hungarian gymnast Zoltan

Magyar.

Maltese: A strength hold in which the gymnast's body is straight and parallel to

the ground. Seen on the men's floor exercise, rings and parallel bars.

Pirouette: A turn on one foot around the body's longitudinal axis (defined by the

spine) in dance elements.

Planche: A strength hold in which the gymnast's hands provide a base of

support and the body is held straight and parallel to the ground. Seen on beam,

floor, rings and parallel bars.

Press handstand: A fundamental strength skill in which the gymnast slowly lifts

the legs backward to a handstand position while supported on the hands.

Ring leap: A ring leap may be done during floor or balance beam routines. As

the gymnast jumps with both feet, their legs are lifted into a split position, but the

back leg is bent upward. Their back arches and they put their head back, as if

they are trying to touch their head to their toes. The skill requires the gymnast to

take their eyes off the beam, making the landing more difficult.

Round-off: A cartwheel finishing with the feet together. Commonly used as an

accelerator on floor, vault and beam to change forward running power into back

saltos and back handsprings.

Salto: A flip or somersault where a gymnast rotates around the axis of the hips.

Scale: A balance on one leg, with the other leg raised backward, sideways or

forward and the upper body lowered slightly.

Scissors: A hybrid of leg swings and undercuts where the left leg and right leg

switch positions on the pommel horse.

Somersault: An acrobatic move in which the body makes a complete turn (360

degrees), heels overhead. It is performed as a mount, dismount and during

routines. Commonly referred to as a "salto."

Split: A position where one leg is extended forward and the other backward. The

legs form an angle of 180 degrees, at right angles to the body.

Stalder: A backward circle around the bar in the straddle or pike position. Seen

on horizontal and uneven bars. Named for Swiss gymnast Josef Stalder.

Straddle: A position where the legs are split sideways.

Straight position: A position in which the body is straight, or stretched out.

Gymnastics elements performed in this position are the most difficult.

Tkatchev: A skill on uneven bars or high bar where the gymnast swings on the

bar with a backward giant, releases and travels over the bar in the straddle

position and catches it on the other side. Named after Soviet gymnast Aleksandr

Tkachyov, who was the first to perform it. Soviet Elena Davydova was the first

woman to perform the skill. The skill is performed by both men and women.

There are now several variations of it, such as the piked Tkatchev or preceding

the skill with another element for increased difficulty.

Tsukahara: A vault family in which vaults start with a quarter-turn onto the vault,

a push off the hands and a back salto before landing. Also, a full twisting double

back on floor and a full twisting double flyaway off high bar. Named for Japanese

gymnast Mitsuo Tsukahara.

Tuck: A position where knees and hips are bent and drawn into the chest, with

the body folded at the waist. When the body is in this position it turns more easily

for somersaults, and other acrobatic elements.

Walkover: A move where a gymnast moves from a standing position through a

handstand position to a standing position while "walking" through the air with the

feet.

Wolf turn: A turn, typically done on beam, where the gymnast has one leg in a

squat and the other leg outstretched, balancing on the squatted leg as the turn is

performed.

Yurchenko: A vault family in which vaults begin with a round-off entry onto the

springboard and continues with a back handspring onto the vaulting table. A

gymnast that performs a "double-twisting Yurchenko" vault would then perform a

flip with two twists off the vaulting table. It is named after the Soviet gymnast

Natalia Yurchenko. Common in women's gymnastics.

CHESS

Action Chess: A game where each player only has 30 minutes to make all his
moves.

Algebraic Notation: A method for writing moves down by using the names of the
pieces and the ranks and files. Replaced older Descriptive Notation (“P-K4" is
now "e4") about 1970.

Amateur: In chess, a non-master. At the US Amateur, masters cannot play; at

the US Amateur Team tournaments, the team has to average below master
rating. Note: in chess, amateurs can win money, sometimes quite a bit, at
tournaments like the World Open.

Attack: When you move a piece to a square where you could capture an
opponent’s piece NEXT move.

Back Rank: The rank where a player sets up his major pieces (1st for White; 8th
for Black)

Back-Rank Mate: A checkmate on the 1st or 8th rank with a Rook or Queen.

Battery: Lining up two pieces that move similarly, like a Queen and Rook or
Queen and Bishop.

Blitz: Fast chess. Many blitz games are 5 minutes per player for the entire game.

Book: Besides the kind with a spine, a “book” move is one that a player has
learned to play in a particular position in the opening (from a “book” or other
media) without the need to “calculate”.

Blunder: A bad move; primarily a move that turns a win into a loss or draw, or a
draw into a loss.
Bughouse: A variant of chess with two players on each side – a player gets the
pieces his partner captures.

Bye: What you get when you can’t play a round, but are still continuing to play in
the tournament. Byes don’t count for ratings, but can be either 0 points, ½ point,
or 1 point (in case you want to play, but are the odd person available)

Capture: (or Take) not Kill – to remove a piece from the board via a legal move.

Castle: To move your unmoved King 2 squares toward an unmoved Rook and to
move the Rook on the other side of the King is the castling move.

Check: An attack on the King. You do not have to announce “check”.

Checkmate: An attack on the King where there is no way for your opponent to
finish his turn and no longer have the King attacked. To be checkmated.

CTD: Club Tournament Director

Desperado: A piece that is going to be captured anyway so it can "sacrifice"

itself at the highest cost.

Discovery: An attack by a piece that was opened up via another piece’s move.

Double Attack: An attack on two (or more) pieces by a single move

Doubled Pawns: Two pawns of the same color on the same file as a result of a
capture

Doubled Rooks: Two Rooks forming a battery on a rank or file.

Draw: Any game that ends without either player winning, e.g. Stalemate, Lack of
Mating Material, 50-Move Rule, etc. The word “tie” s not used.
En Passant: Capturing a pawn that moved 2 spaces with a pawn that could have
captured it if it had only moved 1 space, on the next turn only.

En Prise: Literally "in take" - able to be captured for free. A piece is en prise if it
can be captured but is not guarded.

Endgame: The part of the game where the King should come out and fight (with
fewer pieces left on the board). The ending phase of chess.

Expert: Someone with a US Chess Federation rating between 2000 and 2199.

Exchange: Trading pieces, usually of equal value. Also trading ("winning") a

Rook for a Knight or Bishop is to be "up the Exchange".

Fianchetto: To develop a Bishop on a long diagonal (b2 or g2 for White; b7 or g7

for Black).

FIDE: International Chess Federation

FIDE Master: Someone with the lowest International Chess Title

Fifty-Move Rule: A type of draw where both players make 50 moves

consecutively without either player advancing a pawn or making a capture.

File: The rows of a chess board going up and down, lettered a-h (lower case),
with “a” always on White’s left (and Black’s right).

Five Minute/Blitz: A game where each player has five minutes to make all his
moves.

Flag: The part of an analog clock that rises when the minute hand nears the hour
and falls at the hour. As a verb, "to flag" means to lose the game on time.
Fool’s Mate: A 2-move mate similar to 1.f3?? e5 2.g4??? Qh4#.

Forfeit: When a player doesn't show up for a game he is forfeit and loses.

Fork: A double attack, usually by a Knight or Pawn (thus looking like a “fork” in
the road), a common chess tactic.

Grandmaster: Someone with the highest International Chess Title

Illegal Move: A move that either a) Moves a piece in an illegal manner, or 2)

Results in an illegal position.

International Master: Someone with the intermediate International Chess Title

Isolated Pawns: Pawns that have no other pawns of the same color on adjacent
files are isolated and "alone", lacking support by fellow pawns.

Knight: The chess piece that moves like an “L”, or the shortest move that is not a
straight one.

LTD: Local Tournament Director.

Master: Someone with a US Chess Federation rating between 2200 and 2399.

Material: A way to determine piece value; or the winning of a pawn (or piece, or
Exchange) means winning "material".

NTD: National Tournament Director.

Open File: A file with no pawns of either color.

Patzer: A "fish" or weak chess player.

Piece: Any of the chessmen; a set of chess pieces. Sometimes non-pawns only,
"pieces and pawns".

Pin: An attack (by a Rook, Bishop or Queen) on a piece that cannot or should not
move, because a piece behind the attacked piece is worth even more. If the
piece behind is a King, this is an “absolute” pin and the pinned piece is not
allowed to move, or it would put the King into check.

Ply: A half-move, or the move of one player. When both players move, that is two
ply, or one full move.

Promote: When a pawn reaches the other side of the board, the 8th rank, it can
promote to a Queen, Rook, Bishop, or Knight on the promoting square.

Rank: The rows of a chessboard going sideways, numbered 1st-8th starting from
White’s side as 1st.

Rating: A measure of skill. USCF Ratings range from roughly 0 (basically

impossible to get this low - no one ever has) to 3000; most scholastic beginners
start around 400. Even if you lose all your games in your first few tournaments
you are still usually about 200.

Repetition: A type of draw where the same position is reached three times with
the same player to move. Does not require the same moves and can occur at
any point in the game.

Resigns: When you purposely turn down your King or say “I resign” – the game
is over and you lose. Note that shaking hands does not end a game.

Round Robin: A system of pairing players where everyone in the same (small)
section plays everyone else. Unlike the swiss system, this type of tournament
calls for some level of commitment on the part of the players to attempt to
complete all their games.
Scholar’s Mate: To mate on f7 (or, for Black, f2) with a Queen or a Bishop in 4
moves – usually a very bad thing to try. When teaching about this, Dan calls this
“Dumb and Dumber”.

Section: A part of a chess tournament where the players are paired together.
Sections may be divided by rating class, scholastic vs. non-scholastic, rated vs.
unrated, Scholastic Level, etc.

Semi-Open File: A file with only one pawn, belonging to the opponent.

Senior Master: Someone with a US Chess Federation rating over 2399.

Skewer: Sometimes called an "x-ray" attack, a sort of inside-out pin. A move that
attacks a piece of value, but there is a piece behind it of equal or lesser value
that will be captured anyway if the attacked piece moves.

Skittles: Chess for fun or chess without a clock; a skittles room is where you go
and play for fun while waiting for your next formal pairing.

Stalemate: When the player to move isn’t in check, but none of his pieces can
move. This is a type of draw - but not all draws are stalemantes.

Sudden Death: A final time control period where the game must be completed
within a certain amount of time, say 20 minutes on each player's clock.

Swiss System: A system of pairing tournaments whereby players are paired

against opponents who are doing about as well as they are. Wherever possible,
players get about an equal number of games with Black and White, and will not
play the same opponent twice.

TD: Tournament Director

Tactics: The mechanics of combining piece moves and creating threats;

involving piece safety, checks, attacks, etc. Advanced tactics are considered
“combinations” of tactical motifs, such as pins, forks, removal of the guard and so
forth.

Team Tournament: A tournament where the players play in rating order, first
board against first, second against second, etc. The result is a team win, loss, or
draw, depending on whether most of the players win or lose (or half of them do).

Tempo: The “time” invested in developing the pieces harmoniously. A pawn is

said to be worth 3 tempi, or 3 turns.

Threat: A move which can win material, checkmate, or make progress next move
if the opponent does not stop it. Attacking an undefended piece is a possible
threat.

Time Delay: The preferred way of using a clock at a USCF tournament; a digital
clock is set to NOT run for a defined number of seconds on each move.

Touch Move: The rule that says if you touch a piece you have to move it. If you
let go of a piece you have to leave it there, and if you purposely displace an
opponent’s piece, you have to take it.

Unrated: An unrated player has never played a rated game, or his rating has not
yet become official by the USCF (ratings become official every two months). An
unrated game is one that will not be played for a rating.

USCF: United States Chess Federation.

Woodpusher: A duffer or weak chess player.

Zugzwang: The obligation to move, when any move at all will be bad.

Zwischenzug: An in-between move. For example, instead of re-capturing, a

check may be given first.
FOOTBALL AND SOCCER

Advantage law
A clause in the law that directs the referee to refrain from stopping play for a foul if a
stoppage would benefit the team that committed the violation.

Advantages
Situations where a team has possession of the ball and outnumbers the opposition near
the opposing goal.

Angle of run
The angle at which a player runs, sometimes applied in relation to the ball and
sometimes in relation to the goal.

Angle, altering the angle and passing in one

movement
Applied to a player controlling the ball and moving it two or three yards to the side and
then passing on the second touch.

Angle, narrowing
Applied to defenders, especially the goalkeeper, moving nearer to the ball in order to
reduce passing or shooting angles.

Angle, passing
Applied to the line of the pass, i.e. angling the ball to the right or left of a player.

Angle, widening
Usually applied to supporting players moving into a position where the point of attack
can be changed, thereby creating a better angle for a forward pass.
Attacker
Any player on the team that has possession of the ball. 2. All players on the team are
attackers / attacker.

Attacking team
The team that has possession of the ball.

Back header
A player's use of his head to direct the ball backwards.

Balance
Positioning defenders away from the ball to protect the vital space behind the defense.

Ball carrier
A player that has possession of the ball.

Ball watching
Player focuses solely on the ball and loses sight of the opponent he or she is supposed
to mark.

Beat
To get the ball through or around an opponent by dribbling or shooting.

Bicycle kick or scissors kick

When a player kicks the ball in mid-air backwards and over his/her own head, usually
making contact above waist level; an acrobaticshot.

Blind side
The opposite side of a defender to the ball.
Break
When a team quickly advances the ball down the field in an attempt to get its players
near the opponent's goal before the defendershave a chance to retreat.

Breakaway
When an attacker with the ball approaches the goal undefended; this exciting play pits a
sole attacker against the goalkeeper in aone-on-one.

Carrying the ball

A foul called on a goalkeeper when he takes more than 7 seconds while holding or
bouncing the ball.

Center circle
A circular marking with a 10-yard radius in the center of the field from which kickoffs are
taken to start or restart the game.

Center pass
A pass from a player located near the sideline towards the middle of the field; used to
get the ball closer to the front of the goal.

Center spot
A small circular mark inside the center circle that denotes the center of the field from
which kickoffs are taken to start or restart the game.

Checking, run
Movement used to create space between the player with the ball and the marking
opponent.

Checking
Making a movement in one direction, stopping, and then moving off in the opposite
direction.

Chest trap
When a player uses his chest to slow down and control a ball in the air.

Chip pass
A pass lofted into the air from a player to a teammate.

Chip shot
A kick lofted into the air to try to sail the ball over the goalkeeper's head and still make it
under the crossbar into the goal.

Clearing
The act of moving the ball out from within scoring range. A defensive measure.

Cleats
The metal, plastic or rubber points in the bottom of a soccer/football shoe used to
provide a player with traction.

Control, cushion
Control of the ball by withdrawing the surface in contact with the ball on impact, e.g. the
thigh.

Control, wedge
Control of the ball with the use of a rigid surface, e.g. the sole of the boot.

Controlling surface
The surface of the body in contact with the ball to bring the ball under control.
Cool down
The portion of practice devoted to stretching muscles and returning body functions to
their normal state.

Corner arc
A quarter-circle with a radius of 1 yard located at each of the 4 corners of the field.

Corner flag
The flag located at each of the 4 corners of the field.

Corner kick
A direct free kick taken by the attacking team from the one yard arc at the corner of
field.

Counter attack:

An attack launched by a defending team soon after it regains possession of the ball.

Cover
1. Defensive support
2. To take a position close to your opponent so as to challenge his/her efforts

Cross, diagonal
Usually applied in the attacking third of the field to a pass played well infield from the
touch-line and diagonally forward from right to left or left to right.

Cross, far-post
A pass made to the area, usually beyond the post, farthest from the point from which
the ball was kicked.

Cross, flank (wing)

A pass made from near to a touch-line, in the attacking third of the field, to an area near
to the goal.

Cross, headers
64% of all goals from crosses are scored by headers.

Cross, mid-goal
A pass made to the area directly in front of the goal and some six to twelve yards from
the goal-line.

Cross, near-post;

A pass made to the area four to six yards infield from the post nearest to the point from
which the ball was kicked.

Crossbar: The horizontal beam that forms the top of a

goal and sits on top of the two posts; it is 24 feet long
and supported 8 feet above the ground.
Crosses, prime target area
4 out 5 goals are scored from crosses into the prime target area.

Cut down the angle

When the goalie comes out of the goal several feet to make himself closer and larger to
an attacker, leaving the attacker less net to shoot at.
Dangerous play
When a player attempts a play that the referee considers dangerous to that player or
others, such as trying to kick the ball out of the goalie's hands, even if no contact is
made.

Defender, committing the

Attracting the exclusive attention of a defender by moving towards him with or without
the ball.

Defenders:

1. The players on the team that does not have possession of the ball
2. All players on the team are defenders / defender.

Defending team
The team that does not have possession of the ball.

Defense, back of the

The space between the goalkeeper and the defender nearest to him.

Defense
A team's function of preventing the opposition from scoring.

Defensive pressure
When one or more defenders closely mark a ball carrier to harass him into losing the
ball.

Deflection
The ricochet of a ball after it hits a player.
Direct free kick
A restart situation that can be scored directly by the shooter.

Disguise
Concealing one's intentions by pretending to do one thing and then doing something
else.

Dive header;

Acrobatic skill used to score goals off low crosses in the goal area.

Draw
A game that ends with a tied score.

Dribble
Applied to an attacker taking the ball past an opponent.

Dribbler
A player who advances the ball while controlling it with his feet.

Dribbling
A way of moving the ball along the ground by using the feet while keeping the ball under
player's control.

Drop ball
A method of restarting a game where the referee drops the ball. The ball must hit the
ground.
Drop kick
When a goalie drops the ball from his hands and kicks it before it hits the ground.

Dummy
Stepping over the ball and letting it roll past you to a teammate, or applied in dribbling to
feinting to move in one direction, to unbalancing an opponent, before moving away in a
different direction.

Far post
The goalpost more distant from the ball position.

Feints
Body movements designed to unbalance an opponent, or a deceptive movement which
can be applied with or without the ball, e.g. feinting to kick the ball, or feinting to move in
one direction.

Field
The rectangular area where football/soccer matches are played.

FIFA
Federation Internationale de Football Association - the official governing body of
international football since 1904 which established the World Cup tournament; helps set
and revise laws of the game.

Flank (wing), attacking third

Cross the ball early from the flank (wing) in to the prime target area.

Flank (wing)
The area of the field within fifteen yards or so of the touch-lines.
Flat front
Players attacking or defending in straight line across the field.

Flick header
A player's use of his head to deflect the ball.

Flight, line of
Applied to the trajectory of the ball.

Foot trap
A player's use of the bottom or sides of his/her shoe to control a rolling or low-bouncing
ball.

Football
Name for soccer everywhere in the world.