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World Cup Soccer Glossary

The World Cup can draw in fans who are not familiar with some common soccer terms. This guide could help you understand what people mean.

Cards -- See yellow card and red card.

FIFA -- The Federation International de Football Association is world's governing body for the game.

Gaffer -- Slang for a team's coach or manager.

Injury time -- In international soccer, the referee keeps the official time on the field. He will often add at least one minute and sometimes several to the end of a half to compensate for injuries, goals or other delays. Sometimes called time added on or extra time (which is also the official term for overtime).

Manager -- Common international term for the head coach.

Nutmeg -- Playing the ball between a defender or goalkeeper's legs.

Offside -- In soccer, an attacking player cannot be behind the last defender (not counting the goalkeeper) when the ball is played to him. Offside is a foul penalized by a free kick for the other team.

Penalty area -- The box around the goal that starts 18 yards away. This is the only area in which the goalkeeper may use his hands. A foul by the defensive team in this area results in a penalty kick (see penalty kick).

Penalty kick -- After a defensive foul in the penalty area, the attacking team gets a one-on-one shot against the goalkeeper from 12 yards away.

Pitch -- Another word for the field.

Red card -- An ejection for a player or coach. The referee can give them directly for a particularly violent foul or outburst, or for denying a clear goalscoring chance. Two yellow cards in a match also equals a red card. When a player is ejected, his team must play with 10 men for the remainder of the game.

Round of 16 -- The 32 World Cup teams start in eight four-team groups. After round-robin play, the top two from each group move to the next round, where the winner advances and the loser goes home.

Set piece -- A designed play, often used on a corner kick or free kick after a foul. With the ball stopped and a clear opportunity to pass or shoot, these plays often provide scoring opportunities.

Sent off -- A player who is given a red card is said to be "sent off."

Spot kick -- See penalty kick.

Trap -- Controlling the ball with the feet, legs or chest.

Yellow card -- A yellow card is a severe warning to a player or coach from the referee. Receiving two yellow cards in a game equals a red card, an ejection and suspension of at least one game. Players who receive yellow cards in more than one game also receive a suspension at the World Cup.

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