rainbow shot

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In reference to the arched shape of a rainbow.

Even after Spooner dropped in one of his patented rainbow shots from the left side and Schulz scored on another tip-in, Quincy still held a two-point lead with half a minute to go in the third quarter.

2002, Scott Johnson, Julie Kistler, Once there were giants: how tiny Hebron won the Illinois state basketball championship and the hearts of fans forever, page 158:

(basketball) A high arcing shot into the basket.


Three-I League

(US, baseball, historical) A Minor League Baseball organization that operated mainly in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa.


Three-Eye League

(US, baseball, historical, humorous) Synonym of Three-I League


platinum duck

(cricket) The score of zero runs after getting out on the first ball of a team's innings.


diamond duck

(cricket) Synonym of platinum duck (“score of zero runs after getting out on the first ball of a team's innings”)

platinum duck

(cricket) The situation where a batsman is dismissed without facing a ball (most usually run out from the non-striker's end, but alternatively stumped or run out off a wide delivery).


double tackle

It was the key breakthrough – and rich reward for the determined double tackle by Booth, who simply didn't give up.

(rugby) A tackle by two players of the same time on an opposition player.


RB

(American football) Initialism of running back.


ninth-inning

en-adjective

ninth-inning (comparative more ninth-inning, superlative most ninth-inning)

more ninth-inning (comparative)
most ninth-inning (superlative)

In baseball, the ninth inning is the last period of the game.

(baseball) Happening in the ninth inning of a baseball game.


Chel

(UK, slang, soccer) A supporter of the English football club Chelsea F.C..


low post area

(basketball) The areas that are closest to the basket but outside of the free throw lane.


low post

(basketball) The low post area area on a basketball court.


jewel box

(baseball) A member of the second major generation of professional ballparks, built between 1909 and approximately 1940 and distinguished by a relatively compact layout, the use of steel and reinforced concrete as structural materials rather than wood, and the presence of one or more close-in upper decks of seating supported by pillars extending from the lower deck.


Lombardi-esque

en-adj

Lombardi-esque (comparative more Lombardi-esque, superlative most Lombardi-esque)

more Lombardi-esque (comparative)
most Lombardi-esque (superlative)
Lombardiesque (alternative)

Players were still passing out “Gator Bowl Champions” hats and celebrating with their Lombardi-esque trophy when Muschamp, speaking to the roughly 10,000 fans lingering in the stands, didn't fully buy into the revelry.

2012 January 3, Greg Luca, “Muschamp minimizes Gator Bowl win as Florida avoids losing season”, in The Independent Florida Alligator:

In the past, each Super Bowl has had its own logo. But this year the NFL is switching to a generic logo based on the Lombardi Trophy. […] while the Super Bowl may be the biggest event on the planet, the Lombardi Trophy still ain't no Stanley Cup, no matter how many Lombardi-esque logos the NFL comes up with.

2011 February 3, Paul Lukas, “Super Bowl XLV primer on aesthetics”, in ESPN.com:

(American football) Resembling or like the Lombardi trophy.


touchdown pass

en-noun

touchdown pass (plural touchdown passes)

Burrow, the Heisman Trophy winner, threw for 5,671 yards and set a Football Bowl Subdivision record with 60 touchdown passes — the final 12 of which came in his last two games, blowouts over Oklahoma and Clemson, to propel L.S.U. to a national title.

2020 April 24, Ken Belson, Ben Shpigel, “Full Round 1 2020 N.F.L. Picks and Analysis”, in New York Time:

(American football) A pass in which the receiver then scores a touchdown.


hog molly

General Manager Dave Gettleman swoons over “hog mollies” — his nomenclature for enormous offensive linemen — and that, no doubt, is a priority for him as he builds around quarterback Daniel Jones. In Andrew Thomas, the Giants have their hog molly.

(American football) A very large and obese player, especially in the offensive line.


running lane

Shortly after Donaldson received the throw, Andrus slyly observed that the catcher’s left hand was in the running lane.

2021 May 16, Martín Gallegos, “3 key moments from A's wild road-trip finale”, in MLB News, MLB:

(baseball) The portion of the field between the basepath and the foul ball line in which a batter is allowed to run without causing or receiving interference. Also referred to as runner's lane.

On the field, Brown thwarted triple-teams, mauled quarterbacks and stuffed running lanes.

2020 April 24, Ken Belson, Ben Shpigel, “Full Round 1 2020 N.F.L. Picks and Analysis”, in New York Times:

(American football) An informal division of a football field indicating the channel through which a player will run either to catch a pass or when carrying the ball.


edge rusher

According to Pro Football Focus, Simmons, listed at 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds, played at least 100 snaps at five positions — slot cornerback, edge rusher, linebacker and both safety spots — and finished with 16½ tackles for a loss, eight sacks, eight pass deflections and three interceptions.

(American football) A defensive player who runs on the outside of the field, making a turn at the last minute to get to the offensive player who has the ball.


safety spot

Competing for the safety spot are soph Mike Hincewicz and freshman Gary Marshall, a small player in Davis' mold at 6-0, 155 pounds.

1970, Princeton Alumni Weekly - Volume 71, page 10:

But with Samari Rolle at the other corner and Blaine Bishop at the other safety spot, the team will find a combination that works.

2001, Craig Carter, Pro Football Guide, page 94:

(American football) The position of defensive safety; a position furthest from the line of scrimmage whose responsibility is to defend against passes as well as to be the tackler of last resort.


route runner

“The best route runner I have ever seen,” Vincent said. “When he was with the Rams, then over to Washington, he was real clever. He made everything look alike. You didn't know whether he was running a two-yard route or a 'go.'

2006, Gordon Forbes, Tales from the Eagles Sideline, page 61:

You must have great awareness to be a great route runner.

2012, Merritt J. Norvell, Route Running for Wide Receivers:

He has a slightly-limited route tree as primarily a vertical deep threat. He is a sufficient route runner despite underutilizing his size during the stem phase.

2021, Matt Manocherian, SIS Football Rookie Handbook 2021:

After plucking Courtland Sutton in the second round last year, the Denver Broncos needed to complement him with another receiver, preferably one who can stretch the field now that Pro Bowl wideout Emmanuel Sanders has left for New Orleans.
Jerry Jeudy, a polished route-runner who can line up anywhere in a formation, fits that description.

(American football) A receiver who is good at finding a route through the defensive players on the other team in order to get into position.


receiving yard

In addition to putting up nearly 3,300 receiving yards and 32 touchdown receptions in three college seasons, he was also the main punt returner for the Sooners.

2020 April 24, Ken Belson, Ben Shpigel, “Full Round 1 2020 N.F.L. Picks and Analysis”, in the New York Times:

(American football) Yard gained by the offense on a play in which a receiver caught the ball.


forced throw

As he'd promised, Donny Doyle had been in the Bucks quarterback's face all day, except for the time he'd dropped to cover the running back and made a clean pick of Franks' forced throw.

2007, Phil Truman, Game: Some Have It, Some Don't, page 102:

His film — from last season, especially — also contains instances of lapsed mechanics, forced throws and shaky field vision.

(American football) A throw to a teammate from the player who is running with the ball in order to avoid being tackled.


tackle for loss

tackle for loss (plural tackles for loss)

The Seattle Seahawks, who are defensive minded but have slipped in recent years, chose Jordyn Brooks, a linebacker from Texas Tech. He led the team in tackles in three of his seasons at Tech. He also had 20 tackles for loss and three sacks last year, when he injured his shoulder.

(American football) A tackle that causes a loss of yardage for the opposing running back or wide receiver.


boundary corner

boundary corner (plural boundary corners)

The field corner and boundary corner line up on number 1 strong and number 1 weak, respectively.

2000, Dick tomey, Rich Ellerson, Larry MacDuff, and Johnnie Lynn, “Swarming the Offense”, in American Football Coaches Association, editor, Defensive Football Strategies, page 80:

If Cover 4 is played with the strong safety in a cloud position and the boundary corner as the deep- one-half defender, the boundary corner has similar alignment and responsibility as in Cover 5.

2008, Ron Vanderlinden, Football's Eagle & Stack Defenses, page 34:

Even if the 5-foot-10 Gladney doesn’t stick as a boundary corner because of his size, his coverage skills, tenacity and feistiness make him an ideal candidate to flourish in the slot.

(American football) A defensive position, responsible for covering the deep half of the field on the boundary side.


USSF

U.S.S.F. (alternative)
U. S. S. F. (alternative)
U.S. SF (alternative)
U. S. SF (alternative)
US S.F. (alternative)
US S. F. (alternative)
U.S. Soccer (alternative)
United States Soccer Federation (alternative)

United States Soccer Federation
United States Soccer Federation#English

(US, soccer, sports) Initialism of United States Soccer Federation.


OPS+

on-base plus slugging
on-base plus slugging

(baseball) The baseball metric on-base plus slugging adjusted for the park and the league in which the player played, but not for fielding position.

On-base plus slugging#Adjusted OPS (OPS+)


pennantless

(baseball) Not having won a competition.


screen pass

(American football) A short pass to a receiver protected by blockers.


Elam ending

(basketball) A basketball rule where, for all or part of the fourth quarter, teams play to a target score rather than a set amount of time.


buzzer-beater

buzzer-beaters (plural)
buzzer beater (alternative)

In the sense of beating out the buzzer which ends a game.

The Knicks immediately went 7-0 upon Lin's insertion in the lineup. He dropped 38 against the Lakers and beat Toronto with a buzzer-beater.

2013, Pete Birle, On the Hardwood: New York Knicks, MVP Books, →ISBN, page 40:

(basketball, idiomatic) A shot that wins (or in some usage, ties) a game at the last possible moment.


false number 9

From the traditional use of the number 9 for centre-forwards, and the difference from a traditional centre-forward, who would stay near the line of defenders until an opportunity arose to move past them toward goal.

not in his favoured midfield role, either but as a false No 9: the sort of role Guardiola only hands to his chosen, crystalline few: Mario Götze at Bayern Munich (less successfully), Lionel Messi at Barcelona (a little more so).

2020 August 7, Jonathan Liew, “Phil Foden stars to offer Manchester City glimpse of multiple futures”, in The Guardian:

(soccer) An unconventional lone striker or centre-forward who drops deep into midfield.


Cincitucky

(American football, slang, by extension) The Cincinnati Bengals.


pitchometer

A batter's best hope for hitting one of these 90 mile-per-hour missiles that reached the plate in just less than a second was his 200 mph swing. Speeds were then measured by electronic “pitchometers”; in 1946 Bob Feller's fastball could be timed at 98.6 mph.

1983, David Quentin Voigt, American Baseball, volume III: From Postwar Expansion to the Electronic Age, University Park, PA: Penn State University Press, published 1992, →ISBN, page 71:

A “pitchometer” was installed on the scoreboard to time the pitchers. According the baseball rules a pitcher had to throw a pitch within 20 seconds after he received the ball from the catcher when there was nobody on base.

2003, John E. Peterson, The Kansas City Athletics: A Baseball History: 1954–1967, Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, →ISBN, page 210:

(baseball) A device used in baseball to measure the speed of a pitch or the time a pitcher spends between pitches thrown.


outyard

en-verb

outyard (third-person singular simple present outyards, present participle outyarding, simple past and past participle outyarded)

outyards (present singular third-person)
outyarding (participle present)
outyarded (participle past)
outyarded (past)

From out- + yard (“unit of length equal to 3 feet”).

af

Although Oklahoma outyarded the Jays 339 to 155, Kansas fought magnificently and earned its 13-13 tie. Royal's punting had begun to jell. He kicked four out-of-bounds against the Crimson and Blue.

1984, Harold Keith, Forty-Seven Straight: The Wilkinson Era at Oklahoma, Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, published 2003, →ISBN, page 28:

(American football) To gain more yards than.


the other way

(baseball, of a batted ball) To the opposite side of the plate relative to the batter.


WSL

Women's Super League
w:Women's Super League

(soccer) Initialism of Women's Super League.


call balls and strikes

en-verb

call balls and strikes (third-person singular simple present calls balls and strikes, present participle calling balls and strikes, simple past and past participle called balls and strikes)

calls balls and strikes (present singular third-person)
calling balls and strikes (participle present)
called balls and strikes (participle past)
called balls and strikes (past)

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The San Rafael Pacifics and Vallejo Admirals, two independent (not major league-affiliated) minor league teams, recently played two games using a computer system, rather than the home plate umpire, to call balls and strikes.

2015 August 10, Alex Shultz, “Rise of the machines? Baseball weighs use of automated strike zone”, in LA Times:

(baseball) To act as a home plate umpire.


Rose Bowl

(US, American football) The annual NCAA college football championship game typically played on New Year's Day.


toe-crushing

en-adj

toe-crushing (comparative more toe-crushing, superlative most toe-crushing)

more toe-crushing (comparative)
most toe-crushing (superlative)

(cricket, slang) Of a delivery: directed at the feet of the facing batsman.


backheader

(soccer) A hit of the ball with the back of the head


outruck

en-verb

outruck (third-person singular simple present outrucks, present participle outrucking, simple past and past participle outrucked)

outrucks (present singular third-person)
outrucking (participle present)
outrucked (participle past)
outrucked (past)

So potent, indeed, was this offensive amalgam that it almost obliterated further questions. Anything that was not it had attractions: the Welsh rugby team, outrucking Chamberlain and Hoare and Halifax and the young toffs they'd persuaded to stand in for them - Raymond Williams, Wales and England, 1983.

(rugby) To outplay an opponent in a ruck


leg theory

(cricket, dated) The tactic of bowling at or near the line of leg stump, so as to cramp the batsman.


right-half

He had grown up admiring his United predecessor Eddie Colman, a right-half of greater natural gifts, who died in the Munich air disaster of 1958. By that time Stiles had already represented England schoolboys as a right-half, displaying attacking talents that would be somewhat inhibited in his later career.

2020 October 30, Brian Glanville, “Nobby Stiles obituary”, in The Guardian:

(soccer, dated) A player who plays wide on the right side of midfield


inside-forward

He had grown up admiring his United predecessor Eddie Colman, a right-half of greater natural gifts, who died in the Munich air disaster of 1958. By that time Stiles had already represented England schoolboys as a right-half, displaying attacking talents that would be somewhat inhibited in his later career.
He made his debut for United, in fact, as an inside-forward in the 1960-61 season, playing 26 league matches and scoring twice.

(soccer, dated) A forward playing on one side of the centre forward, but not as wide as the outside-forward


outside-forward

(soccer, dated) A forward playing on the wing, wider than the inside-forward


left-half

(soccer, dated) A player who plays wide on the left side of midfield


charge the mound

charge the mound (third-person singular simple present charges the mound, present participle charging the mound, simple past and past participle charged the mound)

charges the mound (present singular third-person)
charging the mound (participle present)
charged the mound (participle past)
charged the mound (past)

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(baseball, of a batter) To run towards the pitcher's mound with the intent of physically assaulting the pitcher for a perceived grievance.


cocked hat double

en-noun

cocked hat double (plural cocked hat doubles)

Davis was left with a choice to either double the black into the top right hand pocket, or play the black around the angles with a chance of making a cocked hat double into the centre pocket.

(snooker) A type of double of the called ball off three cushions, usually around the colours, with the aim of potting into the centre pocket while keeping the cue ball safe.


touch-in-goal

touch-in-goal (plural touch-in-goals or touches-in-goal)

touch-in-goals (plural)
touches-in-goal (plural)
touch in goal (alternative)

(rugby, historical) The part of the field behind the goal line and beyond the touch line. Any ball entering this zone would be considered out of play.


touch judge

(rugby) An official who monitors the touch line to signal if the ball (or a player holding the ball) goes out of play, and to signal if the ball goes through the goal posts during a penalty or conversion.


batting collapse

batting collapse (plural batting collapses)

(cricket) A succession of batsmen or batswomen getting out without adding many runs to the team's score.


Man Utd

Manchester United Football Club
w:Manchester United Football Club

(soccer) Abbreviation of Manchester United Football Club.


hurry-up offense

hurry-up offense (plural hurry-up offenses)

(American football) An offensive style in which the offensive team avoids delays between plays, sometimes also avoiding or shortening the huddle to limit or disrupt defensive strategies and flexibility.


flankerback

flankerbacks (plural)
flanker back (alternative)

(rugby, American football) A back whose task is to receive the ball from a scrum.


flexbone

(American football) A formation involving three running backs in which a fullback is lined up behind the quarterback and two slotbacks are lined up behind the line of scrimmage at each end of the offensive line.


upman

(American football) A player of the return team at kickoff


cheatability

(billiards, snooker) The extent to which a pocket is cheatable


cheat the pocket

en-verb

cheat the pocket (third-person singular simple present cheats the pocket, present participle cheating the pocket, simple past and past participle cheated the pocket)

cheats the pocket (present singular third-person)
cheating the pocket (participle present)
cheated the pocket (participle past)
cheated the pocket (past)

(billiards, snooker) To pot a ball in the edge, rather than the middle, of a pocket.


chesney

(billiards, snooker) An indentation in the slate of a table that affects the path of a ball travelling over it


cotgrave

(billiards, snooker) A fluke in which a pot or snooker is obtained by accident


cuemaker

(pool, billiards, snooker) A manufacturer of cues


highrun

highruns (plural)
high run (alternative)
high-run (alternative)

(billiards, snooker) A series of successful shots that is lengthy for the player's level of skill


poolshark

(pool, billiards, snooker) A hustler who deliberately disrupts a game for his own advantage


stakehorse

(billiards, snooker) A person who bets (backs with a stake) on a player


stakehorse

stakehorse (third-person singular simple present stakehorses, present participle stakehorsing, simple past and past participle stakehorsed)

stakehorses (present singular third-person)
stakehorsing (participle present)
stakehorsed (participle past)
stakehorsed (past)

(billiards, snooker) To bet on the outcome of a game


tip tool

tip tools (plural)
tiptool (alternative)

(billiards, snooker) Any device used to maintain the tip on a cue


goalshooter

Sunshine Girls captain and goalshooter Jhaniele Fowler has expressed her delight after finishing second in the voting for Netballer of the Year.Fowler picked up 27 votes, 10 behind England's Geva Mentor, who was claiming the top spot for the second...

2019 January 16, Robert Bailey, “Stories By Robert Bailey/Gleaner Writer”, in Jamaica Gleaner:

(netball) Alternative form of goal shooter


wicketkeep

wicketkeep (third-person singular simple present wicketkeeps, present participle wicketkeeping, simple past and past participle wicketkept)

wicketkeeps (present singular third-person)
wicketkeeping (participle present)
wicketkept (participle past)
wicketkept (past)

The boy can seriously wicketkeep, but he can only just bat, and like Darren Berry before him he was born in the wrong generation.

2009, Jarrod Kimber, The Year of the Balls 2008: A Disrespective, page 33:

Obviously, I can wicketkeep as well if something happened to Tim.

2021 January 4, Scott Bailey, “Wade happy to live by opening move”, in The West Australian:


go the route

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It was like old times: Grove, Earnshaw, and Walberg went the route seven times in the next 13 games.

2015, Norman L. Macht, The Grand Old Man of Baseball:

(baseball) To pitch for an entire game, without a relief pitcher.


NWSL

National Women's Soccer League
w:National Women's Soccer League

(soccer) Initialism of National Women's Soccer League - the top league of women's soccer in the US.


cork up

cork up (third-person singular simple present corks up, present participle corking up, simple past and past participle corked up)

corks up (present singular third-person)
corking up (participle present)
corked up (participle past)
corked up (past)

I'm sure's been corking up.

He must have corked up that bat.

(transitive, intransitive, baseball) To put cork in a baseball bat; to use a baseball bat with cork in it.


back-rower

With 17 minutes remaining, Townsend opted to freshen up his pack, bringing on props Oli Kebble and WP Nel and back-rower Gary Graham.

2021 February 6, Graham Bean, “Scotland beat England at Twickenham for the first time in 38 years”, in The Scotsman:

(rugby) A player who plays in the back row of the scrum.


Lions

(cricket) The Sri Lanka national cricket team.

(soccer) Singapore national football team


DPR Korea

Democratic People's Republic of Korea#English

(especially soccer) Initialism of Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

CHDCND Triều Tiên

Democratic People's Republic of Korea — see also DPRK, North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea


bracket buster

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(US, basketball, informal) An American college basketball team that unexpectedly defeats a higher-ranked team in a tournament.


extended spider

en-noun

extended spider (plural extended spiders)

(snooker) A spider (type of rest) in which the head is extended in front in order to reach over intervening balls


overbowl

en-verb

overbowl (third-person singular simple present overbowls, present participle overbowling, simple past and past participle overbowled)

overbowls (present singular third-person)
overbowling (participle present)
overbowled (participle past)
overbowled (past)


long handle

Lucas again well set, being ultimately secured in his anxiety to give them the long handle, having played perfect cricket for his century.

1883, Uppingham School Magazine, page 236:

You may leave your ground even to fast bowling on slow wickets if you think you can bring off a hit by so doing, and generally hold the bat nearer the top and give her the long handle.

1889, Allan Gibson Steel, Robert Henry Lyttelton (Hon.), Cricket (page 77)

Tissera played two fine innings, of 53 and 17 not out and P. I. Peiris (30) wielded the long handle.

1999, S. S. Perera, S. Muthiah, The Janashakthi Book of Sri Lanka Cricket, 1832-1996, page 300:


five-pointer

But they will have wanted to capitalise on the opportunities for five-pointers they created in that first half.

2023 October 28, Leighton Koopman, “YES!!! The Springboks beat the All Blacks to win another Rugby World Cup title”, in Independent Online:


outkick one's coverage

outkick one's coverage (third-person singular simple present outkicks one's coverage, present participle outkicking one's coverage, simple past and past participle outkicked one's coverage)

outkicks one's coverage (present singular third-person)
outkicking one's coverage (participle present)
outkicked one's coverage (participle past)
outkicked one's coverage (past)

Sometimes a punter will outkick his coverage, but the majority of the time there's some decision-making involved.

2018, John Powers, Fridays with Bill: Inside the Football Mind of Bill Belichick:

But when the punter outkicked his coverage, White decided to disobey his coach's orders and run with the ball.

2022, Tyler Bridges, Five Laterals and a Trombone:

(American football) To kick the ball so far downfield that one's teammates do not have time to get into position to block or tackle the opponent who catches it.


superbat

When Tony Greig, in a meaningful and provocative interview, asked Sarfaraz background of betting and match-fixing, the Pakistan "superbat" categorically stated that it should start with Asif Iqbal and Gavaskar who, according to him, were the "original fixers"..

2017, K R Wadhwaney, Indian Cricket Controversies:

(cricket) A superb batsman or batswoman.


batting pad

(cricket) One of a pair of soft padded coverings that protect the legs of the person batting; a pad or bat-pad.


Hector protector

en-noun

Hector protector (plural Hector protectors)

Vaseline in the cricket shoes, chilli powder in his hector protector, that sort of thing is Australian cricket's natural method of correction.

2004 March 12, The Chaser, Sydney, page 20, column 3:

(cricket, slang) A hard protector for the genitals worn inside the underpants by a batsman or close fielder; a box.


run feast

Well, he and Sid had a run feast, putting on more than 400 runs together.

1990, Ashes: Battles and Bellylaughs, Byron Bay: Swan Publishing, page 146:

(cricket) A lengthy bout of scoring many runs.


pull shot

His stand-in [...] was felled by a pull shot struck with tremendus power by England pace bowler and tailend batsman, Dick Pollard.

1990, Ashes: Battles and Bellylaughs, Byron Bay: Swan Publishing, page 32:

(cricket) A type of stroke by which a leg ball is sent to the off side, or an off ball to the on side.


strokemaster

(cricket, tennis) A player who hits the ball excellently.


orthodox spinner

orthodox spinner (plural orthodox spinners)


pad up

en-verb

pad up (third-person singular simple present pads up, present participle padding up, simple past and past participle padded up)

pads up (present singular third-person)
padding up (participle present)
padded up (participle past)
padded up (past)

Normally only one batsman is padded up and Dean Jones was listed to bat next.

1990, Ashes: Battles and Bellylaughs, Byron Bay: Swan Publishing, page 201:

(cricket, intransitive) To put on batting pads preparatory to taking the field to bat.

He padded up for the Bears in 1997.

(American football, intransitive) To put on pads to ready oneself to play American football; to play for a team.


race-norming

(American football) The practice of adjusting downwards the cognitive ability scores of players of colour.


boomerang kick

Australian rules football
Australian rules football

(Australian rules football, rugby) A kick that sends the ball in a curved trajectory.


sandwich pick

(baseball) A type of draft pick awarded to Major League Baseball teams for the loss of free agents under certain conditions, and taking place in the supplemental round between the first and second rounds of the MLB amateur draft.


top bin

(soccer, slang) The upper left- or right-hand corner of the goal.


triple single

From triple double. Popularized and possibly coined by American basketball player and commentator Charles Barkley.

(basketball) The accumulation of nine or fewer each of points, rebounds and assists a single game.


Mickey Mouse ring

en-noun

Mickey Mouse ring (plural Mickey Mouse rings)

2020 NBA Bubble
Championship ring
LeBron James

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Likely from Mickey Mouse (“of inferior quality”), or in reference to the 2020 NBA Bubble shortened basketball season held at Walt Disney World, or both of these; with ring as a metonym for “championship” after the Championship ring presented to members of winning teams.

After the Lakers won their little Mickey Mouse ring, LeBron went to the church of victimhood as he often does, and talked about what a ‘huge challenge’ it was to be in Orlando.

2020 December 3, Will Leitner, quoting Ben Maller, “The Ben Maller Show: 'Stop Acting Like LeBron's Championship at the NBA's Bubble Was Challenging'”, in Fox Sports Radio:

Occasional jabs about James and his supposed 'Mickey Mouse' ring haven’t really stuck.

2020 December 31, Marc Stein, “From Kobe to LeBron: Tragedy and Triumph in the N.B.A.”, in New York Times:

But this upsets many fans, leading to widespread comments all over social media such as a Mickey Mouse Ring/Win/Championship (in reference to how the NBA bubble was at Disney World) to underline how these competitions are not authentic enough because of coronavirus's impact on how well teams can play.

2021 March 17, “The Medic: NCAA's March Madness offers real threat for pandemic madness”, in Daily Trojan, University of Southern California, page 1:

Lakers/LeBron haters have lamely labeled last year’s title, which featured a mental and emotional toll unlike any other in NBA history, a Mickey Mouse ring.

2021 June 17, Adam Caparell, “'Stop putting an Asterisk on Every NBA Champion'”, in Complex Sports Magazine:

(informal, derogatory, basketball, US) The 2020 NBA championship won by the Los Angeles Lakers.


boot one

[…] to jeer at him when he booted one or fanned with a crucial run on base.

1998, Eliot Asinof, Man on Spikes, page 68:

[…] he played short with sweet ease, and looked good even when he booted one, […]

2002, Brooke Horvath, Tim Wiles, Line Drives: 100 Contemporary Baseball Poems, page 92:


scratch hit

(baseball) A weakly hit ground ball that eludes the infielders and leads to a base hit.


The Hundred

(cricket) A short form of professional cricket that lasts for 100 balls.


leg sweep

(cricket) A sweep shot played to the leg side


El Tri

El Tri have just defeated Japan in a 3-1 victory

(soccer) Nickname for Mexico's National Football Team


IPL

Indian Premier League
w:Indian Premier League

(sports, cricket) Initialism of Indian Premier League.


Lionesses

The Lionesses were given their biggest test of the year by a talented, albeit injury-hit, Brazilian side but delivered more silverware as their momentum continues to gather pace before this summer's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

2023 April 6, Emma Sanders, “Women's Finalissima:England beat Brazil in dramatic shootout”, in BBC Sport:

Weakened by a string of injuries and the retirement of star players, the Euro 2022-winning Lionesses will need luck on their side to stop the USA lifting their third successive title[.]

2023 July 15, Suzanne Wrack, “Can the England women’s football team pull off the World Cup dream?”, in The Observer, →ISSN:

(soccer, informal) England women's national football team


dunk on

en-verb

dunk on (third-person singular simple present dunks on, present participle dunking on, simple past and past participle dunked on)

dunks on (present singular third-person)
dunking on (participle present)
dunked on (participle past)
dunked on (past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-dunk on.wav

(transitive, informal, basketball) To perform a slam dunk over (a defender).


corked bat

(baseball) A bat that has been tampered with by drilling out part of the head of the bat and filling the resulting cavity with a light, compressible material (typically cork) in an attempt to improve the bat's performance (although performance is in fact degraded by corking the bat), rendering it illegal for use in play.


fly route

(American football) A pattern run by a receiver, straight upfield towards the end zone, with the aim of outrunning any defensive backs and getting behind them, catching an undefended pass while running untouched for a touchdown.


circle runner

(handball) A player who plays along the six-meter line with his/her back facing the opponent's goal, and tries to get in between the defenders to create space so that a teammate can get in. The circle runner can also receive a pass and try to score.


collar the bowling

collar the bowling (third-person singular simple present collars the bowling, present participle collaring the bowling, simple past and past participle collared the bowling)

collars the bowling (present singular third-person)
collaring the bowling (participle present)
collared the bowling (participle past)
collared the bowling (past)

Heatley and Baines then got together, and succeeded in collaring the bowling, and put on 60 before they were separated, and, when Heatley was caught far out for 38, the score stood at 151.

The fact was that Mr. Bruce and Mr. Whitmore (who was stupidly run out in the first innings, else the same thing might not improbably have happened then) went in first, and collared the bowling in the first twenty minutes, […]

1872, Baily's Magazine of Sports and Pastimes, volume 22, page 166:

(cricket) (Of a batsman) to hit the bowled balls to all parts of the field.


down and distance

en-noun

down and distance (plural downs and distances)

The choice to punt at this down and distance is unusual.

(American football) The game situation described using the current scrimmage down and the yardage required to either the line to gain, or the goal line if no line to gain exists.


bring the wood

en-verb

bring the wood (third-person singular simple present brings the wood, present participle bringing the wood, simple past and past participle brought the wood)

brings the wood (present singular third-person)
bringing the wood (participle present)
brought the wood (participle past)
brought the wood (past)

(American football) To play, especially to tackle, with great force.


hand-out

(racquets, real tennis, squash) A player to whom a ball is served.


above the rim

Basketball went from a game of set shots and long jumpers to a game played above the rim, characterized by earth-shattering dunks.

2003, Walter M. Kimbrough, Black Greek 101: The Culture, Customs, and Challenges of Black Fraternities and Sororities, Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press, →ISBN, page 111:

The same male-centric phenomenon takes place in basketball, where the “standard” version of the game is played above the rim while the “watered-down” female version is played below the rim (and with a smaller ball).

2017, Rick Eckstein, How College Athletics Are Hurting Girls' Sports: The Pay-to-Play Pipeline, Rowman & Littlefield, →ISBN, page 149:

Whereas Erving made his impact above the rim Curry is expanding what we never thought was expandable - the jump shot.

2021 December 13, Bob Padecky, “Stephen Curry has made jump shot an art form”, in The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, California:

(basketball) [handing the ball] higher than the rim of the basket (such as during a slam dunk or alley oop)


bulge in the onion bag

en-noun

bulge in the onion bag (plural bulges in the onion bag)


match ball

(soccer) The ball used in a particular match. It is often given to the man of the match after the game.


onion bag

From the resemblance to the net bags in which onions are sold.

You ponce, you slag, pop it in the onion bag.

2002, Fat Les (band), Who Invented Fish and Chips? (song)


wondersave

You can hear Allan McGregor attempt to persuade the referee that he never made a wondersave from Leigh Griffiths' first half effort, and you can also hear him give his defenders an earful.

2021 January 4, Mark McDougall, “Unique Rangers vs Celtic insight given by SPFL highlights package as every word caught on camera”, in Glasgow Live:

(soccer) A first-rate save; an exceptional save


outhalf

DAVID HUMPHREYS, who played very well for Ireland A against Scotland a fortnight ago, gets another chance to impress the national selectors when he plays for Ulster at outhalf against New South Wales at Ravenhill next Tuesday night.

2021 January 5, “Ulster's finest get chance to impress”, in The Irish Times:


Little League home run

Little League home run (plural Little League home runs)

From such error-filled plays being common at the actual Little League level but rare in professional-level baseball.

(baseball) A plate appearance where the batter is able to reach home due to major fielding errors, on a scale not usually seen at that level of play.


Sixer

(basketball, informal) A player for the 76ers, a team from Philadelphia.


two-legged tie

(sports, soccer) A competition between two teams which comprises two matches or “legs”, with each team as the home team in one leg. The winning team is usually determined by aggregate score, the sum of the scores of the two legs.


Cedars

(soccer) The Lebanon national football team.


September call-up

September call-up (plural September call-ups)

(baseball) A league of players who are traditionally added to MLB rosters late in the season.


center-back

(soccer) Alternative spelling of centre-back


Alouette

(Canadian football) A player for Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes.


runscoring

Philippe's innings, which included five fours and one six, moves him to the top of the runscoring charts for this summer's tournament with 261 from seven innings.

2021 January 4, Ed Jackson, “Aussie call-up matter of time for Philippe”, in The West Australian:


second leg

Coordinate term: two-legged tie

(sports, soccer) The second of the two matches or “legs” which are played between two teams in a two-legged tie. The winning team is usually determined by aggregate.


first leg

Coordinate term: two-legged tie

(sports, soccer) The first of the two matches or “legs” which are played between two teams in a two-legged tie. The winning team is usually determined by aggregate score, the sum of the scores of the two legs.


drop pass

(netball) A high pass for a catcher who will move into free space to receive the ball


trampoline effect

By analogy with a person jumping on a trampoline.

(baseball) The phenomenon by which the baseball "jumps" off the bat at contact.


RRR

RRR (countable and uncountable, plural RRRs)

required run rate
required run rate#English

(cricket) Initialism of required run rate.


jump pass

(American football) A pass to a teammate made while jumping


Wallaroo

(Australia, cricket) Someone who plays for the Australia women's national rugby union team.


Men in Blue

(cricket) The India national cricket team.


Gorkhalis

(cricket) The Nepal national cricket team.


Rhinos

(cricket) The Bangladesh national cricket team.


Chevrons

(cricket) The Zimbabwe national cricket team.


Southern Stars

(cricket) The Australia women's national cricket team.


White Ferns

(cricket) The New Zealand women's national cricket team.


Bengal Tigers

(soccer) The Bangladesh national football team.


Blue Tigers

(soccer) The India national football team.


minor point

minor points (plural)
minor (alternative)

(rugby, historical) A single point awarded for a touch-in-goal and sometimes for touchdowns or dead balls.


clubbie

"When he died, his baseball cap was given to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. He is the only clubbie to be honored with a display there."

1977, Maj. Ed Logan, quotee, Airman, page 38:

(US, baseball, informal) A clubhouse manager.

"[…] But there are some stadiums where the clubhouse guys don't do a very good job, but there are clubbies that do a really outstanding job. […]"

2019 July 10, John Cangelosi, K.P. Wee, John Cangelosi: The Improbable Baseball Journey of the Undersized Kid from Nowhere to World Series Champion, Riverdale Avenue Books LLC, →ISBN:

(US, baseball, informal) A clubhouse attendant.


white card

(soccer) A card similar to the red card and yellow card, but used to acknowledge sportmanship or fair play.


Clockgate

(US, American football, informal) The controversy around the Michigan vs. Michigan State football game of November 3, 2001, in which the ball was spiked with one second remaining visible on the clock.


yannigan

[…] Sammy Strang, a yannigan from the rival New York Giants […]

2010, Bill James, The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, page 74:

Addie was a star ball player and a student of the sport, but as a sports writer he was a yannigan, a rookie.

2014, Addie Joss, Gary Mitchem, Addie Joss on Baseball, page XII:


slingy

en-adj

slingy (comparative more slingy, superlative most slingy)

more slingy (comparative)
most slingy (superlative)

A right-arm fast bowler with a slingy action not unlike Lasith Malinga's, Rubel Hossain began by playing tapeball cricket in his home town of Bagerhat (in Khulna), […]

2011, Steven Lynch, The Wisden Guide to International Cricket 2012, page 144:

[…] who had forged a good reputation in the Lancashire League and also for Western Province in South Africa's Currie Cup cricket, where he batted middle-order and bowled brisk medium-pace with a slingy action.

2018, Alan Wilkins, Easier Said Than Done: A Life in Sport:

(cricket) Tending to bowl the ball with a slinging action, i.e. faster but less accurate.


scrummer

(rugby) A player who takes part in a scrum.


caught looking

(baseball) out on a third strike after not attempting to hit a pitch


droppie

(rugby, Australia, New Zealand, slang) A drop goal.


nod-back

Haaland was having his shirt pulled as he advanced onto Phil Foden's curling cross for his opener. He was part of a fantastic one-touch passing move for the second which ended with the loose ball from a slide tackle on Foden presenting him with a tap-in. He shrugged opponents out of the way to make sure he was in the right place to head home John Stones' nod-back for his third.

2022 August 31, Simon Stone, “Manchester City 6-0 Nottingham Forest”, in BBC Sport:

(soccer) A soft header played away from the opponent's goal


WLAF

Scenarios were floated that the CFL and WLAF would merge or that the CFL would revert to a fall schedule and become a farm league for the NFL.

2005, Steve O'Brien, The Canadian Football League, →ISBN:

World League of American Football
w:World League of American Football

(American football) Initialism of World League of American Football.


contact hitter

(baseball) A hitter who does not strike out often.


jump-cut

en-verb

jump-cut (third-person singular simple present jump-cuts, present participle jump-cutting, simple past and past participle jump-cut)

jump-cuts (present singular third-person)
jump-cutting (participle present)
jump-cut (participle past)
jump-cut (past)
jump cut (alternative)
jumpcut (alternative)

After Lake insisted the sixth-year senior hadn’t impressed enough in practice to contribute in their first two games, McGrew responded with 31 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just six carries Saturday — releasing a guttural growl after jump-cutting and crossing the goal line for a 13-yard score in the first quarter.

2021 September 18, Mike Vorel, “After two frustrating losses, the dam finally breaks in Washington’s 52-3 win over Arkansas State”, in The Seattle Times:

(intransitive, American football) To perform a jump cut.


hoofball

Blend of hoof (“to kick, especially a long way downfield with little accuracy”) + football.

blend

Wimbledon continued to hold their own under Joe Kinnear. They played with passion and no little skill. It certainly wasn't just 'hoofball' as their detractors, such as Gary Lineker, claimed.

2012 July 2, Tim Quelch, Underdog!, eBook Partnership, →ISBN:

By the 1980s Italian football was also showing distinct signs of virility as it built up to its great moment in the sun with the 1990 World Cup. It had glamour and skill, just as British football was deep into its cul-de-sac of hoofball tactics and off-pitch thuggery.

2015 January 9, Nicholas Walton, Genoa, 'La Superba': The Rise and Fall of a Merchant Pirate Superpower, Oxford University Press, →ISBN:

'We're Leeds United, we're passing the ball,' sang delighted supporters, exhilarated at being rid of Warnock's despised hoofball.

2019 October 10, Dave Tomlinson, Leeds, Money, and Misery Me: Twenty Years of Hurt, 23 Mistakes and the Tale of Toma ..., AuthorHouse, →ISBN:

(soccer, derogatory) A style of play characterised by many long balls and few short passes.


SABR

w:Society for American Baseball Research

(baseball) Acronym of Society for American Baseball Research.


Marseille turn

(soccer) A specialized form of dribbling by which the ball is dragged backward.


offensive guard

en-noun

offensive guard (plural offensive guards)

(American football) A lineman for the team in possession of the ball located on either side of the center and inside of the offensive tackles.


quality start

(baseball) A start in which a pitcher pitches for at least six full innings and allows three or fewer earned runs.


take a pitch

en-verb

take a pitch (third-person singular simple present takes a pitch, present participle taking a pitch, simple past took a pitch, past participle taken a pitch)

takes a pitch (present singular third-person)
taking a pitch (participle present)
took a pitch (past)
taken a pitch (participle past)

(baseball) To refrain from swinging at a pitch.


La Roja

(soccer) the Spain national football team


USMNT

w:United States men's national soccer team

(soccer) Initialism of United States men's national team.


Bazball

From Baz + ball, Baz being the nickname of New Zealand cricketer and coach Brendon McCullum.

BRENDON McCullum has referred to ‘Bazball’, the playful term coined in homage to England’s new Test head coach, as ‘silly’.

[2022 July 9, “England's McCullum dismisses ‘Bazball’ as ‘silly’”, in Manchester Evening News, Glasgow, page 41:

THE effects of Bazball can already be seen in the wider cricketing world, too. No sooner had Ben Stokes put out a call to arms telling county cricketers they had to play his way to get in the England team comes evidence of a response from Dom Sibley.

2022 July 13, Paul Newman, “World of Cricket”, in Daily Mail, London, page 70:

The focus on Bazball may have damaged England's chances at the World Cup – but it is "seemingly now also part of the solution".

2023 November 18, “Cricket: what the white-ball side can learn from Bazball”, in The Week, Bath, page 24:

The debate about ‘Bazball’ is absurd: for professional sport to survive it has to be entertaining, and aggressive cricket is undoubtedly far more entertaining than defensive cricket.

2024 April 6, Roger Alton, “County cricket needs Bazball”, in The Spectator, London:

(cricket, informal, slang, neologism) An aggressive run-scoring approach to cricket.


gegenpress

(soccer) The use of the gegenpressing tactic.


LiVARpool

Blend of Liverpool + VAR (“video assistant referee”), implying that Liverpool F.C. is unfairly favoured in judgements made by VAR.

blend

The ability of Jürgen Klopp’s team to win even when the opposition bring their A-game has been a feature of the season. A simple explanation, beyond luck and “LiVARpool” conspiracy theory, is that their base levels are just so high.

2019 December 11, Barney Ronay, “Champions League’s full English another staging post in march of the superclubs”, in The Guardian:

[…] and amid calls of 'LiVARpool' coming into the equation again by the Chelsea faithful, Silva himself has had a say on what he thinks of the last two aforementioned VAR decisions […]

2022 March 7, Danyal Khan, “Thiago Silva sends Liverpool blunt message as West Ham and Chelsea VAR decisions go their way”, in football.london:

Someone else said: "I honestly think this FA cup is already rigged for LiVArpool There's been a lot of them red ribbons around it."

2022 May 14, Nick Murphy, “Chelsea fans have FA Cup conspiracy theory and say 'Pep and Tuchel were right all along'”, in The Daily Star:


England went even further, playing 1-1-8 (eight forwards), but crowded goalmouths saw the game end 0-0.

2010, Clive Gifford, “Formations”, in The Kingfisher Football Encyclopedia, 2nd edition, →ISBN, page 60:

Both teams employed what could be considered attacking formations—Scotland (2-2-6), and England (1-1-8) […]

2011, Jaime Orejan, Football/Soccer: History and Tactics, →ISBN, page 31:

United made a scintillating start against Leicester […] but they seem to be sticking to a 1-1-8 formation, with Evans and then Chris Smalling playing as a sweeper-left-centre-right-back. This is why United have a defence as secure as a paper-tissue truss.

2014 September 22, Des Kelly, “Chelsea fans add a touch of dignity and class to a world of football excess”, in Evening Standard:

(soccer, historical or derogatory) A football formation with 1 defender, 1 midfielder and 8 strikers sometimes played in the 19th and early 20th centuries, now a derogatory reference to a team with poor defence.


St Totteringham's Day

By analogy with Christian feast days, with a blend of Tottenham + tottering.

After their 3-1 win at Hull, it is now mathematically impossible for Tottenham to finish above their neighbours in this season's Premier League. […] That means today is "St Totteringham's Day".

2015 May 4, Richard Innes, “St Totteringham's Day: Arsenal fans celebrate finishing above Tottenham AGAIN by trolling their big rivals”, in Daily Mirror:

TOTTENHAM'S 2-0 defeat of great rivals Arsenal today ensured they will finish above the Gunners in the Premier League for the first time since 1995. And in turn it has ended the curse of "St Totteringham's Day" […]

2017 April 30, John Hutchinson, “St Totteringham’s Day: Twitter reacts as Tottenham ensure they will finish above Arsenal in the Premier League and end the curse of ‘St Totteringham’s Day’”, in The Sun:

2022 October 4, Edwin Yeo, “Arsenal 3 Spurs 1 - It feels like St Totteringham's Day already”, in Yahoo News Singapore:

(soccer, humorous, colloquial) The day in an English Premier League football season on which it becomes mathematically impossible for Tottenham Hotspur F.C. to finish above Arsenal F.C. in the final rankings.


Spuds

Robbie Keane makes it Liverpool 1-2 Spuds.

2005 April 16, Roo, “Quick update...”, in uk.sport.football.clubs.liverpool (Usenet):

The Spuds and Man Utd posters (with the exception of Jenkins) are all keeping their heads down on account of their respective teams poor form.

2013 December 5, Baldoni, “heh heh heh”, in alt.sports.soccer.arsenal (Usenet):

@DanColly added: "Think the Spuds fans enjoyed the Saliba song last week. But they sing it for Bissouma after clipping a cross straight out of play."

2022 October 8, Ryan Tailor, “Arsenal and Tottenham fans argue as Spurs accused of 'stealing William Saliba chant'”, in Daily Express:

(soccer, derogatory) Tottenham Hotspur F.C.


BABIP

batting average on balls in play#English

(baseball) Initialism of batting average on balls in play.


batting average on balls in play

en-noun

batting average on balls in play (plural batting averages on balls in play)

batting averages on balls in play (plural)

(baseball) A type of batting average statistic which includes sacrifice flies but not strikeouts or home runs into the calculation.


KKR

Kolkata Knight Riders
w:Kolkata Knight Riders

(cricket) Initialism of Kolkata Knight Riders.


one-hitter

Coordinate term: no-hitter

The one-hitter Tuesday night marked the first time the Cardinals held the Pirates to one hit or less in a game in Pittsburgh since Hall of Famer Bob Gibson’s no-hitter in 1971 at Three Rivers Stadium.

2021 August 11, John Perrotto, “Wainwright pitches two-hit shutout, Cards top Pirates 4-0”, in The Seattle Times:

(baseball) A game in which one team makes only one hit.


counterpressing

Teams that are skilled in counterpressing are teams that attack with many of the players in close proximity to the ball carrier.

2017, Steffen Siebert, A League Of Their Own: The Secrets Of Club Soccer Champions, page 70:


moundwork

moundwork (countable and uncountable, plural moundworks)


All-Pro

All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey had 80 yards on the ground and 80 through the air. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings became the second person in Super Bowl history to throw and catch touchdown passes.

2024 February 12, Ben Morse and Steve Almasy, “Kansas City Chiefs defeat San Francisco 49ers in OT in Super Bowl LVIII, become first back-to-back NFL champions in 19 years”, in CNN.com:

(American football) A professional American football player selected (typically by press organizations) as the best player in a particular position during a given season.


goal machine

He [Robbie Fowler]would become one of Liverpool's finest – a goal machine – and, most importantly, he was one of our own. A real character who combined a touch of genius with a sense of mischief.

2021, Brian Barwick, Sixty Years a Red... and Counting!:


cold hand

Anthony’s performance was all the more glaring as he frequently found himself isolated on the wing or elbow, trying to break down Oklahoma City’s defense but finding himself caught in a forest of burly Thunder big men or clanging shots off the rim. / At times, the Knicks’ offense looked short-circuited. Anthony, despite his cold hand, kept shooting.

2016 November 28, Mike Vorkunov, “Despite Flash of Rose’s Prime, Knicks Are Dazed by Westbrook and Thunder”, in The New York Times:

(idiomatic, basketball) Used in reference to a player who fails to make successful shots in a game.


long pot

Brecel fired in doubles, a succession of stunning long pots and seemingly cleared balls at will as he rattled through the first four frames in under an hour.

2023 May 1, Steve Sutcliffe, “World Snooker Championship 2023 final: Luca Brecel beats Mark Selby for first world title”, in BBC Sport:

(snooker) A shot that pots a ball from across most of the table.


consensus national champion

consensus national champion (plural consensus national champions)

(American football) In regard to national championships in college football, a team that was selected as national champions by both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll.


restricted area

restricted area (plural restricted areas)

(basketball) The area behind an arc extending some distance from the basket into the key, to prevent secondary defenders from taking a position under the basket in an attempt to draw an offensive foul while a player is driving to the basket.


rabbit ball

(baseball, derogatory) A lively ball that easily travels far off the bat.


possession arrow

possession arrow (plural possession arrows)

Faced with all that countervailing authority, the best respondent could realistically hope for is that we declare §101(27) a jump ball. And under our clear-statement rule, a jump ball is as good as a possession arrow favoring the party opposing the abrogation of sovereign immunity.

2023, Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians v. Coughlin (U.S. Supreme Court No. 22–227), Justice Gorsuch (dissenting opinion)

(basketball) An arrow that determines which side possesses the ball in cases where it is otherwise unclear. In such cases, possession of the ball is awarded to the team that is moving in the direction of the possession arrow on offense.


Chinese homer

Chinese home run
Chinese home run#English

(US, baseball, slang) Synonym of Chinese home run


GIDP

(baseball) Initialism of ground into double play: a double play initiated by a batter hitting a ground ball.


umpire-in-chief

(baseball) The umpire in charge of the entire game, in cases where there is more than one umpire.


celebrappeal

(cricket) An overenthusiastic appeal in the form of a celebration, without waiting for the umpire to give the batter out.


celebrappeal

en-verb

celebrappeal (third-person singular simple present celebrappeals, present participle celebrappealing, simple past and past participle celebrappealed)

celebrappeals (present singular third-person)
celebrappealing (participle present)
celebrappealed (participle past)
celebrappealed (past)

(cricket) The act of making a celebrappeal.


ice wagon

He can't hit a thing or he can't get it over the base, or he's an ice wagon on the bases, they say.

1914, William T. Ellis, "Billy" Sunday: The Man and His Message, Philadelphia, P.A.: Universal Book and Bible House, page 274:

A veteran first-baseman-catcher, Duke Jantzen, who had played briefly with the Texas Midland in 1896, was engaged as player-manager. Tall and ungainly, Jantzen could wallop a baseball over the outfielders, but he was an "ice wagon"—too slow to get past third.

1987, Bill O'Neal, The Texas League, 1888–1987: A Century of Baseball, Austin, T.X.: Eakin Press, →ISBN, page 290:


outfield player

en-noun

outfield player (plural outfield players)

(ball games) Any of the players on a team other than the goalkeeper.


Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method

An extension of the Duckworth-Lewis method by Australian statistician Steven Stern.

(cricket) A mathematical algorithm for generating revised target scores for the side batting second in a rain-affected one-day match.


D/L/S

Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method
Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method


RUFC

Ramsbottom United F.C.
w:Ramsbottom United F.C.

(soccer)
Initialism of Ramsbottom United F.C..

Retford United F.C.
w:Retford United F.C.

(soccer)
Initialism of Retford United F.C..

Rochester United F.C.
w:Rochester United F.C.

(soccer)
Initialism of Rochester United F.C..

Rossendale United F.C.
w:Rossendale United F.C.

(soccer)
Initialism of Rossendale United F.C..

Rotherham United F.C.
w:Rotherham United F.C.

(soccer)
Initialism of Rotherham United F.C..


palmball

(baseball) A change-up pitch in which the baseball is held tightly in the palm or between the thumb and ring finger, then thrown like a fastball.


FFC

(soccer) Initialism of Fulham Football Club.


Pinoy step

(basketball, Philippines) A basketball move in which an offensive player picks up their dribble, does a pump fake, then proceeds to drive with the last two remaining legal steps to make an actual shot.


CAF Champions League

(soccer) An annual African football (soccer) competition.


flag on the play

Here we go at last. It's Iona's ball on their own 10 yard line; they are in punt formation — wait — there's a flag on the play.

1955, Natalie E. White, The Billion Dollar Saint: A Farce in Three Acts, Dramatists Play Service, →ISBN, page 29:

In the modern game there is perhaps no phrase more familiar than "Flag on the play!" It is an instant and unmistakable signal to every player, to the benches, and to the fans, that a penalty is about to be enforced by a game official.

2012, Robert J. Scott, Myles A. Pocta, Honor on the Line: The Fifth Down and the Spectacular 1940 College Football Season, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 146:

(American football slang) A penalty flag.


nod in

en-verb

nod in (third-person singular simple present nods in, present participle nodding in, simple past and past participle nodded in)

nods in (present singular third-person)
nodding in (participle present)
nodded in (participle past)
nodded in (past)

Davies, captain in the absence of the injured Aaron Ramsey, scored the opener as, completely unmarked just three yards out, he nodded in Broadhead's 22nd-minute corner.

2023 October 11, Dafydd Pritchard, “Wales 4-0 Gibraltar”, in BBC Sport:

(soccer, transitive, intransitive) To score with a header


HWL

Hawaii Winter League
w:Hawaii Winter Baseball

(baseball, historical) Initialism of Hawaii Winter League.


Busby Babe

Named after Matt Busby, the manager of Manchester United Football Club.

Manchester United Football Club
Matt Busby


one-hit

one-hit (third-person singular simple present one-hits, present participle one-hitting, simple past and past participle one-hit)

one-hits (present singular third-person)
one-hitting (participle present)
one-hit (participle past)
one-hit (past)

The Dodgers beat Arizona on Thursday afternoon, 6-3, with Chris Heisey hitting a grand slam and five relievers combining to one-hit the Diamondbacks over the final four innings.

2015 September 24, Bill Shaikin, “Dodgers getting excited about possible division title after beating Arizona, 6-3”, in Los Angeles Times:

Wainwright’s gem came a night after Cardinals left-hander J.A. Happ and three relievers combined to one-hit the Pirates, who have lost seven straight games and 17 of their last 22.

(transitive, baseball) To pitch so that the other team only makes a single hit.


backcourtmate

(basketball, rare) A fellow teammate on the backcourt.


flip throw

(soccer) An unusual throw-in in which the player, during the run-up, plants the ball on the ground, flips over it, and uses the momentum gained from the flip to increase the velocity of the ball.


bulge the onion bag

bulge the onion bag (third-person singular simple present bulges the onion bag, present participle bulging the onion bag, simple past and past participle bulged the onion bag)

bulges the onion bag (present singular third-person)
bulging the onion bag (participle present)
bulged the onion bag (participle past)
bulged the onion bag (past)

[…] such as Provan or McAvennie scoring at Hampden or Larsson bulging the onion bag twice in Seville.

2012, Paul Larkin, Poles 'N' Goals and Hesselink, page 139:

[…] bulged the onion bag for the Blades, and Downes and Prendergast replied for the Owls.


O'Malley's Alley

After Walter O'Malley, American sports executive.

(baseball, slang, dated) The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.


Oklahoma drill

Oklahoma drills (plural)
Oklahoma Drill (alternative)

Named after the Oklahoma Sooners football team by coach Bud Wilkinson, creator of the technique.

Offensively, Dan Sullivan and Bob Vogel were strong blockers in the Oklahoma Drill and Mike Curtis and Ted Hendricks savage as defensive operators.

1972 July 25, “Colts' Bubba holds firm in contact squabble”, in The Baltimore Sun, page 26:

The 'Oklahoma Drill' used to be one of the highlights of the Steelers' training camp.

1992, Jim O'Brien, Whatever It Takes: The Continuing Saga of the Pittsburgh Steelers II, James O'Brien-Publishing, →ISBN, page 32:

To make it work, Wilkinson needed three interior down linemen who could do the work of four (or more) by exploding off the snap, reading the ball carrier and then, in tight quarters, shedding blocks to make tackles. In other words, he needed players who would excel at the Oklahoma drill.

2015 August 19, David Fleming, “Is the Oklahoma drill a rite of passage or everything to fear about football?”, in ESPN:

(American football) In gridiron football, a practice technique wherein two players run at each other within a narrow corridor with the aim of either tackling the opponent, driving them out of bounds, or scoring a touchdown.

Bud Wilkinson
Oklahoma Sooners football
Oklahoma drill


middle guard

It allows the middle guard of the defense to roam, and with the combined efforts of his teammates he will emerge your leading tackler game in and out.

1956, Jack C. Mitchell, Bernard A. Taylor, Umbrella Defenses, W. C. Brown Company, page 17:

The middle guard faced off consistently against the offensive center, with one or occasionally both hands in the dirt. On running plays, he bore the traditional run-stuffing responsibilities.

2022 April 25, George Bozeka, editor, The 1951 Los Angeles Rams: Profiles of the NFL's First West Coast Champions, McFarland & Company, →ISBN, page 285:

(American football) A defensive player positioned in the middle of the pitch, opposite the offensive center and between the defensive tackles; the nose guard.


nose tackle

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-nose tackle.wav


Vardrid

(humorous, derogatory, soccer) La Liga club Real Madrid, regarded as being unfairly favored by VAR.


bump and run

(American football) A strategy used by defensive backs, in which a defender lined up directly in front of a wide receiver attempts to impede him with arms, hands, or the entire body and disrupt his intended route.


timeless Test

(cricket) A match of cricket which is played under no limitation of time, until one side wins or the match is tied.


kick returner

(American football, Canadian football) A player who catches a kicked or punted ball and attempts to advance it towards the goal.


A-League

the A-League (canonical)
A-Leagues (plural)

(soccer) the top professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand

(soccer) any of the three leagues that fall under the A-Leagues banner (the men's, women's and youth leagues)


W-League

(soccer) the A-League Women (the top professional women's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand; equivalent to the A-League for men)


logo 3

logo 3s (plural)
logo three (alternative)

From the logo of the home team commonly painted in the center circle.

At various points in the game, James would pull up from more than 30 feet away and launch an uncontested 3-pointer—known as a “logo 3” because he would often be on or in line with the midcourt logo when he shot it.

2021 January 12, Sean Deveney, “Lakers’ LeBron James Slammed for Taking Late-Game ‘Logo 3’”, in Heavy:

Bigger logos allow more “Logo 3s,” and in a way, it could be a good marketing strategy.

2022 January 31, Ernesto Soliven, “The sneaky secret about the increase in Logo 3s”, in Basketball Network:

2022 October 23, Ricky O'Donnell, "LeBron James bricked a logo 3 so badly people are calling it the worst shot of his career" SB Nation

The senior has been a dynamic scorer throughout her career, hitting memorable logo 3s and racking up points in bunches.

2024 January 31, Chantel Jennings, Ben Pickman and others, "When will Caitlin Clark break the women’s college basketball all-time scoring record?" The Athletic (New York Times)

(basketball, informal) a three-point shot from in or near the center circle


play-calling

But some bad breaks, good defense from the Chiefs and conservative play-calling meant the 49ers offense stalled and Kansas City was able to rally.

2024 February 12, Ben Morse and Steve Almasy, “Kansas City Chiefs defeat San Francisco 49ers in OT in Super Bowl LVIII, become first back-to-back NFL champions in 19 years”, in CNN.com:

(American football) Alternative form of playcalling


defensive line

(American football, Canadian football) The players of the team not possessing the ball who are positioned at the line of scrimmage.


AAFC

All-America Football Conference
w:All-America Football Conference

(American football) Initialism of All-America Football Conference.


paddle scoop

(cricket) An unorthodox modern cricketing shot in which the player's body is positioned square-on with the ball, both feet pointing towards the bowler, and the player uses the bat to deflect the ball over the batter's leg side shoulder, thus guiding it towards the fine leg region.


Marillier shot

Named after Zimbabwean batsman Dougie Marillier, said to have developed the shot.


long snapper

Fans rarely see the name of the long snapper, but he's the next most important player on special teams behind the punter or kicker.

2012, Greg Jacobs, The Everything KIDS' Football Book:

Lonnie was the long snapper for both of Adam Vinatieri's clutch field goals in the "Snow Bowl" against the Oakland Raiders in 2002 and for his 48-yard game-winning kick in Super Bowl XXXVI.

2013, Rick Gonsalves, Placekicking in the NFL: A History and Analysis, page 235:

My suggestion was to go ahead and walk-on and try out as a kicker but to tell them that he was also a long snapper.

2019, Don Osborne, Was It All Just for Kicks?:

(American football) A center who is skilled in throwing a long snap.


long snap

When I was playing professionally and I wasn't starting, I'd come in and do the long snaps.

2004, Joseph Blotner, Real Football: a Biography, page 372:

The long snap typically travels anywhere from 12 and 15 yards, depending on the alignment of the punter.

2006, Coach Education, Coaching Football Technical & Tactical Skills:

But Paco's long snap from center was high, and the holder, Joey Gallagher, couldn't get the ball down in time for Adam to kick it!

2011, Ronde Barber, Tiki Barber, Go Long!:

In Baltimore's 33 to 14 rout of New England in the AFC's Wild Card playoff game on January 9, 2010, he got off nine perfect long snaps, 3 for extra points, 2 for field goals, and 4 for punts.

2013, Rick Gonsalves, Placekicking in the NFL: A History and Analysis, page 237:

(American football) An underhand pass from the center to the punter.


long snap

long snap (third-person singular simple present long snaps, present participle long snapping, simple past and past participle long snapped)

long snaps (present singular third-person)
long snapping (participle present)
long snapped (participle past)
long snapped (past)

These days every team has someone on the roster whose only job is to long snap.

2007, John Feinstein, Next Man Up: A Year Behind the Lines in Today's NFL:

"I learned by watching my father do it," Zak explained. "I also knew the importance of it, so I learned how to long snap on my own. […]"

Tom always wanted to learn how to long snap.

(American football) To throw a long snap.


Iron Mike

(slang, baseball) A machine for pitching baseballs for practise purposes.


dragback

(soccer) The act of drawing the ball backward with one's sole.


safetyman

(American football, dated) safety (position)


passing game

(sports, American football) A type of play involving one player throwing the ball to a teammate.


pull hitter

(baseball) a batter who usually hits the ball to the side of the field from which they bat.


Red Roses

The Red Roses extended their championship winning record to 29 games, as John Mitchell's ruthless side struck five first-half tries before Assia Khalfaoui's second-half red card.

2024 April 27, Alastair Telfer, “England beat France to seal Grand Slam hat-trick”, in BBC Sport:

(rugby) The England women's national rugby union team


times on base

(baseball) The cumulative total number of times a batter has reached base as a result of a hit, base on balls, or hit-by-pitch.


Seleção

(soccer) the Brazil national football team


everydays

(softball) A softball drill in which players practise skills relating to their specific positions.


Vuck

Shortened form of "Victory". Popularised by a Melbourne Victory fan podcast, For Vuck's Sake (derived from the vulgar expression "for fuck's sake").

(informal, Australia, soccer) A supporter of Melbourne Victory (an Australian soccer club based in Melbourne)


BVB

(soccer) Initialism of Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund.


Série A

(soccer) the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (the highest division of professional football in Brazil)


Brasileirão

From Portuguese Brasileirão (“Big Brazilian”).


Championship

(soccer) the EFL Championship (the second-highest division of English football)

(soccer) the Scottish Championship (the second-highest division of Scottish football)


League One

(soccer) the EFL League One (the third-highest division of English football)


League Two

(soccer) the EFL League Two (the fourth-highest division of English football)


farmers' league

en-noun

farmers' league (plural farmers' leagues)

Derived from the humorous perception that players in a league referred to as a "farmers' league" are part-time footballers, and who also have other jobs unrelated to sports such as farming.

(informal, humorous, soccer, sometimes derogatory) a league with a perceived lack of talent and good players

farmarliga

football league with a perceived lack of talent


Burger League

In reference to American fast food chains.

(neologism, soccer, informal, humorous, sometimes derogatory) Major League Soccer (the MLS); the national professional soccer league in the United States


Camel League

Blend of (offensive) camel (“Middle Eastern person”) + Saudi Pro League

blend

(soccer, offensive) Saudi Pro League (the highest division of football in Saudi Arabia).


square around

en-verb

square around (third-person singular simple present squares around, present participle squaring around, simple past and past participle squared around)

squares around (present singular third-person)
squaring around (participle present)
squared around (participle past)
squared around (past)

(baseball, of a batter) To shift to a position to ready to bunt, i.e. by moving to face the pitcher and hold the bat laterally above the home plate.


swing away

swing away (third-person singular simple present swings away, present participle swinging away, simple past and past participle swung away)

swings away (present singular third-person)
swinging away (participle present)
swung away (participle past)
swung away (past)

(baseball, of a batter) To swing at a pitch, as opposed to bunting; to take a full swing.


hit away

hit away (third-person singular simple present hits away, present participle hitting away, simple past and past participle hit away)

hits away (present singular third-person)
hitting away (participle present)
hit away (participle past)
hit away (past)

(baseball, of a batter) Alternative form of swing away


get up into

get up into (third-person singular simple present gets up into, present participle getting up into, simple past got up into, past participle got up into or gotten up into)

gets up into (present singular third-person)
getting up into (participle present)
got up into (past)
got up into (participle past)
gotten up into (participle past)

You need to get up into him or he's gonna keep sinking baskets.

Go for it, get up into the ball!

(originally African-American Vernacular, now chiefly basketball) To move close enough to (someone or something) to guard them, stop them from scoring or passing, etc.


brush back

brush back (third-person singular simple present brushes back, present participle brushing back, simple past and past participle brushed back)

brushes back (present singular third-person)
brushing back (participle present)
brushed back (participle past)
brushed back (past)

(transitive, baseball) To throw a brushback pitch at (a batter).


slug out

slug out (third-person singular simple present slugs out, present participle slugging out, simple past and past participle slugged out)

slugs out (present singular third-person)
slugging out (participle present)
slugged out (participle past)
slugged out (past)

He slugged out a homerun in the second inning.


finger roll

(basketball) a layup shot where the ball is rolled off the tips of the player's fingers.


off the heezy

From off the hook + -eezy (suffix forming hip-hop-sounding words).

af

-eezy<pos:suffix forming hip-hop-sounding words>

Bruh I used to get inbtrouble for doing "off the heezies"😂

2019 September 24, @d0nde3zy, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-06-18:

(basketball, slang) A basketball move in which the ball is bounced off of an opponent's head.


cork out

en-verb

cork out (third-person singular simple present corks out, present participle corking out, simple past and past participle corked out)

corks out (present singular third-person)
corking out (participle present)
corked out (participle past)
corked out (past)

He corked out a home run.

(transitive, baseball) To hit the ball, especially powerfully, with a particular result.


dish off

dish off (third-person singular simple present dishes off, present participle dishing off, simple past and past participle dished off)

dishes off (present singular third-person)
dishing off (participle present)
dished off (participle past)
dished off (past)

(sports, intransitive, basketball, ice hockey) To pass the ball or puck.


field out

field out (third-person singular simple present fields out, present participle fielding out, simple past and past participle fielded out)

fields out (present singular third-person)
fielding out (participle present)
fielded out (participle past)
fielded out (past)

Hernandez fielded out in the third inning.

(intransitive, baseball) To go out as a result of a ball caught by the centerfield, left field or right field player.


open play

We've struggled to score goals in open play since early March which contributed to our promotion hopes falling away last season.

2010 November 2, Phil Merrick, Bleed White: The fall and rise of Leeds United... to be continued, AuthorHouse, →ISBN:

A dropped goal is a kick at goal in open play and can be taken from anywhere on the pitch and by any player within the team.

2015 August 27, Gavin Hickie, Eilidh Donaldson, Rugby Revealed: Reaching Your Rugby Potential, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 222:

Orient's tended to result from set pieces, whilst Ebbsfleet's came from open play.

2020 August 6, Steve Leach, Twenty Football Towns, Saraband, →ISBN:

(sports, especially soccer and rugby) The period of play outside set pieces; the phase where possession can change by passing and tackling.


heel out

heel out (third-person singular simple present heels out, present participle heeling out, simple past and past participle heeled out)

heels out (present singular third-person)
heeling out (participle present)
heeled out (participle past)
heeled out (past)

(American football, dated) To kick a ball backwards.


sweeper-keeper

sweeper-keepers (plural)
sweeper keeper (alternative)

With teams playing in a more compact fashion and defenders pushing up without the safety of a sweeper behind them, the keeper's role has evolved to that of a sweeper-keeper. Gone are the days when a keeper could remain in his sixyard box and just play his line.

2004 03, Jacob Daniel, The Complete Guide to Coaching Soccer Systems and Tactics, Reedswain Inc., →ISBN:

Sweeper keepers have high “soccer IQs” and know how to “read” the game brilliantly. They are able to play with their feet and head with equal skill to any defender.

2017 July 15, Paul Challen, What Does a Goalkeeper Do?, The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc, →ISBN, page 22:

It was a rule that made all keepers potential sweeper-keepers, and van der Sar was one of the very best around.

2021 February 18, Leo Moynihan, Thou Shall Not Pass: The Anatomy of Football’s Centre-Half, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 104:

(soccer) A hybrid of goalkeeper and sweeper roles – a goalkeeper who leaves the penalty area to start attacks.


try-off

It had nothing to do with their defensive pattern or any strategy it was about backing your instincts, and for Ma'a to finish the try off like that was pretty special.

2016, Tony Johnson, Lynn McConnell, Behind the Silver Fern: Playing Rugby for New Zealand:


rush goalie

association football
association football

(sports, soccer) A variation of association football where the goalkeeper's role is more flexible than usual.


kiss out

kiss out (third-person singular simple present kisses out, present participle kissing out, simple past and past participle kissed out)

kisses out (present singular third-person)
kissing out (participle present)
kissed out (participle past)
kissed out (past)

(billiards) To err resulting in the interaction between the cue ball and another ball(s) causing the shot to miss.


USWNT

w:United States women's national soccer team

(soccer) Initialism of United States women's national team.


heat check

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-heat check.wav

Great shooters have a short memory. Regardless of how many shots they might miss in a game, they step into the next one like it’s a heat check. It’s not just about makes and misses. It’s about an ability to make constant adjustments, staying confident in your technique and living with the results.

2022 February 2, C.J. Holmes, “NBA 75: Great shooting is an art form, but it takes time and work to forge”, in The Athletic:

(basketball) A difficult or risky shot attempted by a player who has made several consecutive successful shots, aiming to test whether they can maintain their streak.


Red Flames

(soccer) the Belgium women's national football team


Albiceleste

(soccer) the Argentina national football team


back door slider

en-noun

back door slider (plural back door sliders)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-back door slider.wav

(US, baseball) A baseball pitch that begins by entering outside the plate, but then breaks back in towards the plate at the last minute.


plumbers and firemen

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-plumbers and firemen.wav

Originated from a exchange in a 2022 episode of First Take. In response to a remark that Bob Cousy once had 29 assists in a game, JJ Redick responded, "well, he was being guarded by plumbers and firemen".

(informal, derogatory, chiefly basketball) A notional inferior level of competition that allowed past champions to excel.

Bob Cousy
First Take (talk show)
JJ Redick


heat checker

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-heat checker.wav

[Markieff] Morris isn’t quite the post-up threat that [Enes] Kanter is, and he can play both the 4 spot and 5 spot instead of just center, like Kanter. He is capable of playing a similar way, backing defenders down in the post. He prefers getting his buckets there with a bevy of fade-aways and jumpers. He’s a heat checker. And he can get hot on the block.

2019 February 25, Brett Dawson, Fred Katz, “How power forward Markieff Morris might fit in with the Thunder”, in The Athletic:

(basketball) A player who performs a heat check.


pick and pop

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-pick and pop.wav

He [Markieff Morris] won the Wizards a game in Portland earlier this year (a place Thunder fans know is not exactly the easiest to win in) just because Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic kept dropping back on pick-and-pops and Morris continued heading beyond the 3-point line.

(basketball) An alternate version of pick and roll where the player moves to an open spot, where they receive a pass and make a jump shot.


block tackle

Caoimhín Kelleher saved but Gordon recycled the move, crossing low for Kane, who was stopped by Nathan Collins’s block tackle.

2024 September 7, David Hytner, “Rice and Grealish start new England era with Nations League victory in Ireland”, in The Guardian:

(soccer) A defensive technique used to regain possession of the ball from an opponent by positioning the body in front of the ball and using the legs to obstruct the opponent's path, preventing them from advancing.

(rugby) A defensive maneuver where a player uses their body to block an opponent who is carrying the ball.


bat deep

en-verb

bat deep (third-person singular simple present bats deep, present participle batting deep, simple past and past participle batted deep)

bats deep (present singular third-person)
batting deep (participle present)
batted deep (participle past)
batted deep (past)

I thought they were a brilliant side to watch. They might have been a bit regimented in the way they went about things but they had pace with the ball and in the field, and they batted deep, with guys like Mark Boucher, Lance Klusener and Shaun Pollock often coming in at numbers seven, eight and nine.

2010 October 28, Hachette New Zealand, Shane Bond - Looking Back, Hachette UK, →ISBN:

(cricket, of a team) To have a significant number of talented batters, even batting low in the order.


Both teams employed what could be considered attacking formations—Scotland (2-2-6), and England (1-1-8) […]

2011, Jaime Orejan, Football/Soccer: History and Tactics, →ISBN, page 31:

(soccer) A soccer formation with 2 defenders, 2 midfielders and 6 strikers.


woso

(Internet, soccer, US, Canada, Australia) women's soccer


Spursy

en-adj

Spursy (comparative more Spursy, superlative most Spursy)

more Spursy (comparative)
most Spursy (superlative)

From Spurs + -y. Tottenham Hotspur consistently finish near the top of the Premier League but have won no trophies in recent years.

In the 1978-79 season, Chelsea, who had come up the year before, finished dead last in the first division and were relegated again. But no worries, I still had my Robins in the top flight. But then they did something more Spursy than anything the Spurs could ever dream of. They were relegated in successive seasons between 1980 and 1982[…]

2018 May 15, Roger Bennett, Michael Davies, Men in Blazers Present Encyclopedia Blazertannica: A Suboptimal Guide to Soccer, America's "Sport of the Future" Since 1972, Knopf, →ISBN, page 27:

Rice has a solid tournament for England. He is excellent in the quarter-final against France, until it all goes a bit Spursy for Harry Kane who uncharacteristically misses a penalty in the 2-1 defeat.

2024 January 30, Pete May, Massive: The Miracle of Prague, Biteback Publishing, →ISBN:

Then came the hammer blow as Pennant stated: "England are Spursy."

2024 March 26, Joe Brophy, quoting Jermaine Pennant, “Gareth Southgate’s record and ‘Spursy’ England worry me – we may have to play Italy, France and Spain to win Euros”, in talkSPORT:

(UK, soccer, humorous, informal) Having a promising team, but losing in an embarrassing way.

(UK, soccer, humorous, informal) Unpredictable.


defensive line of scrimmage

en-noun

defensive line of scrimmage (plural defensive lines of scrimmage)

(American football) The scrimmage line on the defensive side of the football field.


pitcher's plate

pitcher's plate (plural pitcher's plates)

(baseball) Synonym of rubber (“the rectangular pad on the pitcher's mound from which the pitcher must pitch”)


pitcher's rubber

pitcher's rubber (plural pitcher's rubbers)


Rocktober

/ɹɒkˈtəʊ.bə/

(baseball, slang, historical) The 2007 Colorado Rockies season, in which that team won the vast majority of its games.


GGMU

w:Glory Glory (football chant)#Manchester United

(soccer) Initialism of Glory Glory Man United.


COY-

(soccer) Initialism of come on you. (used by supporters of football clubs, especially English football clubs)


COYS

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Spurs. (used by supporters of Tottenham Hotspur F.C.)

come on you Spurs

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Seagulls. (used by supporters of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.)


COYG

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Gunners. (used by supporters of Arsenal F.C.)


COYP

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Palace. (used by supporters of Crystal Palace F.C.)

come on you Palace

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Pompey. (used by supporters of Portsmouth F.C.)


COYI

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Irons. (used by supporters of West Ham United F.C.)


COYL

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Lions. (used by supporters of Millwall F.C.)


COYT

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Toffees. (used by supporters of Everton F.C.)


COYB

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Blues. (used by supporters of Chelsea F.C. and Everton F.C.)

come on you Blues

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Brentford. (used by supporters of Brentford F.C.)


COYH

From COY- + Hatters, COY- + Hammers or COY- + Hornets.

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Hatters. (used by supporters of Luton Town F.C.)

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Hammers. (used by supporters of West Ham United F.C.)

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Hornets. (used by supporters of Watford F.C.)


COYRs

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Rs. (used by supporters of Queens Park Rangers F.C.)


COYR

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Reds. (used by supporters of Liverpool F.C., Manchester United F.C., Nottingham Forest F.C. and Southampton F.C.)

come on you Reds

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Rams. (used by supporters of Derby County F.C.)


COYM

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Magpies. (used by supporters of Newcastle United F.C.)

come on you Magpies

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Mauves. (used by supporters of R.S.C. Anderlecht)


COYW

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Whites. (used by supporters of Fulham F.C., Leeds United F.C. and Preston North End F.C.)

come on you Whites

(soccer) Initialism of come on you Wolves. (used by supporters of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.)


rainbow kick

(soccer) A trick in which the player makes the ball arc over the opponent's head using both feet.


Ardiles flick

From the Argentine football player Osvaldo Ardiles, who performs the trick in a famous scene as a character in the 1981 film Escape to Victory.


beer match

(cricket) A friendly cricket match to fill time after a scheduled game that ends early, sometimes played with unusual variations of the rules.


odds match

(cricket) A match in which one side has more players than the other.


drinks waiter

(cricket, humorous) Synonym of twelfth man


SENA

(cricket) Abbreviation of South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia.


asking rate

required run rate
required run rate#English


required run rate

required run rate (plural required run rates)

Coordinate term: net run rate

(cricket) The average number of runs per over that the batting side must achieve in order to win the present match.


net run rate

Coordinate term: required run rate

(cricket) The average run rate scored by a team minus the average run rate scored against them.


pie thrower

(cricket, informal) Synonym of pie-chucker


sun ball

sun in his eyes
have the sun in one's eyes

(baseball, cricket) A high ball that is difficult to hit because the batter has the sun in his eyes.


toe-crusher

(cricket, slang) A delivery directed at the feet of the facing batsman.


walking wicket

(cricket, slang) A batter who performs very badly.


nipbacker

nipbackers (plural)
nip-backer (alternative)

(cricket, slang) A delivery that pitches outside the line of off stump then deviates off the seam, moving towards the batter.


pea roller

(cricket) A now-illegal delivery where the ball is rolled along the ground rather than bowled overarm.


perfume ball

From the idea that the ball passes close enough for the batter to smell it.

(cricket, slang) A bouncer on or just outside off stump that passes very close to the batter's face.


quarter seam

(cricket) A small join that runs around a cricket ball at 90 degrees to the main seam, and has no stitching.


beat the bat

en-verb

beat the bat (third-person singular simple present beats the bat, present participle beating the bat, simple past beat the bat, past participle beaten the bat)

beats the bat (present singular third-person)
beating the bat (participle present)
beat the bat (past)
beaten the bat (participle past)

(cricket, informal) Of a ball: to just barely avoid being struck by the bat, through sheer luck.

(cricket, informal) Of a bowler: to deliver such a ball.


cafeteria bowling

Referring to the practice of selecting food from a counter in a cafeteria.

(cricket, slang) Poor-quality bowling which is easy to hit, allowing the batters to help themselves to runs.


buffet bowling

cafeteria bowling
cafeteria bowling#English

(cricket, slang) Synonym of cafeteria bowling


fourth stump

(cricket) A position or line one stump's width outside the off stump, i.e. where the wicket's fourth stump would be positioned if it existed.


fast bowling

(cricket) The kind of bowling done by a fast bowler.


declaration bowling

(cricket) Deliberately poor bowling from the fielding team, with the intention of allowing the batters to score runs quickly and thus encourage the opposing captain to declare, thereby giving both teams a reasonable chance of winning in a timed match which would otherwise be a draw.


pad play

(cricket) A style of play in which the pads, rather than the bat, are deliberately used to deflect the ball away from the wicket.


daddy hundred

England scored 537 courtesy of a daddy hundred by Len Hutton and Godfrey Evans.

2022, Yashaswee Raman, Test of Times: Reliving Indian Cricket History:

(cricket, slang) A batter's individual score that is substantially higher than a century (100).


fly slip

en-noun

fly slip (countable and uncountable, plural fly slips)

(uncountable) A position deeper than the conventional slips, between the slips and third man.


given man

(cricket, chiefly historical) A skilled player given by the stronger team in a match to the weaker team, as a form of handicap.


full pint

(cricket, slang) The situation where a stump is knocked completely out of the ground by a delivery.


Natmeg

Blend of Nat + nutmeg, named after Nat (Natalie) Sciver-Brunt, who popularized the shot. A nutmeg is a somewhat similar move in football.

Just as the World Cup did more to raise the profile of women's cricket than years of hard graft by those before it, the Natmeg elevated Sciver on to a platform almost overnight.

2018, Lawrence Booth, The Shorter Wisden 2018:

(cricket, slang) A shot where the batsman plays the ball between their own legs into the leg side.


Owl

Named from the Owlerton stadium where they used to play.

(soccer, slang) A player or fan of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club.


check upstairs

en-verb

check upstairs (third-person singular simple present checks upstairs, present participle checking upstairs, simple past and past participle checked upstairs)

checks upstairs (present singular third-person)
checking upstairs (participle present)
checked upstairs (participle past)
checked upstairs (past)

The third umpire is typically seated high in the stadium, with replays displayed on elevated screens.

(cricket, informal) To invoke the Decision Review System.


flamingo shot

(cricket) A type of shot whereby the batter flicks the delivery from outside off stump through midwicket.


teesra

2021, Neha Bedi, Sachin Bajaj, The Sardar of Spin
I can ascertain that even in the present era where T20 cricket has redefined spin bowling and spinners have started bowling doosras and teesras and fire the deliveries in, you can expect Bishan Singh Bedi to stick to his original definition, and insist that, 'A spinner is one who turns the ball...'

(cricket) A backspin delivery by a finger spin bowler.


day/night cricket

(cricket) Day-nighter matches generally.


devil's number

(cricket) A score of 87 runs, sometimes regarded as unlucky because it is 13 runs short of a century.


stock bowler

Coordinate term: strike bowler

(cricket) A bowler whose role is to restrict scoring rather than to take wickets.


arm ball

(cricket) A type of delivery, the finger spin equivalent of a wrist spinner's slider or zooter.


fast leg theory

(cricket) The bodyline approach to bowling.


letter-high

(baseball) Synonym of chest-high (of a pitch)


defensive lineman

en-noun

defensive lineman (plural defensive linemen)

(American football) A player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage when the opposition controls the ball.


helicopter shot

helicopter shot (plural helicopter shots)

So called from the flourish completing the stroke, with the bat circled overhead like the blades of a helicopter.

(cricket) The act of hitting the ball with a wristy flick, using the bottom hand as the dominant force.


straight up and down

(cricket) Bowling at a medium or fast pace without swing or seam.


safety shot

What a great safety shot from Hendry!

(snooker) A shot in which a player does not attempt to pot a ball, but instead tries to leave the balls positioned such that his opponent cannot pot a ball.


Emptyhad

empty + Etihad, implying that there are few Manchester City fans and the ones that exist are supposedly silent or do not attend games.

(soccer, slang) City of Manchester Stadium (known as Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons), the home ground of Manchester City F.C.


Etihad

Deprived from the name of Etihad Airways.

(soccer) City of Manchester Stadium (known as Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons), the home ground of Manchester City


Al-Gharafa

bor

Arabic الغرافة

(soccer) Al-Gharafa Sports Club, a football club from Doha, Qatar (named after the Al-Gharrafa district)


Al-Hilal

Arabic الهلال

(soccer) Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club, a football club from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

(basketball) Al-Hilal, a basketball club from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia


Al-Ittihad

A name given to several football clubs in the Arab world

(soccer) Ittihad Club, a football club from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

(basketball) Al-Ittihad Jeddah, a basketball club from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia


Al-Nassr

(soccer) Al-Nassr Football Club, a football club from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

(basketball) Al-Nassr Basketball Club, a basketball club from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia


Ballon d'Or

From French Ballon d’Or (“Golden Ball”).

(soccer) A prestigious award in football, presented annually by the France Football magazine and given to the player deemed to be the best of the previous season.


From Cristiano Ronaldo's initials (CR) and his playing number (7).

(soccer) Cristiano Ronaldo (a Portuguese footballer)


From Ronaldo's initial (R) and his playing number (9).

(soccer) Ronaldo (a Brazilian footballer)


open-field

(American football) Of a player, capable of obtaining yardage in a broken field.


Jerry World

(American football) A nickname for AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.


Mantildas

2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
Australia men's national soccer team
Australia women's national soccer team
Matildas fever

Blend of man + Matildas (derived from the fact that the Australia women's national soccer team has become more popular than the Australia men's national soccer team due to the success of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, held in Australia and New Zealand).

(Australia, humorous, soccer) The Socceroos (the Australia men's national soccer team).


Mantilda

(Australia, humorous, soccer) A Socceroo (someone who plays for the Australia men's national soccer team).


THFC

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club
w:Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.


WHUFC

West Ham United Football Club
w:West Ham United F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of West Ham United Football Club.


BHAFC

Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club
w:Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club.


CPFC

Crystal Palace Football Club
w:Crystal Palace F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Crystal Palace Football Club.


NFFC

Nottingham Forest Football Club
w:Nottingham Forest F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Nottingham Forest Football Club.


AVFC

Aston Villa Football Club
w:Aston Villa F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Aston Villa Football Club.


ITFC

Ipswich Town Football Club
w:Ipswich Town F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Ipswich Town Football Club.


LCFC

Leicester City Football Club
w:Leicester City F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Leicester City Football Club.


NUFC

Newcastle United Football Club
w:Newcastle United F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Newcastle United Football Club.


WWFC

Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club
w:Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.

(soccer) Initialism of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club.