Soccer Terms & Soccer Rule Definitions

pass back; 3. Communication to a teammate letting him know 
that he has support behind him; 4. Another name for 
fullback. 
Back pass: A pass made to a trailing player (one who is 
behind the ball carrier). 
Balance: Used to describe the concurrent presence of 
coverage by a team in all important areas of the field of 
play. See shape. 
Ball side: A player who is closer to the ball than to the 
opponent he is playing against is said to be "ball side" of 
the opponent. See goal side. 
Bench: The physical structure or area for the substitutes 
and coaches. 
Bicycle kick: A technique whereby a player kicks a ball 
while leaving his feet, and with his back to the intended 
target. Both feet are in the air, hence the reference to 
riding an imaginary bicycle. Also called a "scissors kick". 
Booking: Terminology used to indicate that a player has had 
his name/number recorded, by the referee, for receiving a 
yellow or red card. The player is said to have been 
"booked". (Law 12) 
Boots: See footwear. (Law 4)
Box: See penalty area.
Breakaway: An attacker who gets behind all field defenders, 
with possession of the ball, is said to have a breakaway. 
Captain: One player who has been designated by the coach to 
be the one person who can communicate with the referee, 
while on the field. While FIFA doesn't give captains an 
official designation, youth soccer can utilize two or three 
captains. A captain is designated with a distinctive arm 
band. 
Caught in possession: A player who neither moves forward 
with the ball nor passes to a teammate after receiving the 
ball, and who is then tacked by an opponent, is said to have 
been "caught in possession". 
Caught square: When two or more defenders have been beaten 
by a through ball because they were positioned square to one 
another (in other words, in a line across the field parallel 
to the goal line) because one or more failed to drop off and 
provide support, they are said to have been "caught 
square". 
Caution: When the referee shows a yellow card to a player 
and records that player's name because of misconduct, he is 
said to have "cautioned" the player. (Law 12) 
Center circle: A circle of 10 yard (9.15 meter) radius, 
drawn with the center mark as its center. (Law 1) 
Center mark: The mark that is placed on the half-line, 
designating the midway point on the line. (Law 1) 
Center: Or "centering." See cross.
Channel: 1. An imaginary lane about 10 yards wide running