Soccer Terms & Soccer Rule Definitions

to let his or her teammate know of the presence of support. 
Cross: The term used to describe a ball that has been kicked 
or thrown (from a throw-in) from near the touch line towards 
the goal. 
Crossbar: The structure of the goal that connects the two 
upright goalposts. (Law 1) 
Cut: A subtle adjustment made when carrying the ball. The 
ball carrier moves the ball in a different direction to 
avoid being tackled. Similar to a chop, but t he action is 
not as forceful. 
D: Abbreviation referring to the penalty arc. (Law 1) 
Dead ball situation: Any situation when the ball in being 
put back into play by the attacking team, especially a 
direct or indirect free kick or a corner kick. (Laws 13, 17) 

Defensive third: See attacking third.
Deflection: 1. An uncontrolled rebound off a player or the 
referee. 2. A save attempt by a goalkeeper (usually with the 
hands) where the ball rebounds away (see parry). 
DFK: Abbreviation referring to a direct free kick. (Law 13) 

Diagonal: Any action (pass, kick or run) that moves 
corner-to-corner with respect to the field of play. The 
player doesn't have to use all the space between the 
corners, which are simply a reference to a diagonal. 
Direct free kick: A method of restarting play, where the 
player taking the kick may shoot the ball directly into the 
net. Indicated by the referee when he points in the 
direction of the kick. (Law 13)  
Direct play: A tactical system in which a team attempts to 
play the ball forward into the attacking third as soon as 
possible after recovering possession, frequently by playing 
long balls over the top. Often contrasted with possession 
play. (Law 13) 
Dissent: Expressing disagreement by word or action with any 
decision of the referee. (Law 12) 
Dive: An exaggeration of the effect of contact, including 
falling to the ground, intended to influence the referee to 
award a free kick in favor of the player's team. This is 
considered unsporting behavior, possibly punishable by 
yellow card. Also a technique used by goal keepers in an 
attempt to stop a shot on goal. 
Dive in: To attempt to tackle an opponent without first 
slowing one's own or the opponent's forward progress, 
thereby making it easy for the opponent to beat the defender 
with a dribbling move. See jockey. 
Draw: Also called a tie. When both teams score an equal 
number of goals, including no goals scored by either team.