Soccer Terms & Soccer Rule Definitions

be marking him or her; 2. A player guarded by another player 
(as in "Who's your mark?"). 
Mark up: Used to instruct players to guard an opponent so 
that all attacking players are marked. 
Marking back: A fullback with primary responsibility for 
marking one of the opposing forwards. 
Match: A game of soccer. In Britain, a regularly scheduled 
league meeting between two teams is frequently referred to 
as a "fixture", while a match in the context of a Cup 
competition is often called a "tie". 
Micro-soccer: Any one of a number of small-sided formats 
(frequently 3, 4 or 5 players a side) used with very young 
players. 
Middle third: See attacking third.
Midfielder: Player occupying a position between the forwards 
and fullbacks. 
Misconduct: An offense that is a serious breach of the 
spirit of the game and results in either a caution or an 
ejection 
Movement: 1. A player moving with the ball. 2. Players 
moving, who are not carrying the ball, in an attempt to move 
to an unoccupied area to bring defenders with them or create 
an area where they can receive a pass. 
Near post: The goalpost that is nearest to the ball.
Nets: Netting that is attached to the goalposts, crossbar 
and the ground, to ensure (barring any gaping holes or loose 
fittings) that a goal has indeed gone through the opening 
created by the goalposts and crossbar. (Law 1  
Nutmeg: Describing the action of putting a ball through the 
space created when a defender has his legs spread. A player 
is said to have been "nutmegged" or "megged." 
Obstruction : "Impeding a player's progress." Playing the 
player, not the ball. A player uses his body as an 
impediment or an obstruction merely to prevent a play on the 
ball. (Law 12) 
Offside: See offside position and offside infraction. (Law 
11)  
Offside infraction: A player in an offside position while 
his team has the ball becomes involved in active play, such 
as by being the recipient of a pass. (Law 11) 
Offside position: The situation where an attacking player, 
on the offensive half of the field, has put himself in a 
position where there are fewer than two opponents between 
him and the goal. This positioning does not constitute a 
foul, until he becomes involved in the play. (Law 11)  
Offside trap: The act of the defenders moving forward in 
unison to place an opponent in an offside position, thereby 
creating an offside infraction. (Law 11)