 General Sports Vocabulary

 arena

The arena was full of excited spectators cheering on their team.

a level area for holding sports events, surrounded by seats for spectators

 amateur

The Olympic Games were originally for amateur athletes only.

engaged in something, like playing sports, without payment; non-professional

 athlete

Most professional athletes spend hours every day in training.

a person who trains for and competes in a sport

 athletics

There are some very good runners on our athletics team.

'track and field' events of running, jumping, throwing, etc.

 award

All the members of the winning team were awarded a gold medal.

to give someone something as a reward for high achievement

 beat

Italy beat France to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

to defeat someone in a game or a competition

 captain

The captain usually leads his or her team onto the field.

the leader of a team

A wicketkeeper in cricket must be very good at catching the ball.

to grab and hold something that has been thrown

 champion

The boxer Muhammad Ali was World Heavyweight Champion three times.

a top-rated, highly successful player

 cheer on

The fans made a lot of noise cheering on their team.

to shout encouragement to a team or a player

 coach

Players should carry out their coach's instructions during a game.

a person who trains and directs an athlete or a sports team

 compete

Over 10,000 athletes will compete in the Olympic Games.

to take part in a contest or a competition

 competition

The English Premiership League is one of the world's top football

competitions.

an organized event in which people compete to win

 competitor

Each competitor in a golf tournament must record his or her own score.

a person who takes part in a competition or a sporting contest

 contest

Do you know who won this year's figure skating contest?

a game or event in which people compete to win

The tennis courts at Wimbledon in London have a grass surface.

a quadrangular area on which ball games are played, such as tennis or

basketball

 course

A golf course usually has eighteen holes.

an area of land prepared for racing, golf, or other sports

 cup

After they won the final game, the winners were awarded the Championship

Cup.

a cup-shaped trophy, awarded as a prize in a contest

 defeat

Our players were very happy after they defeated their opponents in the final

game.

to win a victory over opponents in a game or contest; to beat

 defend

The team attacked and scored two goals, then spent the rest of the game

defending the lead.

to protect one's goal rather than attempt to score against one's opponents

 draw

The score was 1-0, but the losing team got a late goal and the game ended in

a 1-1 draw.

to finish a contest or game with an even score; tie

The 100 metres run is one of the most exciting events in athletics.

a particular contest in a sporting programme

 fan

Sometimes the umpire of a tennis match has to tell noisy fans to be quiet.

a person who supports a particular sport, team or player

 field

How many players are allowed on the field during a baseball game?

a piece of land marked out for a sports contest e.g. hockey field

 final score

Today's basketball game was very close. The final score was 84 to 82.

the score at the end of a game

 fitness

I exercise at the gym every day for fitness and good health.

the condition of being physically fit and healthy

 goal

Jimmy got the ball, ran down the pitch, and then scored the best goal of the

game.

an instance of scoring in a ball game by getting the ball into a target such as

between goal-posts, through a hoop, or into a net.

 gym / gymnasium

Our gym has a lot of new exercise equipment, including running machines

and cycling machines.

a room or building equipped for physical exercise

The players went into the rooms at half-time and listened to their coach.

the interval between the first and second halves of a game

 judge

In sports like diving and gymnastics, judges score each performance in a

contest.

a person who rates the quality of a sporting performance, usually by awarding

points

 league

Nearly every town in the U.S. has teams in a local baseball league.

a group of sports clubs that play each other over a period for a championship

 leisure

It's good for kids to spend some of their leisure time playing sports.

free time, or the use of free time for enjoyment

 lob

Her lob flew high into the air and dropped into the back of the court, just inside

the baseline.

a shot that is hit in a high arc, usually over the opponent's head

 manager

Liverpool sacked their manager after they lost eight of their previous ten

games.

the person in charge of a sports team

 medal

Every athlete's dream is to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games.

a piece of engraved metal given to signify an achievement or an honor

The object of the game of football is to score more goals than the opponents.

the thing you want to get or achieve; what you aim to do

 offside

Forwards have to learn how to avoid being caught in an offside position.

In an illegal position ahead of the ball (in football, rugby, hockey, etc.)

 opponent

Roger Federer's opponent in the Wimbledon final was Rafael Nadal.

the person one competes against in a contest or a game; rival

 pass

A defender tries to pass the ball to a forward in a good position to score.

to throw or kick the ball to another player on one's own team

 penalty

The penalty for abusing a referee is usually a one-match suspension.

a punishment imposed on a player or team for breaking the rules of a sport

 perform

All the athletes will do their best to perform well in the Olympic Games.

to carry out a practised activity, such a play a sport

 performance

Venus Williams put in one the best performances of her life to win the

tournament.

an instance of competing in a sports event in public

 physique

Rugby players work hard in the gym to build up their physiques.

the form or shape of a person's body

The fans cheered as the players ran onto the pitch.

a playing field (British)

 pitch (2)

Our pitcher threw one of the best pitches of his life to win the game.

a throw of the ball, esp. in baseball and softball

 player

How many players are on the court during a doubles match in tennis?

a person who plays a sport

 practise

(Noun: practice)

Professional golfers spend hours every day practising their shots.

to repeatedly do something in order to develop one's skill

 professional

Tiger Woods has been a professional golfer since he was 20 years old.

a person whose paid occupation is playing a sport

 record

Do you know who holds the world record for the men's 100 metres?

the best performance that has been officially measured and noted

 referee

The referee saw a foul, blew his whistle and awarded a free kick.

a sports official with authority to make rulings during a contest

 rules

In several sports there is an offside rule, and it's often difficult to explain.

the laws or regulations that govern how a game or sport is played

Do you know how to keep score in badminton?

the number of points a competitor or team earns during a game

 serve

Serving the ball is one of the most important skills in sports like tennis.

to hit the ball to begin play (in tennis, table tennis, squash, volleyball, etc.)

 shoot

In basketball, players try shoot from outside the 3-point line to score the extra

points.

to kick, hit, or throw the ball in an attempt to score a goal (in soccer, hockey,

basketball, etc.)

 skill

Ken has gone to a boxing camp to improve his boxing skills.

the ability to do something well

 spectator

Spectators can add a lot to sporting events by creating an exciting

atmosphere.

a person who watches an event

 sportsmanship

Good managers know how to teach their players sportsmanship.

an attitude of fairness, respect for opponents, and graciousness in winning or

losing
 stadium

plural: stadiums or stadia

The stadium was built for sports, but it's sometimes used for concerts as well.

a sports arena with tiered seating for spectators

 strategy

One of the jobs of the manager or coach is to develop a strategy for winning

each game.

a plan to achieve an objective

 tackle

Rugby players have to learn how to tackle an opponent strongly but fairly.

to challenge an opponent who has the ball

 tactics

Players use tactics such as attacking their opponent's weaknesses in order to

win.

an action or strategy planned to achieve an objective

 talent

Our daughter's basketball coach says she has a lot of natural talent for the

game.

a natural aptitude or skill

 teammate

The team wins because the players are always looking for their teammates.

a fellow member of a sports team

The best teams spend a lot of time on the training ground working on

teamwork.

the combined action of a group of people

 tie

The score was very close throughout the game, and it ended in a tie with 89

points each.

a result in a game in which teams have the same final score; a draw

 tournament

The four major tennis tournaments form what is known as the 'Grand Slam'.

a series of contests between a number of competitors, who compete for an

overall prize

 trainer

Some players are a bit lazy and need a strict trainer to make them work hard.

a person who helps athletes develop their skills and fitness

 train

The hockey team trains every Tuesday and Thursday after school.

to teach a skill over time through instruction; to practise a skill

 trophy

The players carried the trophy over their heads as they ran around the

stadium.

a decorative object awarded as a prize in a contest or a tournament

 umpire

In a game of cricket, there are two umpires on the field during play.

a sports official with authority to make rulings during a contest

The players had worked very hard, and they deserved their victory.

the act of winning a game or contest

 whistle

The referee blew his whistle twice to signal the end of the match.

a small instrument that makes a high-pitched noise when blown

 Assistant referee: (Noun) This is the person who runs up and down the

football pitch (field). Their job is to tell the referee if the ball goes out. They are

also important when it comes to helping with offside decisions. In the past,

this person’s job was called a ‘linesman.’

 Attacker: (Noun) The role of an attacker in a team is to score goals. Another

word for an attacker is a forward.

 Away game: (Noun) When the team has to travel to another team’s stadium

to play the match.

 Corner: (Noun) This is a free kick from any of the four corners of the pitch.

 Locker room: (Noun) The area where teams meet and change into their

football uniforms.

 Draw: (Verb/Noun) When the final score is the same (e.g. 1-1).

 Equalizer: (Noun) When one player scores a goal and the score becomes

equal (the same).

 Foul: (Noun) When a player does an illegal action such as touching the ball

with their hands. They are punished and the other team is awarded a free

kick.

 Full-time: (Noun) When the final whistle is blown and the game is over.
 Defender: (Noun) A defender is a player who tries to stop the other team

from scoring a goal.

 Goalkeeper: (Noun) The player who stands between the goal posts and tries

to stop the ball from entering the goal.

 Half-time: (Noun) The short break after the first half of the game is played.

 Header: (Noun) The hit of the ball with the head instead of the foot.

 Home game: (Noun) When the team gets to play in their own territory.

Opposite: Away game.

 Injury time: (Noun) Extra time at the end of half-time or full-time if there have

been any injuries during the game.

 Kick off: (Verb/Noun) When the game begins.

 Match: (Noun) Another word for a game.

 Midfielder: (Noun) A player who usually stays in the middle of the field.

 Off sides: (Adjective/Noun) A football rule that states that when the ball is

passed, there must be at least 2 defenders between the attacker from the

other team and the goal line. If not, it is considered offsides and the player is

punished.

 Pass: (Verb/Noun) To kick the ball to another player on your team.

 Pitch: (Noun) The football field.

 Stands: (Noun) Where the fans sit in the stadium.

 Striker: (Noun) A player who shoots the goals.

 Tackle: (Verb) To try and take the ball from the opposite team using your

feet.

 Concede: (Verb) When the goalkeeper allows a goal to be scored.

 Defeat: (Noun) To suffer a defeat means to lose the match/game.

between the two teams. For example, team A scored 3 goals and team B

scored 1 goal so the goal difference is 2.

 Knock out (Phrasal Verb) If one team knocks out another team, they beat

them. After this the losing team can no longer play in the tournament. (nail it)

 (The) Lead: (Noun) If a team has the lead, then they are winning at the

moment.

 Score: (Noun) The recorded number of goals that shows us who is winning

the match.

 Shin-pads: (Noun) These are plastic covers that protect a player’s shins (the

bottom part of the leg’s front) from getting kicked.

 Get stuck in: (Verb/phrase) To play hard with a lot of determination.

 Have a lot of pace: (Verb/phrase) To be quick.

 Have a sweet left foot: (Verb/phrase) To say that a person is very skilled at

kicking and scoring with their left foot.

 Man on! (Noun) A warning that you can use to shout out to your teammate to

tell him that another player is right behind them.

 Pull off a great/amazing save: (Verb/phrase) To be able to save a ball that

many people expected to be a goal.