groundhopping n.— «Its called groundhopping, and even the hobby’s followers acknowledge it is a little strange.…groundhoppers ticking off matches at this year’s Asian Cup, crisscrossing the region frantically to squeeze in as many...
can count on no hands v. phr.— «The amount of business we’ve gotten from the World Soccer Cup you can count on no hands.…We have no business tied to that event at all.» —“It seems we’ve heard that song before: San Jose loses...
pilo polo n.— «For more than 10 years, a group has gathered to play pilo (pronounced like pillow) polo on winter holidays. Players are loosely divided into two teams. Each player gets a short plastic mallet with a rubber end. Everyone...
hard red card n.— «Nobody drew what’s known as a “hard red” card, which for a player would result in an immediate ejection from the game as well as the next game.» —“Soccer showdown gets ugly” by John...
Beckham bone n.— «The Jones fracture, as it came to be called, occurs near the ankle end of the bone, and befalls dancers and soccer players (the metatarsal is known in England as “the Beckham bone”); the Vineyard fracture, meanwhile, is...
hoofball n. football (U.S.: soccer) played with a focus on long kicks (rather than on dribbling and passing). Editorial Note: Hoofball is usually considered a passive, boring way to play the sport. Etymological Note: From hoof (it), to kick...