A call for defenders to chose a man to defend. See Mark A Man.

A call for attackers to run towards the keeper in order to kick a ball that the keeper may block (instead of catch) or deflect.

A call for defenders to position themselves in a defensive position against an attacker so the attackers progress is slowed, but so that the defender is not beaten. This process allows other defenders to recover.

Man-On or Man

A call to an offensive player (with ball) telling him that a defensive player is approaching.

A call for defenders to chose a man to defend. See Find Your Marks.

A call to a defensive player to position himself in a way so as not to allow the offensive player (with ball) to face the defensive player, but rather for the offensive player to be forced to play with his back to the defensive player.

Pressure

A call to defensive players to move up the field towards the mid line. Sometimes this forces the opponent’s forward to move toward the mid line so as not to be offside. Also used to describe coaches’ favorite encouragement technique.

A call to defenders to regain their position between the attacker (with or without the ball) and the goal they are defending.  This is frequently called when defenders are pushed up and the opponents mount a quick counter attack.

A call to defenders to move quickly away from their own goal towards the mid line in order move the offensive players away from the goal (otherwise the offensive players would be in an offside position). Similar to push up.

A call for the offensive to play the ball to the opposite side of the field.  For example: when ball is moved up left side of field, a call to switch would mean the ball would be played either directly or by multiple players to the right side of the field. When played quickly, switching the ball can take advantage of a defense that has lost its shape.

Support          

A call to players on the offensive team without the ball to give the player with the ball options to pass the ball out of pressure, usually when attacking or shielding.

A call to an offensive player letting him know that no defender is nearby.         

Turn

A call to an offensive player (with his back to the defense) letting him know that he can turn and face the defense without a defender nearby.

A call for defenders to make a wall in front of the goal. This is called when a free kick is to be made.

You Got A Drop

A call from an offensive player to a teammate indicating that he is open to receive a pass.

To receive a yellow card or red card from the official.

Yellow card is for a flagrant penalty (taunting, cursing, tackling from behind, etc). Red card is for fighting, intentionally trying to do harm, etc. A player receiving a red card is ejected from the game and his team must play a man down (no replacement player for ejected player). In some instances, the ejected player is ineligible for the next game. A player receiving a second yellow card (referred to as a soft red in high school) is also ejected without replacement (except in high school rules, in which case a substitution is allowed).

A high looping shot on goal intended to go over the keeper’s head into the goal.

A pass made from a player on one side of the field towards the middle of the field many times towards the goal.

A poorly executed challenge by a defensive player in an area of the field or in a defensive situation where jockeying would have been a better play. May be accentuated with references to "Swan" or "One-and-a-half" and other diving term.

The art of striking the ball with one’s forehead (and living to tell about it).

An offensive player runs (without the ball) to an open position to receive the ball.

Nutmeg

A difficult principle for parents to understand especially when their child has been called for it. Referees do not call this infraction consistently and may argue amongst themselves (in private, of course) as to when it should be called. Very simply, it is a foul when an offensive player (without the ball) is positioned closer to the opposing goal than any two defenders, including the keeper (usually the keeper is one of the defenders), before and when the ball is played (could be kicked, headed, chested, thighed, or any other way legally played) past the second to last defender. A player may move into an offside position after the ball has been played, no longer being illegally positioned. The player does not need to receive the ball before moving into the offside position, but cannot move behind the defenders until the ball is played.

Offside does not apply on a corner kick or a throw in. A player cannot be offside in her defensive half of the field.

Alternate explanation here. Excellent analogy.

The British term for the soccer field.

Referring to the goal post. “Make a near-post run.” See also Make a run. Also used by the keeper to command players to "post-up" or stand on both posts, usually on corner kicks or free kicks from near the touchline.

The process of receiving the ball and causing it to stop at or near one’s feet using one's feet, head, chest, thigh or any other way legally touched. May be from a pass, a punt, a header, etc.

Through ball

To play a pass behind the defense for one of your players to run onto. This pass has to be made with perfect pace and accuracy so it beats the defense and allows attackers to collect it before the goalkeeper.

Sideline Rules of Conduct
For many of life’s endeavors there are unwritten, but fiercely enforced, codes of conduct which must be followed if law and order is to prevail. Soccer is not exempt from such codes and for the benefit of those parents and girls new to the Royals and/or premier soccer your trusty reporter will try and explain some of those rules:

Rule #1: Thou Shalt Not Praise Thy Own Daughter.
It is the late in the second half of a vital game and the score is tied against the arch-villain traditional enemies. Your daughter performs a full speed sliding tackle to strip the ball from an attacker who eluded the keeper 3 feet in front of the goal. She does a “pop-up” slide and comes to her feet without ever losing the ball. Juking and faking, she takes a run up the touchline, leaving opponents sprawling in her wake and then, sensing that the whistle is about to blow, hits an off-foot shot from 35 yards that starts out 20 yards wide and hooks back just into the upper “V” to win the game.

Your reaction? A pleased smile. A little leap no more than 4 inches off the ground. No cries of “Where is Anson Dorrance when we really need him?”

No matter your intent, shoveling plaudits on your own kid is seen as basically self-promotion, selfish, and destructive of team unity. Other parents will mutter darkly and cast jealous glances at you.

Rule #2: Thou Shalt Praise Other Parents’ Daughters.
The reason that you don’t have to praise your own daughter is that it is the sworn duty of the other parents to do it for you.

In situation #1 they will give you high-fives, hug you, and generally declare that the spirit of Pele (or Mia Hamm) is being channeled by your child. When someone else’s little girl does anything ranging from mediocre to spectacular you will run up to them with similar comments, assuring them that international stardom is only a short time away, and that this is proof that the gene pool runs true.

When another girl does something appallingly awful you are duty-bound to rush to the grieving parent to assure them that it wasn’t that bad, and that she’s been having such a good game she can be forgiven one little goof.

Rule #3: Thou Shalt Never Criticize Players in Public.
The coach has done it again. Starting at striker is a girl who is slower than America Online, completely clueless about the tactical niceties of her position, and to whom “airhead” would have to be considered a compliment. You see the opposing team laughing and pointing. You groan in what you think is a quiet voice “How can he even keep that dolt on the team”. Your feet leave the ground as you discover that the hulking behemoth behind you is her Uncle/Brother whom you had never met.

You can generally take as a given that the players are trying as hard as they can with differing amounts of skill. Desirable as a “skillectomy” might be, the ability to trap a line drive and drop it on the shooting foot cannot be grafted on or surgically attached.

Secondly, players are quite aware when they have made a bonehead play. You will rarely hear a player shout “Thanks guys, I didn’t realize that whiffing was a bad thing!”

Thirdly, even at the U-18 level these are still our kids - not professionals - and even the pros make mistakes. The pros are paid to be able to take criticism as aimed at their play rather than themselves as persons. Your daughters aren’t.

Rule #4: When Commenting about the Field Action, Silence is Golden.
At times you may feel like commenting upon the quality of play, the quality of officiating, and the coaches’ decisions.

Due to your years of observing from the sidelines and the fact that you coached the “Sunflowers” in the U-8 rec league you may have the belief that your opinions are (1) accurate, (2) incisive; and (3) worthy of communicating loudly so everyone else can hear them.

You are wrong. Neither the players, the referees, nor the coach are going to make any changes in response to your bellows from the sideline.

They are, however, going to be mad at you - joining a group including your spouse, your friends, and anyone standing close to you. Kids goof, refs goof, coaches goof.

Before you shout, picture your next day at work as you are working on a project and in the doorway to your office are a crowd of players, coaches and refs booing you and demanding that you be fired.

Rule #5: Silence Can Be Deadly.
The usual response to your sideline comments is a tug on your shirt from your spouse, a glare, rolling of eyes by your neighbors, and a silent promise by your daughter to change her name and become an orphan.

However, there are those times when your comments result in a sudden pall of silence and your becoming the center of attention from the sidelines and the field. Sort of like in 4th grade when you fell asleep in class and made a funny sound when you startled awake.

This means you have Crossed The Line from being an obnoxious parent/fan to another status entirely - such as the Unknown Brother at a U-16 Regionals game making anatomically uncomfortable suggestions about where a referee’s un-blown whistle should reside.

When silence falls and you are the focus of everyone’s attention it may be time to announce that you are overdue at the hospital to perform a lifesaving operation and to slink away at top speed.

Rule #6: This Is Still a Game.
Despite the fact that each player’s family has invested a great deal of time and money in soccer at this level, and they are hoping that soccer will help pay the college bills, it is still a game and if your daughter doesn’t enjoy it she will not play well - and maybe not at all.

Ask yourself if what you do at games and practices and tournaments helps your daughter have fun and enjoy the game or adds pressure and worry. Ask yourself after the game if watching two teams of beautiful, talented, fit, and eager young ladies was fun for you?

If it wasn’t - if you found yourself criticizing, carping, upset, and unhappy - remember that there is enough pressure and stress involved with making a living and guiding your family through the challenges of modern life.

Forget the calls, forget the score, forget the standings.

Give your daughter a hug, tell her you love her, and be thankful for every day you have to share with her because they don’t stay kids very long.

This is an excerpt from the FC Royals newsletter of several years ago that was sent by Jim Cathcart. I saved it and pull it out after those occasions when I make a complete jerk out of myself on the sidelines. It reminds me that we all need to remember that, despite the bravado and In-Your-Face T-Shirt slogans, that this is just a game we as parents should use to our benefit to help us raise healthy, emotionally stable, confident and mature young adults - not just great athletes.
 

Many thanks to Ken Gamble for sharing this with us.  Visit his web log at al.com here.