Football Glossary

[AndrewP6]

I may appear uninformed, and there are probably many here who will laugh... I know exactly what "frontal pressure" refers to, I just refuse to use it... sounds like a rather uncomfortable "men's problem"!) but I have no idea of the meaning of some mdoern football terms... what does it mean to "zone off"?

I may add to this as I uncover more gems... (

[Rocket Science]

What's laughable is the frown-inducing calibre of contemporary commentating vernacular, which leads one to suspect this thread'll have legs for a while...

To "zone off" appears to mean leaving ones direct opponent in an effort to guard space as opposed to a man, usually employed as a group as opposed to singularly.

[The Coon Dog]

To "zone off" appears to mean leaving ones direct opponent in an effort to guard space as opposed to a man, usually employed as a group as opposed to singularly.

Think of Darren Milburn.

[Rocket Science]

Think of Darren Milburn.

Bingo...or Sam Fisher.

[Dry Rot]

To "zone off" appears to mean leaving ones direct opponent in an effort to guard space as opposed to a man, usually employed as a group as opposed to singularly.


Think of Darren Milburn.


Bingo...or Sam Fisher.

Or our whole team under Rohde.

[Dancin' Douggy]

What about IN and around the ball?

[AndrewP6]

Thanks for the football vocab lesson, one and all. Now on Saturday I'll be searching for evidence of players zoning off.

As for "in and around the ball", I'm not sure either.

[AndrewP6]

What's laughable is the frown-inducing calibre of contemporary commentating vernacular, which leads one to suspect this thread'll have legs for a while...

To "zone off" appears to mean leaving ones direct opponent in an effort to guard space as opposed to a man, usually employed as a group as opposed to singularly.

This is a very funny way of saying that commentators say some stupid things!

[soupman]

This thread has the potential to become quite an extensive list of football terms, from the simple (speccy), to the tactical (loose man) to the directional (Kick it to the fat side).

[AndrewP6]

This thread has the potential to become quite an extensive list of football terms, from the simple (speccy), to the tactical (loose man) to the directional (Kick it to the fat side).

ah yes, the loose man in defence... I understand it (I think!) but doesn't that mean one of the opposing players has no one defending him?

[soupman]

ah yes, the loose man in defence... I understand it (I think!) but doesn't that mean one of the opposing players has no one defending him?

Yes. It does.

[AndrewP6]

Yes. It does.

So do they leave a player "unmanned" assuming that particular player isn't going to hurt us too much? (I must sound really dumb!)

[AndrewP6]

Just looking at my avatar, and caught a glimpse of my standing in the world of WOOF. " Coaching Staff". And here I am, needing to be schooled on the terminology of modern AFL! Good thing this isn't a reflection of the real world - the Dogs would be in awful strife!

[dog town]

So do they leave a player "unmanned" assuming that particular player isn't going to hurt us too much? (I must sound really dumb!) I would use the term "zoning off" to describe a player who is assigned an opponent but chooses to leave that opponent to either be third man up in a marking contest or chip in to take an uncontested mark. Sounds confusing but I would use "zone" to describe an entire team or half a team employing a zone and "zoning off" to describe how one individual player leaves his man to help out his other defenders.

As for "in and around the ball" I would say that means any contest and the space immediately around it. A game is essentially a series of little contests and the space at the egde of a group people going for the ball is often pretty important as you get most of your loose balls and handball receives from these positions. As an example Scotty West did most of his good work in and around the ball. Most of his touches were either first hands on the ball or just off the edge of the pack.

[AndrewP6]

inside and outside players - I'm going to guess that an inside player is one that is first to the ball in a pack, and often the one buried beneath a stack of players?...and an outside player one that hangs around waiting for the ball to come out?

[strebla]

:D
inside and outside players - I'm going to guess that an inside player is one that is first to the ball in a pack, and often the one buried beneath a stack of players?...and an outside player one that hangs around waiting for the ball to come out?

100% correct

[AndrewP6]

:D

100% correct

whoo hoo! Cheers, strebla!

[mighty_west]

inside and outside players - I'm going to guess that an inside player is one that is first to the ball in a pack, and often the one buried beneath a stack of players?...and an outside player one that hangs around waiting for the ball to come out?

Inside : Daniel Cross, Matthew Boyd

Outside : Nathan Eagleton, Ryan Griffen

Adam Cooney & Callan Ward you could say are in & outside players, who like it both ways!

[AndrewP6]

Inside : Daniel Cross, Matthew Boyd

Outside : Nathan Eagleton, Ryan Griffen

Adam Cooney & Callan Ward you could say are in & outside players, who like it both ways!

Thanks MW.... I've always wondered that about Coons... ;)

[GetDimmaBack]

No such thing as "the fat side" when I played footy...of course, in those days you got dragged for kicking across goal in the last line of defence, too!

Which side is "fat" depends on the foot you're kicking with, doesn't it?:o

[LostDoggy]

Inside : Daniel Cross, Matthew Boyd

Outside : Nathan Eagleton, Ryan Griffen

Adam Cooney & Callan Ward you could say are in & outside players, who like it both ways!

Griff is both ways too these days. Gun clearance player -- probably did more work inside this year than outside, which contributes to perceptions about his reduced effectiveness.

[LostDoggy]

inside and outside players - I'm going to guess that an inside player is one that is first to the ball in a pack, and often the one buried beneath a stack of players?...and an outside player one that hangs around waiting for the ball to come out?

Inside player: Hard nut, has a shovelling motion when going for the ball, can't kick.

Outside player: Sublime disposal skills, soft as shit and can't stick a tackle.

--

The best players can tackle, extract, and have good disposal, so they can't be pigeonholed with either label, which, in my opinion, is actually a bit of a backhanded compliment.

Ps. Now what do we call a Farren Ray who can't kick and can't stick a tackle? Potential premiership player, it looks like. No justice in this world.

[Mantis]

Griff is both ways too these days. Gun clearance player -- probably did more work inside this year than outside, which contributes to perceptions about his reduced effectiveness.

Once he fixes up his disposal (hopefully it can be addressed) and increases his fitness base he will become the best midfielder in the competition. Some of his work to extract himself out of a tight situation on Friday was frighteningly good, so good that I doubt any other player bar perhaps GAjr could have weaved his way out of the traffic he confronted.

The challenge now is to produce the form he showed over the past 2 weeks over the course of the entire season. If he can it could well be the difference between being a top 4 side to a side that is playing off for a premiership.

I hope it is sinking into Griff just how good he can become and just how much his own performance influences the teams overall performance.

[LostDoggy]

Once he fixes up his disposal (hopefully it can be addressed) and increases his fitness base he will become the best midfielder in the competition.

These two are linked, surely. Griff's disposal under normal circumstances has to be right up there with the best (he'll nail a goal on the run on the training track 99 times out of a 100) -- it's when he's just busted a gut getting the ball, handballing it out from under a pack, getting up, running clear, getting the ball back, weaving around one or two players, THEN disposing of it that it can get pretty erratic.

[Hot_Doggies]

These two are linked, surely. Griff's disposal under normal circumstances has to be right up there with the best (he'll nail a goal on the run on the training track 99 times out of a 100) -- it's when he's just busted a gut getting the ball, handballing it out from under a pack, getting up, running clear, getting the ball back, weaving around one or two players, THEN disposing of it that it can get pretty erratic.

Disagree.

Griffen kicking needs work, his ball drop gets very lazy.


Griffen and Cooney are both poor on the left side.

[LostDoggy]

Disagree.

Griffen kicking needs work, his ball drop gets very lazy.


Griffen and Cooney are both poor on the left side.

Because he's fatigued, maybe? (thus my point)

It's not as if his usual kicking action needs any work.

[Hot_Doggies]

Because he's fatigued, maybe? (thus my point)

It's not as if his usual kicking action needs any work.



I don't think its fatigue. He can do it at any stage during the game.

Other players in the AFL work hard and drop the ball correctly. I think it's a mental thing with Griff, footy comes a bit easy to him. Maybe blame his past coaches (maybe Eade aswell) for allowing it.

[AndrewP6]

BUMP.

Just thinking about this thread, reminded me of an old basketball coach I had. A well-known identity in wheelchair sports, he played in 4 Paralympics (back in the 60s), and as a junior, I really admired him. When teaching me to shoot off the backboard, he used to refer to a 'checkside kick', when talking about the grip I should use on the ball (I didn't completely follow his advice!) For years as a kid, I had NO IDEA what a 'checkside kick' was, but not wanting to appear silly, I never said anything.

If only WOOF had existed then...:)

[mjp]

If he says stupid things like 'checkside' then best not listening too him. It is a BANANA for goodness sake. The kick is shaped like a banana - a three year old immediately understands the concept...what does 'check side' even mean?

[Mofra]

"Step Up"

A bullshit term that actually means improvement.

Maybe we need a cliche thread?

[Mantis]

'In the Mix'

My most hated term come draft time.

[The Pie Man]

There or thereabouts

[1eyedog]

Yeah nah (the start of every footballer's response to a question).

[Twodogs]

Yeah nah (the start of every footballer's response to a question).



I really truly hate the term "Yeahnaaah" WTF does it mean and why say it?

[LostDoggy]

I really truly hate the term "Yeahnaaah" WTF does it mean and why say it?

I sometimes fall into using this and hate it when I do.

It means, YEAH I understand the point you are trying to make from your perspective on the situation but NAH the reality way off...

Very lazy english.

[LostDoggy]

If he says stupid things like 'checkside' then best not listening too him. It is a BANANA for goodness sake. The kick is shaped like a banana - a three year old immediately understands the concept...what does 'check side' even mean?

'Check-side' is a term bastardised from its original use in snooker which, along with its sister term 'running-side', describes the concept of the type of side-spin one can impart on a cue ball.

A check-side spin causes a cue ball to narrow the angle of rebound (compared to if there was no sidespin on the ball) and slow up after it hits the cushion.

('Running-side' spin, on the other hand, causes the cue ball to rebound wider and also speed up when compared to the normal reaction of a cue ball without said sidespin.)

If I were to hazard a guess, the bastardised version of the term would have become common usage in football to allude to the fact that you have to kick the ball with some level of sidespin in order to make it curve in the air.

[LostDoggy]

ah yes, the loose man in defence... I understand it (I think!) but doesn't that mean one of the opposing players has no one defending him?

The loose man would presumably be marked by the tight man- the tight man being the one that protects his... pocket!

[AndrewP6]

'Check-side' is a term bastardised from its original use in snooker which, along with its sister term 'running-side', describes the concept of the type of side-spin one can impart on a cue ball.

A check-side spin causes a cue ball to narrow the angle of rebound (compared to if there was no sidespin on the ball) and slow up after it hits the cushion.

('Running-side' spin, on the other hand, causes the cue ball to rebound wider and also speed up when compared to the normal reaction of a cue ball without said sidespin.)

If I were to hazard a guess, the bastardised version of the term would have become common usage in football to allude to the fact that you have to kick the ball with some level of sidespin in order to make it curve in the air.

Yeah, what he said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That's the gist of the explanation I got when I was a junior...

[Happy Days]

Yeah nah (the start of every footballer's response to a question).

Hear that one more often on the cricket pitch ;)

[alwaysadog]

The inside – outside analysis is almost 20 years out of date.

Terry Wheeler had the idea when he coached the club of insiders (in and under players) who won contested ball in packs; Axe, Libba and Wally and shoveled it out to skilled players in space like Leon Cameron who then distributed it with great aplomb to attacking moves. He would have different ideas today but that was his analysis then.

This was fine until coaches started to realize that if you hunted the receiver of such efforts you didn’t have to win the ball yourself or could negate the advantage so gained. Today they also clog up space by having strategic patterns around stoppages etc. In fact Smith when he coached Melbourne in the late 50s initiated this at throw ins.

That is why today’s football is not so easily described as insiders and outsiders because both Cooney and Griff are usually under great pressure when they receive the ball and need to duck and weave to get space to distribute. They are not any longer outsiders, not only because they have very little space on receipt of the pill but also because they play a role in extracting the pill in the first place in certain situations.

I would argue that there are two sorts of insider players these days; the first are the ball winners in our case typified by Crossie and Boyd and the pack breakers like Coon and Griff, but both roles are interchangeable. Especially when they play ring a rosie handball in packs looking for an openning and by the time they find one it might be the player who won the ball who also ends up breaking free with it, just watch what the cats do.

As for outside players, well Terry Wallace wanted a team full of runners in which everyone became an offensive threat at certain times and this trend continues, so it’s hard to think who isn’t an outside player; it depends on how and where the ball is won, and how it moves.

I don’t think anybody stands back and says my role is purely defensive I won’t get involved in this attacking move by making space to receive and move the ball on.

[1eyedog]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Nice analysis aad.

[alwaysadog]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Nice analysis aad.

Thanks 1eyedog, but I'm certain some will disagree.

[mjp]

The inside – outside analysis is almost 20 years out of date.


Yeah - but so is the concept of around about 12 positions on the ground. Doesn't stop people calling for player 'x' to play on the wing when no-one does that anymore.

[LostDoggy]

"The modern game" - The term loved by commentators and despised by me. Just when exactly did footy become 'the modern game' and why wasn't I told at the time? And what the hell was I watching before footy became 'the modern game'? It felt pretty modern at the time but it never pranced around with 'the modern game' label like we have to suffer through now.

'The modern game' is wheeled out by fools whenever they feel the need to explain what is happening when two ordinary teams with ordinary skills and ordinary coaches meet and play an ordinary brand of football. That's been happening for one hundred years; so why only now do we blame the present?

Seriously, when did 'the modern game' start? It can't be when players stopped holding position and started filling space because that's been happening for more than a decade and surely it isn't that modern any more.

[alwaysadog]

"The modern game" - The term loved by commentators and despised by me. Just when exactly did footy become 'the modern game' and why wasn't I told at the time? And what the hell was I watching before footy became 'the modern game'? It felt pretty modern at the time but it never pranced around with 'the modern game' label like we have to suffer through now.

'The modern game' is wheeled out by fools whenever they feel the need to explain what is happening when two ordinary teams with ordinary skills and ordinary coaches meet and play an ordinary brand of football. That's been happening for one hundred years; so why only now do we blame the present?

Seriously, when did 'the modern game' start? It can't be when players stopped holding position and started filling space because that's been happening for more than a decade and surely it isn't that modern any more.

Shortly after a certain G Healy was allowed out of where ever he had been put for safekeeping and allowed behind a microphone.

[alwaysadog]

Yeah - but so is the concept of around about 12 positions on the ground. Doesn't stop people calling for player 'x' to play on the wing when no-one does that anymore.

Which means that it is impossible to say what the term means, i.e. it is not possible to provide a definition of the word/phrase as part of the way contemporary football is played.

This was the point I was making, certain of the scribes/commentators fall in love with the sound of a ward/phrase.

Perhaps we need two lists one for positional or tactical terms that are still current and one for dinosaur terms ie extinct.

Regarding the wing positions please don't mention their demise as according to all reports Hill and Everitt are to play there next year.

[BulldogBelle]

What about 'hit - up' players? Gather they are an evolution of 'Go - to' men?

[AndrewP6]

BUMP!

Ok, so I'm watching the big game in High definition with the Triple M commentary. One term comes up late in the 4th, and I often wonder about it - 'putting a man behind the ball'.

Not being a natural footballer(hahaha!), this one puzzles me. Can someone shed some light please?

[hujsh]

BUMP!

Ok, so I'm watching the big game in High definition with the Triple M commentary. One term comes up late in the 4th, and I often wonder about it - 'putting a man behind the ball'.

Not being a natural footballer(hahaha!), this one puzzles me. Can someone shed some light please?

Putting a man either 1 kick behind the play or loose in defence.

[dukedog]

The triple m commentary was gold in the grand final. Loved BT dropping the magic when tommy boyd kicked that goal late in the 4th. Then i think it was spud frawley who said that BT "shot his bolt" love their stuff.

[dukedog]

Also. Not a term used regularly but it deserves a mention. Dennis commetti on liam picken's mark on GF day. "Picken from behind, picken from behind! What a mark! The littlest man of the threesome.

Probably more one liners than football terminology. But hey, got excited and shot my bolt early. :)

[Twodogs]

BUMP!

Ok, so I'm watching the big game in High definition with the Triple M commentary. One term comes up late in the 4th, and I often wonder about it - 'putting a man behind the ball'.

Not being a natural footballer(hahaha!), this one puzzles me. Can someone shed some light please?


Crowding defence when you are far enough late in a game (or quarter, or just to stop the opposition run on) in front that you can just stop them scoring. It's harder for the opposition to pick their way through so many players in their attacking 50 but you are conceding ground to them at the same time because the ball is almost certain to go straight into their forward line. Mat teams have rules about when it would happen-I know for a fact that Terry Wallace's rule was if the opposition kicked more than two goals in a row we had two players who's job it was to go behind the ball. Usually they will try and stay about a kick away from from the ball/carrier.

[AndrewP6]

The triple m commentary was gold in the grand final. Loved BT dropping the magic when tommy boyd kicked that goal late in the 4th. Then i think it was spud frawley who said that BT "shot his bolt" love their stuff.

Agreed. When Stringer goals after not doing much else, he goes nuts... "StringerStringerStringerStringer!!!"... I love the emotion they give the call. And when they implore Darcy to call the final seconds, great stuff.

[Twodogs]

The triple m commentary was gold in the grand final. Loved BT dropping the magic when tommy boyd kicked that goal late in the 4th. Then i think it was spud frawley who said that BT "shot his bolt" love their stuff.


Agreed. When Stringer goals after not doing much else, he goes nuts... "StringerStringerStringerStringer!!!"... I love the emotion they give the call. And when they implore Darcy to call the final seconds, great stuff.

I have long disliked Brian Taylor. It stems from an incident in his playing days when he king hit Terry Wheeler at the MCG but his call of the grand final is word perfect.