SOCCER GLOSSARY
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Shinguards: pads that strap onto a player's lower leg to protect the shins should he or she be kicked there.
Shooting: when a player kicks the ball at the opponent's net in an attempt to score a goal.
Shorthanded: a team playing with less than its full complement of 11 players.
Shot: a ball kicked or headed by a player at the opponent's net in an attempt to score a goal.
Shoulder charge: minimal shoulder-to-shoulder contact by a defender against a ball carrier; the only contact allowed by the rules unless a defender touches the ball first.
Shutout: preventing the opposition from scoring any goals in a game; for example, a score of 2-0 or 4-0; goalies are often credited with shutouts because they did not allow any goals to get past them.
Side tackle: an attempt by a defender to redirect the ball slightly with his foot away from a ball carrier running in the same direction.
Sideline or touchline: a line that runs along the length of the field on each side.
Single elimination: a type of tournament where a single loss eliminates a team from the tournament.
Sliding tackle: an attempt by a defender to take the ball away from a ball carrier by sliding on the ground feet-first into the ball.
Small-sided game: a match played with fewer than 11 players per side.
Square pass: a pass made by a player to a teammate running alongside him.
Starter: a player who is on the field to play at the start of a game; a team usually makes its best players starters.
Steal: when a player takes the ball away from an opposing player.
Stopper: the defender that marks the best scorer on the attacking team, often the opposition's striker; exists only in a man-to-man defense.
Striker: a team's most powerful and best-scoring forward who plays towards the center of the field; also, the name of the mascot for the 1994 World Cup.
Substitution: replacement of one player on the field with another player not on the field; FIFA rules allow only 3 substitutions per game.
Sudden death: a type of overtime where the first goal scored by a team ends the game and gives that team the victory; most overtime in soccer is not sudden death.
Sweeper: the defender that plays closest to his own goal behind the rest of the defenders; a team's last line of defense in front of the goalkeeper.
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