SOCCER GLOSSARY
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F.A.: Football Association; often used to refer to the English Football Association, who, along with FIFA and other football associations, helps maintain the rules of soccer.
Fake or feint: a move by a player meant to deceive an opposing player; used by a ball carrier to make a defender think the ball carrier is going to dribble, pass or shoot in a certain direction when he is not.
Far post: the goalpost furthest from the ball.
Field: the rectangular area where soccer matches are played.
FIFA: Federation Internationale de Football Association — the official governing body of international soccer since 1904 which established the World Cup tournament; helps set and revise rules of the game, called the 17 Laws.
FIFA World Cup: a solid gold statue given to the champion of each World Cup tournament to keep for the next 4 years.
Flick header: a player's use of his head to deflect the ball.
Foot trap: a player's use of his foot to control a rolling or low-bouncing ball.
Football: name for soccer everywhere except in the U.S.; also, what American's call their popular team sport which evolved from soccer and rugby.
Formation: the arrangement into positions of players on the field; for example, a 4-3-3 formation places 4 defenders, 3 midfielders and 3 forwards on the field.
Forward line: the 3 or 4 forwards who work together to try and score goals; consists of two wingers and 1 or 2 strikers.
Forward pass: a pass made towards the opposition's goal.
Forwards: the 3 or 4 players on a team who are responsible for most of a team's scoring; they play in front of the rest of their team where they can take most of its shots; strikers and wingers.
Foul: a violation of the rules for which an official assesses a free kick. 4-2-4:a formation that consists of 4 defenders, 2 midfielders and 4 forwards.
4-3-3: a formation that consists of 4 defenders, 3 midfielders and 3 forwards; the most common formation used by teams.
4-4-2: a formation that consists of 4 defenders, 4 midfielders and 2 forwards.
Free kick: a kick awarded to a player for a foul committed by the opposition; the player kicks a stationary ball without any opposing players within 10 yards of him.
Front header: the striking of a ball in the air by a player's forehead; the most common type of header.
Front tackle: an attempt by a defender to kick the ball away from an attacker by approaching him from a head-on position.
Fullbacks: see Defensemen.
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