Kicktionary

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Term	Definition
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Athens Soccer Academy	The Soccer Academy located in Athens Ohio.
Attack the gap	A pass or a run that splits defenders.
Back post	The furthest goalpost away from the ball.
Behind The Defense	Anything in that space closer to the goal than the defense (the equivalent to being in the off-side position).
Be patient	Patience is a key skill for a defender, as they should only commit (attempt to win the ball) when they have proper cover and when the ball is ‘shown’ to them.
kickaround	Term I first heard in England when I was invited to play in the equivalent of a pick-up game. The entire soccer community 6-60 year olds all play on the same field in the same game. The kickaround serves the function of social soccer. It encourages vitality and community.
Leading Pass	Otherwise known as a ball into Space. A Leading Pass is directed in front of someone in motion. The pass is designed to meet the target. The Leading Pass can be one of timing where the desire is to intercept the trajectory of a running teammate, or it can be one of persuasion, that is, a pass made in to space (typically behind the defense) with the intent of ‘suggesting’ to a teammate where to run.
Near Post	The nearest goalpost to the ball and presumably the shooter.
Overcommitment	To over-commit as a defender is to run past the ball or attempt a tackle in such a way as to render oneself out of the play.
Signature youth moves	Signature youth moves are soccer tricks or fakes with the ball designed to unbalance your opponent to the direction you intend to go in. The moves you see described here are the ones that have worked for Athens/ Alexander Soccer Community Players. They are signature in that kids who succeed at them, have their own finesse and style while performing them.
Soccer instruction books	Though these books assist coaches at all levels, to find sources for signature soccer moves consult books aimed at the youth level and beginning coaches. Currently, I am reading Coaching Soccer Successfully by Rees and van der Meer and The Soccer Coaching Bible, a compilation of articles by collegiate and professional level coaches.
Space	A key soccer term. Effectively it means all of the pockets of unoccupied space on a soccer pitch (field) during play. For a player to get “open” or get free of a mark, he/she must “create space”. It is to extricate yourself from tight coverage. For the ball space is anywhere players are not. So a ball can be played across the field ‘into space’ for a teammate running forward from behind; a ball can be played forward through a gap in the defense or in the air, for a teamate to run on to.
Stay one’s ground	Staying one’s ground means to keep oneself between the ball and the goal as a defender. It does not mean to stand still, but to move with the dribbling attacker, to shadow the attacker, and to apply pressure on the ball.
studs up	Usually in reference to an illegal sliding tackle in which the defender shows his cleats, or studs. Given the risk to endanger another player, the referee will typically stop play and deal with a studs up tackle.
U8	This is shorthand in the world of U S Soccer for a player who is “under 8” years of age.
“Winners!”	The term “winners” is shouted by players and coaches as the ball is about to drop from the air into a crowd, such as on a punt . The term comes from the Scottish or British. It reminds the player to get a good vertical leap and above all to time the jump properly and to be solid and strong in the air, as certainly the “winner” in that particular contest for the ball will need be.