Glossary
Cricket and football glossary
Plain definitions of the terms you hear in commentary. Search or scroll.
73 terms shown
Cricket terms
- Appeal
- A request by the fielding side to the umpire for a dismissal, traditionally with the shout "Howzat".
- Bouncer
- A short-pitched delivery that rises towards the batter's head or chest.
- Boundary
- The edge of the field. A ball reaching it scores four, or six if it clears it in the air.
- Bowled
- A dismissal where the delivery hits the stumps and removes a bail.
- Bye
- A run scored when the ball passes the batter and the keeper without touching the bat or body.
- Caught
- A dismissal where a fielder catches the ball before it touches the ground after it hit the bat or glove.
- Century
- A score of 100 or more runs by a batter in one innings.
- Crease
- A line marked on the pitch. The popping crease is where a batter is safe from being stumped or run out.
- Decision Review System (DRS)
- A system in which teams can ask a third umpire to check a decision using technology.
- Declaration
- When a captain ends their own team's innings voluntarily, usually in longer matches.
- Dot ball
- A legal delivery on which no runs are scored.
- Duck
- A batter dismissed without scoring.
- Economy rate
- The runs a bowler concedes per over.
- Extras
- Runs not scored off the bat: wides, no-balls, byes and leg byes.
- Fall of wickets
- A list showing the team score each time a wicket fell.
- Follow-on
- When a team that bats second and trails by a large margin is asked to bat again straight away.
- Free hit
- In many limited-overs competitions, the delivery after a no-ball, on which the batter can be out in only a few ways.
- Full toss
- A delivery that reaches the batter without bouncing.
- Googly
- A delivery from a leg-spinner that turns the opposite way to a normal leg break.
- Hat-trick
- Three wickets by one bowler with three consecutive deliveries.
- Innings
- A team's turn to bat.
- Leg before wicket (LBW)
- A dismissal where the ball hits the batter's body in line with the stumps and would have hit them.
- Leg bye
- A run scored when the ball hits the batter's body, not the bat, and runs are taken.
- Maiden over
- An over in which the bowler concedes no runs.
- Net run rate
- A team's run rate across a tournament minus its opponents' run rate against it, used to separate teams level on points.
- Nightwatchman
- A lower-order batter sent in late in the day to protect the main batters.
- No-ball
- An illegal delivery, for example overstepping the crease. It adds a run and is bowled again.
- Not out
- A batter who has not been dismissed when the innings ends.
- Over
- Six legal deliveries bowled by one bowler.
- Powerplay
- Early overs in limited-overs cricket with restrictions on fielders outside the circle.
- Run out
- A dismissal where the fielding side breaks the wicket while a batter is out of their ground.
- Run rate
- Runs scored per over.
- Slip
- A close fielder behind the batter on the off side, who catches edges.
- Strike rate
- A batter's runs per 100 balls faced. For a bowler, balls bowled per wicket.
- Stumped
- A dismissal where the wicketkeeper breaks the wicket while the batter is out of their crease.
- Super Over
- A one-over-each tie-breaker in some limited-overs matches.
- Umpire's call
- A marginal ball-tracking result in DRS that leaves the on-field decision unchanged.
- Wicket
- The set of three stumps and two bails, and also the dismissal of a batter.
- Wide
- A delivery too wide of the batter to be hit. It adds a run and is bowled again.
- Yorker
- A delivery that pitches at the batter's feet.
Football terms
- Advantage
- When the referee lets play continue after a foul because the fouled team benefits.
- Assist
- The final pass or action that leads directly to a goal.
- Booking
- A yellow card shown as a caution.
- Clean sheet
- A match in which a team concedes no goals.
- Corner kick
- A restart awarded to the attacking side when the defending side puts the ball out behind its own goal line.
- Counter-attack
- A quick attack launched immediately after winning the ball.
- Cross
- A pass from a wide area into the penalty area.
- Dribble
- Running with the ball under close control.
- Extra time
- Two extra periods of 15 minutes in some knockout matches.
- Formation
- The way a team arranges its outfield players, such as 4-3-3.
- Foul
- An unfair act, such as a reckless tackle, that gives the opponent a free kick or penalty.
- Free kick
- A restart after a foul. A direct free kick can score directly. An indirect free kick must touch another player first.
- Goal difference
- Goals scored minus goals conceded, often used to separate teams on equal points.
- Goal kick
- A restart taken by the defending side when the attacking side puts the ball out behind the goal line.
- Hat-trick
- Three goals by one player in a match.
- Header
- Playing the ball with the head.
- Kick-off
- The restart at the centre spot that starts each half and follows each goal.
- Offside
- A rule that stops attackers waiting beyond the second-last defender when the ball is played to them.
- Own goal
- A goal scored by a player into their own team's net.
- Penalty kick
- A shot from 12 yards awarded for certain fouls inside the penalty area.
- Penalty shootout
- A series of penalty kicks used to decide a knockout match that is still level.
- Pressing
- Closing down the opponent quickly to win the ball back.
- Red card
- A card showing a player is sent off.
- Set piece
- A restart such as a corner, free kick or throw-in.
- Stoppage time
- Time added by the referee at the end of each half.
- Substitution
- Replacing one player with another during a match.
- Tackle
- An attempt to win the ball from an opponent.
- Through ball
- A pass that splits the defence for a teammate to run on to.
- Throw-in
- A restart with a two-handed throw when the ball crosses the touchline.
- VAR
- Video assistant referee, who reviews goals, penalties, red cards and mistaken identity.
- Volley
- Striking the ball before it touches the ground.
- Wing-back
- A wide player who defends and attacks along the flank.
- Yellow card
- A caution shown by the referee.
Want to see these in action? Try the fielding positions diagram, the offside diagrams or the points table calculator.
Common questions
What does LBW stand for?
Leg before wicket. A batter is out if the ball hits their body in line with the stumps and would have gone on to hit them.
What is a hat-trick?
In cricket it is three wickets in three consecutive deliveries by one bowler. In football it is three goals by one player in a match.
What is stoppage time in football?
Time the referee adds at the end of each half to make up for stoppages such as injuries and substitutions.