The Ultimate Guide to Sports Terminology: Essential Vocabulary for Athletes and Fans
Posted on May 17, 2024 in Physical Education
Sports Terminology: Essential Vocabulary for Athletes and Fans
Equipment
- Badminton: shuttlecock, racket, net
- Squash: safety goggles
- Athletics: hurdles, track
- Ice hockey: rink, stick
- Surfing: wetsuit
Rules and Regulations
- Give it your best shot: Do the best you can.
- On target: Working according to plan.
- Pulling his weight: Working as hard as everyone else.
- Out of her depth: Unable to cope.
- Jump in at the deep end: Try something difficult when you are not fully prepared.
Positions and Roles
- Umpire: Judge in tennis or cricket.
- Referee: Official in charge of a game.
- Coach: Person who trains and guides athletes.
Strategies and Techniques
- Taken off: Succeeded, removed from, left.
- Move up: Advanced, changed your position.
- Move on: Leave, began something new.
- To have an edge over someone: To be better than someone else.
- Sportsmanship: Fair play and respect for opponents.
Other Important Terms
- Strengths and weaknesses: Positive and negative qualities.
- Back and forth: Moving in both directions.
- Sooner or later: Eventually.
- Sick and tired of: Fed up with.
- Now or later: At some point.
- Heads or tails: A coin toss.
- Far and wide: In many places.
- Safe and sound: Unharmed.
- Brainwave: A clever idea.
- Ingenious: Very clever.
- Prompt: Quick to respond.
- Calculates: Figures out.
- Visible: Can be seen.
- Gear: Equipment.
- Recreation: Enjoyment.
- Qualify for: Meet the requirements for.
- An edge over: An advantage.
- In the lead: Ahead of others.
- Lap: One circuit of a track.
- Tie: A draw.
- Defeat: To lose.
- Tournament: A series of competitions.
- Court: The playing area in tennis, badminton, etc.
- Athletic performance: The level of skill and ability of an athlete.
- Spectator sports: Sports that are watched by people who are not participating.
- Foul: A rule violation.
- Penalty: A punishment for a rule violation.
