Football Glossary, Letter O
Obstruction
To get in the way of an attacker without trying to win the ball; this act is considered a foul in football
OFC
Oceania Football Confederation, the football body that governs teams in the continent of Oceania; there are six continental bodies in the world
Off his line
An expression referring to a goalkeeper who is not in his proper position at the goal
Off the ball
(a) A term used to describe events or incidents that happen to players who are not in possession of the ball;
(b) Movement of offensive players that gets them in an excellent tactical or goal-scoring position
Offensive Player
Any player who attempts to score of goes up forward to help in attack
Official caution
Alternate term for the yellow card
Off-season
The period before the start of a regular season
Offside trap
A defensive technique in soccer where defenders position themselves parallel to each other to place their opponents in an offside position
Offside
A player is in an offside position in soccer when there is only one defender between him and the opposing team’s goal
Olympic goal
A very difficult way of scoring a goal: happens when a player scores a goal directly from a corner kick without the ball being touched by anybody else
On offense
A term that refers to the team in possession of the ball
One-touch soccer
An offensive football tactic where players distribute the ball quickly after receiving it; the tiki-taka, a derivation of Total football, is an excellent example of one-touch soccer
One-touch pass
Happens when a player is able to play the ball with one touch after a pass; some passes are badly placed or too strong that is why recipients will have to do two or more touches to control the ball
One-touch
Playing the ball after only one touch, like passing or shooting it right after reception
One-two
An offensive technique in which a player passes the ball to teammate then receives it after going past defenders; also called wall pass, give-and-go
Onion bag
A fancy term for the goal or net
Onside
The opposite of offside, being in a position where there are at least two defenders before the opponent’s goal
Open space
The space between an attacker and the goal when there are no defenders on it
Out of bounds
Another term for out of play, when the whole of the ball goes beyond the touchline or goalline
Out of play
When the ball goes beyond the limits of the playing area
Out swinger
A cross that bends or curves away from the opponent’s goal
Outlet Pass
A pass by a goalkeeper or defender that starts their own team’s attack
Overhead Kick
Alternate term for bicycle kick, kick made by launching the body in midair, back to the goal, and striking the ball while in flight
Overlap
To run ahead of a teammate who has the ball: this distracts the defense and also creates a good scoring opportunity
Overlapping fullback
A fullback who runs the whole length of the pitch
Over-the-ball tackle
A tackle made with the feet direct above the location of the ball: a dangerous tackle that often leads to injuries
Overtime
Two 15-minute periods played if the score is tied after the regular 90-minute game; also called extra time
Own goal
A goal made by a player on his own team, usually through accidental deflection; the most infamous example of this was the own goal by Colombian defender Andres Escobar which cost him his life.