Football Glossary, Letter P
Panenka
A type of penalty made by kick the ball soft and over the goalkeepers head; also known as penalty chip; named after Czech international Antonin Panenka who was famous for leading his country to the 1976 European Championship title
Pass and move
An offensive soccer strategy where a players constantly pass the ball and move into different positions
Pedalada
A move made up of numerous step-overs that confuses a defender
Penalty
(a) A short reference to the penalty kick;
(b) The punishment given by a referee to an offending team
Penalty arc
The half-circle at the top of the penalty area, an attacker fouled in this spot will be awarded with a penalty kick
Penalty area
The big rectangular area at the end of each field where a goalkeeper can handle the ball legally: it measures 18 by 44 yards; also called the penalty box, 18-yard box, or box
Penalty kick
A kick awarded to a team if any of its players is fouled inside the opposing team’s penalty area
Penalty shootouts
A method of deciding a winner in a football match if the scores are still even after overtime; each member of both teams take turns at attempting to score a penalty shot
Penalty spot
The bold circle in front of the goal where the ball is placed during penalty kicks: it is 12 yards from the goal line
Penalty taker
The player assigned to take the penalty kick; this task is often relegated to the captain
PFC
An abbreviation which stands for “professional football club”
Pichichi
The top-scorer in a La Liga season; equivalent to the capocannoniere in Serie A
Pinnie
Sleeveless vests worn above the shirt during training sessions
Pitch
Alternate term for the soccer field; also called field, field of play, turf
PK
Abbreviation of penalty kick
Placement
The accuracy of a shot or pass: a well-placed pass or shot reaches its intended target
Play on
A term which means that a referee allows game to continue because he saw no foul or that he believes that stopping play would be advantageous to the offending team
Play on the break
Alternate term for counter-attacking football
Player of the Year
A short reference to the FIFA World Player of the Year, an individual award given to the player considered as the best for a given year; the winner is decided by votes from coaches and captains of international squads
Player-manager
A player who fulfills both playing and managing roles for a team: typically happens when the regular manager is sacked and the chairman refuses to manage the team
Playmaker
A player, typically a midfielder, who controls the tactical flow of his team
Playoff
The series of games played to determine a championship
Points system
A method used in league competitions in which a team is awarded with points after each game; a win is worth three points, a draw is given one point, and a loss is given no point
Possession
The state of having the ball
Possession play
An offensive tactic where a team tries to maintain possession of the ball while getting nearer the opponents’ goal
Posts
A short reference to the goalposts
Preliminary match
A match that determines which team advances into the next stage of a tournament
Premier League
The highest football league competition in England, the biggest in the world with Serie A in Italy and La Liga in Spain
Premiership
Alternate term for the Premier League
Pressure
For defenders, to go closer to the man with the ball in order to distract him or limit his options
Primera Division
The top division in the football league system of Spain, more popularly known as La Liga
Professional Footballers Association
The association of professional soccer players in England and Wales
Professional foul
A foul made to prevent opponents from scoring: usually punishable by a red card
Promotion
In many football-playing nations, the clubs are segregated into different “divisions”; the top levels are where the best teams play; a promotion simply means moving up from one division into a higher one; the opposite of promotion is relegation
Punt
A move for goalkeepers: to send the ball upfield by picking it up and kicking it
Push pass
To pass the ball using the inside of the foot, which appears like the player is pushing the ball
Push-and-run
An offensive technique where a player gives the ball to a teammate then gets it back after going past the opposing defense; also called one-two or wall pass