You should know and use these terms to communicate on the field. This is not a glossary, but a selected list of expressions used on the field. There are many other such terms, and many variations, but below is a list of key expressions that Heritage Hawks teams will use on the field.

Always Assume

 Reminds you to continue your play through the situation: on attack, it means to play as if the defender is going to misplay the ball, and to assume your teammates are going to execute correctly. On defense, assume the opponents will execute correctly and that your teammates need backing up.

 Away

 Call, often from keeper, to play the ball away from the goal area, hopefully upfield and toward touch. Same as "Clear".

Big Five

 A reminder, with hand held up to acknowledge, that we are in a "big five" time period, where extra mental alertness is required--e.g., after a goal, at a restart, the last five minutes of a half.

 Carry

If you hear this, you have plenty of open space to carry the ball forward into. Get your head up as you go in order to watch your options develop. 

 Check to (away)

Perform a button hook run--away from the ball then back towards it (or vice versa). Often on a throw-in or free kick.

 Clear

 Call, often from keeper, to play the ball away from the goal area, hopefully upfield and toward touch. Same as "Away".

 Contain

 To "Jockey" or prevent the ball carrier from penetrating toward the goal; do not lunge for the ball, simply try to force the ball carrier toward touch (using the touch line as an additional defender), until you have support and a good opening.

Cross

 Instruction to a wing to play the ball in the air across the goal mouth. "Cross" or "Targets Up" informs the wing player that there are attackers in position in the "Danger Zone" to receive the cross.

Down the Line

Send a throw-in or pass down the touch line, or make a run to be on receiving end.

 Drop

 Play the ball backward (i.e. in a direction directly back toward your own goal line) to a player who has more space, less pressure or a better view of the field.

Fill A Lane

Attacking players away from the ball should fill an attacking "lane" to enhance the likelihood of someone meeting a cross.

Finish It!

Demand to shoot the ball at goal. Better players must be willing to take responsibility to shoot the ball whenever there is a reasonable chance of scoring. Shoot Now!--because chances are, the opportunity will only deteriorate, especially since extra seconds only allow more defenders to intervene between the shooter and the goal.

 Flag It

 Play a long ball angled directly at the corner flag. This is so a wing midfielder or striker can run onto the ball and make a cross.

Flick (on)

 A player will use his head to flick the ball forward in the air to a teammate, or chip the ball over his head from his feet then turn under it.

 Goal Side

 Means you must get in a position directly between the man you are defending and your own goal. If you are even with him, it is much easier to make a quick turn and be past you, and then be on his way to goal.

Got Ball

Informs fellow defenders that you will defend against the ball carrier, and they should fill other roles.

 Jockey

 To "Contain" or prevent the ball carrier from penetrating toward the goal; do not lunge for the ball, simply try to force the ball carrier toward touch (using the touch line as an additional defender), until you have support and a good opening.

 Keep or Keeper

 The goalkeeper yells this authoritatively to warn teammates away from interfering with the goalkeeper's play on the ball

 Leave

 A shout to a teammate about to play the ball, telling him to back off, because another player is in a better position to receive or re-distribute the ball.

 Man Coming

 A defending player is approaching the ball carrier but there is a cushion of time.

 Man On

 A defending player is rapidly approaching the ball carrier, who must immediately decide what to do with the ball.

 Mark Up

 Instruction to all players to find and defend their assigned mark, the opponent they are "assigned" to, generally according to position.

 No Turn

 Has two meanings: When yelled to a defender, it means "Do not allow this ball carrier to turn and face upfield." When yelled to an attacker with the ball, it means "Do not turn directly in to the defender--move square until you have support or get free."

 Overlap

 A touch side run made usually by a defender or midfielder behind a ball carrier and overlapping him. A completed pass into the space created is the ideal result.

 Overload

 To enhance the likelihood of retaining possession of our own goal kicks, the server should look for an overload of teammates on one side of the field. The stopper and center midfielders should concentrate on that side just before the kick, after signaling to the server.

 Play to touch

 Instruction generally to a defender to kick the ball past the touch line because of pressure in the defensive third.

Position

Players have a "position" and a "role". Positions have names like fullback or striker, and are fairly constant. Roles, however change constantly, as the ball position and tactical situation change. You must know the ins and outs of both roles and positions.

Pressure

Apply defensive actions on a ball carrier in order to force a poor play or mis-kick.

 Push Up

 Instruction for fullbacks and sweeper to advance up the field. We want to maintain a "flat back" so fullbacks should always be even with the sweeper if the ball is in front of them.

Role

Players have a "position" and a "role". Positions have names like fullback or striker, and are fairly constant. Roles, however change constantly, as the ball position and tactical situation change. You must know the ins and outs of both roles and positions.

 Send (It)

 Means to pass the ball forward into space for an overlapping player. Or chip it over the heads of defenders.

 Space

 An unoccupied forward area, into which an attack may develop. "Playing the ball into space" allows a wing player (for example) to beat his defender and then make the cross.

 Square

 This term refers to a position across the field parallel to the goal line. "You've got me square" means there is a player open for a pass directly across from the ball carrier.

 Switch (fields)

 An essential tactic in advancing attacking play. Since defenses tend to pinch toward the side of the field with the ball, switching fields forward and to the other side of the field in one or two moves can create offensive numbers up. This is why it is important for wing midfielders on the far side to hustle back on defense.

Targets Up

"Targets Up" tells a wing player that there are attackers in position to receive a cross. The ideal cross is far enough upfield to keep the keeper in goal, but close enough in for a good chance. This is the "Danger Zone". If the keeper comes too far out, the "cross" should become a "shot". A cross that goes too far upfield is better than one that goes out of play.

 Through ball

 A pass played to split two defenders, allowing an attacking player to run past them onto the ball.

 Touch

 A term describing control and finesse of the foot on the ball. Also refers to the side line.

 Touch line

 Common term for the side line. As distinct from the goal line.

 Wall

 A pass, a.k.a. "give-n-go", in which the receiver of the first pass acts as a wall, playing the ball forward to the position the original passer has moved to.

 What You See

 Informs the player with the ball that there are no immediate threats--get your head up, carry and look for options.

 Whistle

When you hear a whistle on the field, it does NOT mean "Stop". It means "GET READY"