Football Glossary

[AndrewP6]

I may appear uninformed, and there are probably many here who will laugh... I know exactly what "frontal pressure" refers to, I just refuse to use it... sounds like a rather uncomfortable "men's problem"!) but I have no idea of the meaning of some mdoern football terms... what does it mean to "zone off"?

I may add to this as I uncover more gems... (

[Rocket Science]

What's laughable is the frown-inducing calibre of contemporary commentating vernacular, which leads one to suspect this thread'll have legs for a while...

To "zone off" appears to mean leaving ones direct opponent in an effort to guard space as opposed to a man, usually employed as a group as opposed to singularly.

[The Coon Dog]

To "zone off" appears to mean leaving ones direct opponent in an effort to guard space as opposed to a man, usually employed as a group as opposed to singularly.

Think of Darren Milburn.

[Rocket Science]

Think of Darren Milburn.

Bingo...or Sam Fisher.

[Dry Rot]

To "zone off" appears to mean leaving ones direct opponent in an effort to guard space as opposed to a man, usually employed as a group as opposed to singularly.

Think of Darren Milburn.

Bingo...or Sam Fisher.

Or our whole team under Rohde.

[Dancin' Douggy]

What about IN and around the ball?

[AndrewP6]

Thanks for the football vocab lesson, one and all. Now on Saturday I'll be searching for evidence of players zoning off.

As for "in and around the ball", I'm not sure either.

[AndrewP6]

What's laughable is the frown-inducing calibre of contemporary commentating vernacular, which leads one to suspect this thread'll have legs for a while...

To "zone off" appears to mean leaving ones direct opponent in an effort to guard space as opposed to a man, usually employed as a group as opposed to singularly.

This is a very funny way of saying that commentators say some stupid things!

[soupman]

This thread has the potential to become quite an extensive list of football terms, from the simple (speccy), to the tactical (loose man) to the directional (Kick it to the fat side).

[AndrewP6]

This thread has the potential to become quite an extensive list of football terms, from the simple (speccy), to the tactical (loose man) to the directional (Kick it to the fat side).

ah yes, the loose man in defence... I understand it (I think!) but doesn't that mean one of the opposing players has no one defending him?

[soupman]

ah yes, the loose man in defence... I understand it (I think!) but doesn't that mean one of the opposing players has no one defending him?

Yes. It does.

[AndrewP6]

Yes. It does.

So do they leave a player "unmanned" assuming that particular player isn't going to hurt us too much? (I must sound really dumb!)

[AndrewP6]

Just looking at my avatar, and caught a glimpse of my standing in the world of WOOF. " Coaching Staff". And here I am, needing to be schooled on the terminology of modern AFL! Good thing this isn't a reflection of the real world - the Dogs would be in awful strife!

[dog town]

So do they leave a player "unmanned" assuming that particular player isn't going to hurt us too much? (I must sound really dumb!)

I would use the term "zoning off" to describe a player who is assigned an opponent but chooses to leave that opponent to either be third man up in a marking contest or chip in to take an uncontested mark. Sounds confusing but I would use "zone" to describe an entire team or half a team employing a zone and "zoning off" to describe how one individual player leaves his man to help out his other defenders.

As for "in and around the ball" I would say that means any contest and the space immediately around it. A game is essentially a series of little contests and the space at the egde of a group people going for the ball is often pretty important as you get most of your loose balls and handball receives from these positions. As an example Scotty West did most of his good work in and around the ball. Most of his touches were either first hands on the ball or just off the edge of the pack.

[AndrewP6]

inside and outside players - I'm going to guess that an inside player is one that is first to the ball in a pack, and often the one buried beneath a stack of players?...and an outside player one that hangs around waiting for the ball to come out?