Soccer terminology guide for World Cup newcomers

ATLANTA, Ga. (Gray News) - If you’re trying to get into soccer ahead of the World Cup, you may have noticed a learning curve, particularly with the terminology.

Listening to soccer announcers can make you feel like you’ve walked into a foreign language class. Here’s a look at some top terms and what they mean.

Common soccer terms explained

Handball: You touch the ball with your hands in the sport where you’re not supposed to touch the ball with your hands.

Yellow card: Soccer’s version of a warning. Depending on how bad a handball is, the ref may reach for one of these.

Red card: Get one of these and you’re gone. Kicked out of the match, and your team has to play shorthanded with no substitutions.

Header: When players use their heads to pass, clear or score.

Hat trick: When a player scores three goals in a match. Kind of like a baseball player hitting three home runs in a game.

Nutmeg or megging: When a player kicks the ball through another player’s legs. Soccer fans lose their minds over it. It’s an in-your-face kind of move, like someone just got crossover dribbled in basketball. It’s less about advancing the ball and more about letting everyone know: “I am better than you.”

Bicycle kick: When a player throws their entire body through the air, upside down, just to kick a ball.

To sum up, a handball gets you in trouble, a hat trick gets you into G.O.A.T. territory, a bicycle kick makes you look like an action movie hero and a nutmeg is soccer’s way of talking trash.

It’s not the full soccer glossary, but it’ll get you started. Pretty much all sports have their own words, traditions and culture. Soccer is not different, and ahead of the World Cup, more Americans are learning the language every day.