Football Glossary, Letter W
W
A letter in statistics which indicate a win
Wall
During a free kick close to the goal, the defensive players lined up side by side to limit the shooting angle of the opponents and help the keeper
Wartime international
A term that refers to international footballers during the World War I and II; there were no official international matches during those two eras
Wasted ball
(a) An excellent pass that a teammate receives poorly by letting the ball go beyond him or playing it wrongly
(b) A good chance for goal that a player misses
Water-logged pitch
A football pitch that becomes unplayable because of too much water on it; typically happens after a heavy rain
Weight of the pass
An idiom which indicates the speed or strength of a pass
Wembley
The biggest English football stadium and the second-largest in Europe; home to England’s national team
Wembley Wizards
Nickname of the Scotland national football team in 1928, earned after defeating England 5-1 at Wembley
Whip it in
To cross the ball in front of the goal at a pace just enough for teammates to score easily
Wide
An adjective for a shot that misses the goal because it goes too far to the side
Wide players
Alternate term for the wingers, players designated near the side of the field
Win the ball
To get possession of the ball, a term often used when a player gets a loose ball after competing for it against an opponent
Wingback
A defensive player positioned at the side
Wingers
Midfield players who play along the side of the pitch; they bring the ball up to the strikers or attack from the side
Wing-half
Midfield players who play a defensive role along the side of the pitch; this has become an obsolete football position because side midfielders are now more focused on helping the attack as defense on the side are assigned to the fullbacks
Withdrawn
A term used to denote a player who plays behind the normal line of his position; for example, a withdrawn striker plays further from the goal than a regular striker or a withdrawn midfielder plays closer to the defensive line than the midfield
W-M formation
the 3-2-2-3 formation, a classic soccer formation called such because its shape on the blackboard resembles the letters W and M
Woodwork
Alternate term for the goal, called such because goals before were made from wood
Works team
A football team run or administered by a company; this type of team is no longer popular these days are most teams are now “commercial” but most clubs in the English football system started as works team, such as Arsenal and Manchester United (Arsenal was formed by armaments workers while Manchester United was started by railroad workers as Newton Heath)
World Club Championship
An annual football competition played among the champions six different continents; it grew from the Intercontinental Cup, a former tournament which featured champion clubs from Europe and South America
World Cup
World Cup is the biggest football competition in the World, competed by national teams every four years; World Cup winners are considered the best football teams in the world
Worry the keeper
To harass the goalkeeper even if he already has the ball in his hands; often punishable by a red card
Wrong-footed
A term which describes a defender who becomes off-balanced after an opponents dribbles or shoots pass him