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Football (Soccer) vocabulary · Formations & Tactics

Marking

Meaning in football (soccer), with examples

/ˈmɑːrkɪŋ/nounCommon term

In football (soccer), marking means: Staying close to an opponent, or guarding an area, to stop them receiving the ball or getting a clear shot or header.

In Turkish: markaj, adam takibi

How it is used

Man-marking means following one opponent; zonal marking means guarding an area, especially at set pieces. Coaches blame poor or slack marking for goals. The verb is mark: "Who was marking their number 9?"

Example sentences

  1. We conceded from a corner because the marking was terrible.

  2. We use zonal marking at corners, plus two players man-marking their best headers.

Common collocations

  • man-marking
  • zonal marking
  • poor marking
  • tight marking
  • marking at set pieces
  • defenderA player whose main job is to stop the other team from attacking and scoring, usually playing in the line closest to their own goal.
  • set pieceA planned move from a restart of play, such as a corner kick, free kick or throw-in, which is usually practised in training.
  • corner kickA kick from the corner of the pitch, given to the attacking team when the ball crosses the goal line after last touching a defending player and no goal is scored.
  • tackleAn attempt to take the ball away from an opponent with your feet. A fair tackle wins the ball; a mistimed or reckless one is a foul.

More terms: Formations & Tactics

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