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Football (Soccer) vocabulary · Match Actions & Skills

Tackle

Meaning in football (soccer), with examples

/ˈtækəl/nounCore term

In football (soccer), tackle means: An 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.

In Turkish: müdahale, top kapma, ikili mücadele

How it is used

Players make, win or go in for a tackle. A sliding tackle goes to ground, a last-ditch tackle stops a certain goal, and a late tackle arrives after the ball has gone. Tackle is also a verb: "Don't tackle him from behind."

Example sentences

  1. What a tackle! He won the ball cleanly just before the striker could shoot.

  2. He was booked for a late tackle on the halfway line.

Common collocations

  • sliding tackle
  • late tackle
  • last-ditch tackle
  • win a tackle
  • two-footed tackle
  • foulAn unfair or illegal action against an opponent, such as tripping, pushing or holding, for which the referee gives a free kick or a penalty.
  • 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.
  • yellow cardA card the referee shows to caution a player for offences such as reckless tackles, time-wasting or dissent; a second one in the same match means a red card.
  • clearanceA kick or header by a defender that sends the ball away from danger near their own goal.

More terms: Match Actions & Skills

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