What you do with a ball (with your hands)
pass = throw the ball to another player on your team
“Pass the ball quickly!”
throw = push the ball into the air with your hands
“She threw the ball into the air.”
catch = take the ball with your hands when someone passes to you
“Her team member caught the ball.”
serve = begin play (for example, in tennis)
“She served an ace.”
return = hit the ball back (for example, in tennis)
“He returned the ball to continue the rally.”
ground = make the ball hit the ground (especially in volleyball)
“He grounded the ball and won the point.”
bounce = make the ball hit the ground and come up in the air again
“The ball bounced once and the player hit it back over the net.”
hit = make contact with the ball
“He hit the ball with his racket.”
bowl = throw the ball fast with your hands towards the opposing player in cricket
“Ne bowled to the batsman.”
What you do with a ball (with your feet)
pass = kick the ball to another player on your team
“He passed the ball back to the goalkeeper.”
kick = move the ball with your feet
“He kicked the ball into the net.”
dribble = keep kicking the ball as you go forwards (before trying to pass to another player)
“He dribbled the ball past the defender.”
tackle = try to take the ball from another player
“Be careful when you tackle!”
shoot = try and kick the ball into the net
“Dalglish shoots, but misses.”
Phrasal Verbs related to sports
To bulk up = To gain weight and muscle
To cool down = To do movements/stretching after your main exercise to get it back to normal
To drop out = To leave a competition or race
To give up = To surrender/quit
To join in = To take part in a sporting event or match
To knock out = To hit someone so hard they become unconscious.
To take part = To be involved in an activity with other people.
To take up = To become interested or engaged in a pursuit.
To warm up = To do movements/stretching to get your muscles/body ready for exercise
To work out = To do exercise routines/sessions
Other useful verbs
head = use your head to hit the ball
“He headed the ball into the back of the net.”
run = move quickly
“He ran past the defender.”
race = try to move faster than someone else
“They both raced for the ball.”
sprint = run quickly for a short distance
“The runner sprinted to the finish line.”
jump = move upwards into the air
“The goalkeeper jumped up to catch the ball.”
dive = fall to the ground to make it look that an opposing player has tackled you badly (especially in football)
“If you dive in the match, you might get a yellow card.”
(commit a) fault = do something wrong
“If you commit a foot fault, you’ll lose the point.”
(commit a) foul = do something “illegal” or unsporting to hurt another player
“He fouled the other player who then got a penalty shot.”
blow the whistle = when the referee signals the end of the (football) match
“He blew the whistle at half time.”
win = be the player or team that gets victory
“We’ve won every match this season!”
lose = be the player or team that doesn’t get victory
“She lost in three straight sets.”
score = get a point or a goal
“He’s scored all the goals this season.”
draw = have the same score as the opposing team
“They drew 1-1.”
Sport idioms
What’s great about idioms is that they add new meaning and a creativity to how you express yourself. One idiom can often say far more than a whole sentence. Here are some sports idioms to you can use to talk about many things.
| Another string to your bow | Another skill/ability |
| To dive in head first | To start doing something 100% |
| To get off on the wrong foot | To start a relationship badly |
| To jump through the hoops | To do what you are told to do |
| To do something off your own bat | To take the initiative and do something on your own |
| To get off to a flying start | To make a successful start |
| To be on the ball | To be sharp and to know everything that’s happening |
| Plain sailing | Without any problems |
| To run rings around someone | To be far superior to someone else |
| The name of the game | The core priority. “Speed is the name of the game in athletics” |
| You can’t win them all | It’s impossible to win every match/contest |
| You win some you lose some | It’s normal to lose some matches/contests |
| To be out of your league | When the other competitors are far superior to you |
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