The Italian word for football, taken from a similar game played in the street and whose existence is documented back to the 5th century. Since the origins of football itself are far from clear and irrefutable, many Italian historians link the sport to calico, which is played with both the hands and feet. Following the same line of reasoning, calcio could also be the origin of rugby.

An invitation to play for a team, such as ones national team or any one of a clubs teams.

A name used in certain Latin American countries for the playing field or pitch.

When a match has attracted enough fans to fill the stadium to its legal capacity, with no free seats or places.

The number of times a player represents his or her country in an official international match.

Player appointed to officially represent the team before the referee. In theory, the only player allowed to talk to the referee, the captain is often the most veteran member of the squad.

Fateful cardboard object carried by referees to mete out punishment for serious infringements of the rules. If a player fouls another, the referee can merely stop the game and give the opposing team a free kick, but if the foul is violent or dangerous, then the punishment may go beyond this. The referee summons the guilty player, orders him to turn around so that he can see the number on the back of his shirt, which he notes in his book, showing the player the card, held up high before him so that everyone, spectators and players alike, are informed of this additional penalty to the free kick already awarded. Referees carry two cards, one yellow and one red. Two yellow cards in the same game equal one red card, meaning expulsion from the field of play. In such cases, the referee shows the player the second yellow card followed by the red card, meaning that the player must leave the pitch and cannot be replaced by another. If a foul is particularly serious (tackle from behind without going for the ball, or interrupting play by deliberately handling the ball), the referee can show the player the red card directly. According to the rules of the tournament involved, cards can have an accumulative effect and a player can begin a match with a yellow card already from a previous game.

Italian. Literally, its a chain. Its invention attributed to Helenio Herrera, the catenaccio is a barrier of eight players in the penalty area, leaving just two free to launch counter-attacks. When the game is going well for teams employing such tactics, the match can be frustrating in the extreme for the opposing team and boring in the extreme for fans.

Known also as booking, its a recorded punished given to an individual player by a referee during a game for anyone of a number offences listed in the Laws of the Game. A caution may be administered as well as punishment delivered to the offending players team by way of a free kick or penalty kick.