Football Slang, Jargon, and New Words from Double-Tongued Dictionary

Citations in the Category Football

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submarining n. Maryland has performed well in short-yardage goal-line situations in part because its defensive linemen employ a legal technique known as “submarining,” where they lunge forward from a four-point stance and cut down opposing offensive linemen at the knees, ideally preventing an offense from getting a push off the line. [English United States Football Slang] [full cite] (Oct. 29, 2007)

sugar huddle n. Keeler said the Hens may employ something called a “sugar huddle,” in which offensive linemen gather together and are given their play assignments quietly rather than having them yelled out. [English Football Sports & Recreation] [full cite] (Oct. 15, 2006)

toe pick n. Linebacker Lance Briggs was all smiles after the first 2-interception game of his NFL career, even when he discussed the second pick, when it looked as if he might score until he tripped. “That was what we like to call a ‘toe pick,’” Briggs said, laughing. “My toe got caught on the “ice,” and I fell. I don’t know what happened; I tripped—poor return on my part.” [English Football Sports & Recreation Slang] [full cite] (Nov. 30, 2008)

trap game n. Yet beyond the hoopla and buildup of these monumental out-of-conference contests and long-circled conference showdowns, the road to a national championship is forged through the weekly grind of conference games against seemingly lower competition. Known to many as “trap” or even “landmine” games, these are the contests that go under the radar every year, and are frequently overlooked as fans and media members make their preseason predictions. [English Football Sports & Recreation Slang] [full cite] (Jul. 28, 2008)

tweener n. The NFL seemingly invented the word “tweener,” describing a player whose height and weight makes him uncertain for a specific position. He could be a defensive end or a linebacker, a DE or defensive tackle, a linebacker or a safety. Perhaps a tight end or a wide receiver, or could wind up anywhere on the offensive line. [English Football Sports & Recreation] [full cite] (Mar. 17, 2005)

victory Monday n. The players call them “Victory Mondays.” Holmgren refers to them as “cookies.” By any name, getting the day off after a game is a good thing. Holmgren gave the players Monday off—in addition to their usual Tuesday off—because he was pleased with their effort in Sunday’s 42-30 victory. [English Football Sports & Recreation] [full cite] (Oct. 6, 2006)

wedgebuster n. Goff’s role as a “wedgebuster” is part of the historic derivative of one of football’s oldest and most dangerous plays: the Flying Wedge, first used by Harvard against Yale in 1892. Back then, 10 men formed a V alignment to protect one ball carrier from 11 tacklers. Sometimes, they linked arms or grasped large loops sewn into the trousers of their teammates. The play caused so many injuries that it was banned in 1894, but variations of it continued because coaches found ways around the letter of the law. [English Football Sports & Recreation] [full cite] (Nov. 13, 2008)

wham play n. Q: What is a “wham” play?—Evan Cole, Rochester…A: That’s another word for a kind of trap block. One example is when a tight end comes slowly in motion behind the offensive line just before the snap. A guard fires out to get a linebacker, leaving a defensive tackle unblocked. That defensive tackle penetrates through the line and gets “whammed” by the tight end, creating a hole for the runner. [English Football Sports & Recreation Jargon] [full cite] (Dec. 12, 2006)

yac n. The buzzword in Ames this preseason has been “yac” —- as in “yards after catch.” Chizik calls that stat “Cyclone yards.” [English Football Sports & Recreation Jargon Acronym] [full cite] (Aug. 22, 2008)

zone dog n. Instead of blitzing with man-to-man coverage behind it, LeBeau developed a way to pressure the quarterback by having a variety of players blitz from different angles to produce favorable matchups while backing it up with zone coverage. The technique, known as “fire zones” or “zone dogs,” now is used as a base pressure scheme by about a third of the teams in the league. [English Football Sports & Recreation Jargon] [full cite] (Feb. 11, 2006)

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