New football terminology

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CalamityClaret
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New football terminology

Post by CalamityClaret » Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:41 pm

Please feel free to correct me on the 1st 2 but I've no idea about number 3. Cheers

1. Low block - sitting deep
2. Transition - winning the ball back in defence and moving the ball forward
3. Pivot - no idea

CalamityClaret
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Re: New football terminology

Post by CalamityClaret » Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:44 pm

Or is transition counter attacking/ hitting on the break?

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Re: New football terminology

Post by ollieclarets8 » Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:45 pm

CalamityClaret wrote:
Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:41 pm
Please feel free to correct me on the 1st 2 but I've no idea about number 3. Cheers

1. Low block - sitting deep
2. Transition - winning the ball back in defence and moving the ball forward
3. Pivot - no idea
Pivot is just a defensive midfielder who sits back and helps to break up play.
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CalamityClaret
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Re: New football terminology

Post by CalamityClaret » Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:49 pm

Cheers

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Re: New football terminology

Post by Bordeauxclaret » Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:51 pm

When did “Bomb Squad” become a thing in football?

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Re: New football terminology

Post by ClaretTony » Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:59 pm

ollieclarets8 wrote:
Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:45 pm
Pivot is just a defensive midfielder who sits back and helps to break up play.
Used to have a pivot when you had a schemer who was an attacking inside forward.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by CalamityClaret » Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:03 pm

But now it's basically a defensive midfielder? How did I do on the transition? I know I should have just Googled it on reflection. I'm sure I'm not alone though

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Re: New football terminology

Post by Woodleyclaret » Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:03 pm

Don't forget false nine.I assume Duke was a false nine a none scoring striker?

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Re: New football terminology

Post by Alanstevensonsgloves » Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:24 pm

4. Press - attack

"Press, press....... press press press " doesn't sound the same :roll:

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Re: New football terminology

Post by Rowls » Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:26 pm

Pivot is all about carrying a sofa

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Re: New football terminology

Post by LincsWoldsClaret » Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:28 pm

There’s also this idea that a no.10 is further forward and more attacking than a no.8 - they are just on different sides of the pitch

groove
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Re: New football terminology

Post by groove » Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:31 pm

ollieclarets8 wrote:
Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:45 pm
Pivot is just a defensive midfielder who sits back and helps to break up play.
Formerly known as the holding role

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Re: New football terminology

Post by yTib » Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:35 pm

1. childish w@nker: most footballers.
Last edited by yTib on Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by Bosscat » Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:35 pm

Rowls wrote:
Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:26 pm
Pivot is all about carrying a sofa
Only on a staircase 😉

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Re: New football terminology

Post by KellyClaret » Tue Sep 09, 2025 9:14 pm

groove wrote:
Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:31 pm
Formerly known as the holding role
Is there not a bit of a difference? A pivot more of a ball player from deep and a holding midfielder would generally have less influence on the ball but is instead be better at breaking up play

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Re: New football terminology

Post by bfcmik » Tue Sep 09, 2025 9:37 pm

KellyClaret wrote:
Tue Sep 09, 2025 9:14 pm
Is there not a bit of a difference? A pivot more of a ball player from deep and a holding midfielder would generally have less influence on the ball but is instead be better at breaking up play
Luis is supposed to be a holding midfielder rather than a pivot, according to Benfica fans, at least.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by dougcollins » Tue Sep 09, 2025 10:01 pm

A pivot is generally something that turns through 180 degrees without changing its position.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by bobinho » Tue Sep 09, 2025 10:17 pm

dougcollins wrote:
Tue Sep 09, 2025 10:01 pm
A pivot is generally something that turns through 180 degrees without changing its position.
A bit like Andrea Pirlo then?
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Re: New football terminology

Post by bobinho » Tue Sep 09, 2025 10:18 pm

It’s all nonsense. Derived claptrap from pundits who want to sound cleverer than they are.
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Re: New football terminology

Post by Spike » Tue Sep 09, 2025 10:54 pm

One day a manager will set up with wing halves and everyone will think it’s amazing

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Re: New football terminology

Post by djt2006 » Wed Sep 10, 2025 6:38 am

Recycling the ball. What’s that all about?

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Re: New football terminology

Post by Lisbonclaret » Wed Sep 10, 2025 6:41 am

bfcmik wrote:
Tue Sep 09, 2025 9:37 pm
Luis is supposed to be a holding midfielder rather than a pivot, according to Benfica fans, at least.
Careful bfcmik, some bloke called fatboy will be along shortly to castigate you and all Benfica fans for an opinion like that😜

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Re: New football terminology

Post by beeholeclaret » Wed Sep 10, 2025 7:06 am

djt2006 wrote:
Wed Sep 10, 2025 6:38 am
Recycling the ball. What’s that all about?
Red top wheely bin on a Friday game? 😉

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Re: New football terminology

Post by Holmechapel » Wed Sep 10, 2025 8:12 am

bobinho wrote:
Tue Sep 09, 2025 10:17 pm
A bit like Andrea Pirlo then?
Ray Pointer was often said to turn on a sixpence.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by Foshiznik » Wed Sep 10, 2025 10:48 am

Inverted wing backs - Right/Left back moving into midfield
Double Pivot - two players who sit in front of the defence to support them off the ball and then attack with them acting as the defender's first option for a pass.
1st/2nd/3rd phase of play - the newest invention created to make offsides more complicated and difficult to judge

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Re: New football terminology

Post by JohnMac » Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:04 am

Low centre of gravity - Short with a fat arse?

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Re: New football terminology

Post by Im_not_Robbie_Blake » Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:07 am

What's the difference between a 'number 8' and a 'number 10'?

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Re: New football terminology

Post by Pickles » Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:11 am

Im_not_Robbie_Blake wrote:
Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:07 am
What's the difference between a 'number 8' and a 'number 10'?
Number ten is an attacking midfielder usually behind the striker. (Joe Cole should've/would've)
Number eight is a box-to-box. (Gerrard)
Last edited by Pickles on Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by ollieclarets8 » Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:12 am

Im_not_Robbie_Blake wrote:
Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:07 am
What's the difference between a 'number 8' and a 'number 10'?
I think it depends who you ask.

A number 8 for me is an attacking central midfielder. A number 10 is further forward partnering a forward or 'in the hole'.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by aggi » Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:14 am

Bordeauxclaret wrote:
Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:51 pm
When did “Bomb Squad” become a thing in football?
I'd not heard of that in a football context and assumed it was the same as in rugby. Googled it and turned out to be pretty much the opposite.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by Claretfanatic1982 » Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:14 am

CalamityClaret wrote:
Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:41 pm
Please feel free to correct me on the 1st 2 but I've no idea about number 3. Cheers

1. Low block - sitting deep
2. Transition - winning the ball back in defence and moving the ball forward
3. Pivot - no idea
I would say number 2. Transition , works both ways.

Defensive transition = when a team loses the ball and has to switch from attacking shape to defending shape. (e.g. counter-pressing immediately after losing the ball, or dropping into a low block).

Offensive transition = when a team wins the ball and has to quickly change from defending to attacking. (e.g. launching a counterattack before the opponent can reorganise).
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Re: New football terminology

Post by Pickles » Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:16 am

One which makes me cringe is "legacy fan" - just so cold and is indicative of the tiered systems we're seeing in terms of ticketing.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by Darnhill Claret » Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:27 am

Don Revie was probably acknowledged as the first and best of his time, false nine, or deep lying centre forward in this country.
Man City's 1956 FA Cup win often referred to as the Revie Plan.
In Europe, Austria 30's and Hungary (Hidegkuti) 50's were the most successful exponents.
Nothing new in football and no doubt South Americans would claim to have invented the idea earlier.
Lots of recent examples, in the Premier League, Bobby Firmino might be considered the classic.
Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane both certainly drop/dropped deep as a natural part of their game.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by LincsWoldsClaret » Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:28 am

Im_not_Robbie_Blake wrote:
Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:07 am
What's the difference between a 'number 8' and a 'number 10'?
They are the exactly the same - except the 8 is a right sided inside forward and a 10 left sided. Both normally play behind a centre forward and inside a winger. Modern punditry has confused the terms.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by groove » Wed Sep 10, 2025 12:31 pm

What about a false nine?

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Re: New football terminology

Post by quoonbeatz » Wed Sep 10, 2025 12:36 pm

The dumbest one of the lot is “scanning” i.e. looking around.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by RVclaret » Wed Sep 10, 2025 12:53 pm

LincsWoldsClaret wrote:
Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:28 am
They are the exactly the same - except the 8 is a right sided inside forward and a 10 left sided. Both normally play behind a centre forward and inside a winger. Modern punditry has confused the terms.
I think it’s you that’s confused to be fair.

Funny this thread, 90% of folk on here think we play with a ‘10’, and did for all of last season, and under Kompany. Perhaps learning some ‘modern terminology’ might help better understand what’s happening on the pitch.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by Spijed » Wed Sep 10, 2025 12:55 pm

Why can't people just refer to players as strikers, centre forwards, left winger, right winger, central midfield etc.
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Re: New football terminology

Post by RicardoMontalban » Wed Sep 10, 2025 1:01 pm

Alanstevensonsgloves wrote:
Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:24 pm
4. Press - attack

"Press, press....... press press press " doesn't sound the same :roll:
Pressing, or the press, i.e. aggressive and proactive defending to win the ball back, is nothing new. There are clips of the great Dutch team from the 70’s where they just go for it and the opposition (Argentina spring to mind) just don’t know how to handle it and crumble.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by Tribesmen » Wed Sep 10, 2025 1:31 pm

quoonbeatz wrote:
Wed Sep 10, 2025 12:36 pm
The dumbest one of the lot is “scanning” i.e. looking around.
Or would it be " shcopping " Insta for Barca for example.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by dibraidio » Wed Sep 10, 2025 1:39 pm

Wasn't transition one of Dyche's buzzwords, seem to remember him wanting fast transitions which I think we used to call longball.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by NottsClaret » Wed Sep 10, 2025 1:46 pm

It's all for nerds who've never even played on the park on a Sunday but can give you the xG progressive pivot stats for a 'number 6' in the Albanian 2nd division.

Funnier than ever now, when the top sides are launching long throws into the mixer again and playing for corners. No doubt there's some new online hipster terminology for that too.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by bfcmik » Wed Sep 10, 2025 2:33 pm

Lisbonclaret wrote:
Wed Sep 10, 2025 6:41 am
Careful bfcmik, some bloke called fatboy will be along shortly to castigate you and all Benfica fans for an opinion like that😜
I'm probably fatter than fatboy so I'm not scared :P

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Re: New football terminology

Post by longsidetrumpet » Wed Sep 10, 2025 5:08 pm

I thought pivot was used in old-school football reporting to describe the centre half, probably arising from the time before the 60s when there was a man between the two full backs, with numbers 4 and 6 the wing halves who did a bit of both defending and attacking

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Re: New football terminology

Post by ollieclarets8 » Wed Sep 10, 2025 5:11 pm

I'm sure I've read "Quarterback" used on here. Now that's taking things to the extreme! :)

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Re: New football terminology

Post by exilecanada » Wed Sep 10, 2025 5:12 pm

Im_not_Robbie_Blake wrote:
Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:07 am
What's the difference between a 'number 8' and a 'number 10'?
Number 2 :D
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Re: New football terminology

Post by LincsWoldsClaret » Wed Sep 10, 2025 6:17 pm

RVclaret wrote:
Wed Sep 10, 2025 12:53 pm
I think it’s you that’s confused to be fair.

Funny this thread, 90% of folk on here think we play with a ‘10’, and did for all of last season, and under Kompany. Perhaps learning some ‘modern terminology’ might help better understand what’s happening on the pitch.
Obviously you consider yourself one of the 10% who are better informed than the rest of us. Thank your for your valuable insight.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by basil6345789 » Wed Sep 10, 2025 6:39 pm

ollieclarets8 wrote:
Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:45 pm
Pivot is just a defensive midfielder who sits back and helps to break up play.
Pivot used to be the centre half, around whom the fullbacks "pivotted" - one pushing forward, the other hanging back, ready to sweep across in the event of a sudden counter-attack

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Re: New football terminology

Post by Darnhill Claret » Wed Sep 10, 2025 7:38 pm

Seems to me that a considerable number of people think that there is a preferable way to play football, and become resistant to change, when football is always changing, with coaches constantly trying to overcome opponents with new systems and styles. They don't want to be predictable.
If they can find a system that works, they'll try and develop it.

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Re: New football terminology

Post by quoonbeatz » Wed Sep 10, 2025 8:52 pm

NottsClaret wrote:
Wed Sep 10, 2025 1:46 pm
It's all for nerds who've never even played on the park on a Sunday but can give you the xG progressive pivot stats for a 'number 6' in the Albanian 2nd division.

Funnier than ever now, when the top sides are launching long throws into the mixer again and playing for corners. No doubt there's some new online hipster terminology for that too.
Legacy football.

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