- D: semi-circular arc at the edge of the penalty area, used to indicate the portion of the 10-yard distance around the penalty spot that lies outside the penalty area. Referred to in the Laws of the Game as "the penalty arc".
- Dead ball: situation when the game is restarted with the ball stationary, such as a free kick.
- Defender: one of the four main positions in football. Defenders are positioned in front of the goalkeeper and have the principal role of keeping the opposition away from their goal.
- Derby: match between two, usually local, rivals.
- Designated player rule: rule in Major League Soccer that allows teams to nominate players who are paid either partially or completely outside the salary cap.
- Dirty work: the type of play undertaken by a defensive midfielder – such as making tackles in midfield, playing short passes to the wing, and breaking up opponents' attacking moves – which is necessary for a team to be successful, but rarely receives recognition or acclaim, and is not considered "glamorous".
- Dissent: breach of the Laws of the Game, whereby a player uses offensive language or gestures towards official(s). In extreme cases it can result in yellow or red cards being issued.
- Diving: form of cheating, sometimes employed by an attacking player to win a free kick or penalty. When being challenged for the ball by an opponent, the player will throw themselves to the floor as though they has been fouled, in an attempt to deceive the referee into thinking a foul has been committed. Also known as a flop.
- Doing a Leeds: when a club incurs substantial debts through over-ambitious spending and subsequently drops down one or more divisions. Named after Leeds United, who reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2001 as a Premier League club but were playing in Football League One only six years later. The phrase is sometimes also used in relation to other clubs, for instance "Doing a Wimbledon".
- Double: most commonly used when a club wins both its domestic league and its country's major cup competition in the same season. Also used to describe a pair of victories, home and away, by one club over another in the same league season.
- Dribbling: when a player runs with the ball at their feet under close control, especially when this successfully outmanoeuvres one or more opponents in close proximity without losing possession.
- Drop ball: method used to restart a game, sometimes when a player has been injured accidentally and the game is stopped while the ball is still in play.
- Dugout: see bench.
- Dummy: skill move performed by a player receiving a pass from a teammate; the player receiving the ball will angle their body in such a way that the opponent thinks they are going to play the ball. The player will then intentionally allow the ball to run by them to a teammate close by without touching it, confusing the opponent as to which player has the ball.
Read more about this topic: Association Football Terminology