Association Football Terminology - K

K

• Keeper: see goalkeeper.
• Keepie-uppie: the skill of juggling a football, keeping it off the ground using the feet, the knees, the chest, the shoulders or the head. Also known as keepy-uppy or kick-ups. The phrases are sometimes spelt as two separate words, for instance keepie uppie.
• Kick and rush: style of play. See also Long ball.
• Kick-off: method of starting a match; the ball must be played forwards from the centre spot with all members of the opposing team at least 10 yards from the ball. Also used to restart the match when a goal has been scored.
• Kit: football-specific clothing worn by players, consisting at the minimum of a shirt, shorts, socks, specialised footwear, and (for goalkeepers) specialised gloves. Also known as a uniform or a strip.
• Kop: British colloquial name for terraced stands in stadiums, especially those immediately behind the goals. Most commonly associated with Liverpool, they are so named due to their steep nature, which resembles a hill in South Africa that was the scene of the Battle of Spion Kop in January 1900 during the Second Boer War.