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Glossary
Soccer Gear terms, explained
Short, plain definitions of the words you'll see on product pages and spec sheets. Each one links to a guide when there's more to know.
A
- AG
- Artificial grass: a soleplate with shorter studs for 3G and 4G pitches. Read the guide →
C
- Cleat break-in
- A period of wear that can change how a new cleat upper feels; timing varies by material and model. Read the guide →
F
- FG
- Firm ground: a cleat soleplate for dry natural grass. Read the guide →
- FIFA Quality Pro
- The highest FIFA Quality Programme mark for match balls. Read the guide →
- Finger saves
- Stiff spines in goalkeeper gloves that resist fingers bending backward. Read the guide →
- Futsal
- Five-a-side soccer on a hard court with a smaller, low-bounce ball. Read the guide →
G
- Goalkeeper apparel
- Playing garments for a goalkeeper, such as jerseys, shorts, pants and base layers. Read the guide →
- Goalkeeper glove care
- Cleaning, drying and storing keeper gloves according to the maker’s instructions. Read the guide →
I
- IC
- Indoor court: a flat gum rubber sole for hard courts and futsal. Read the guide →
- IMS
- International Match Standard: a ball quality mark based on lab tests. Read the guide →
- Indoor court shoe
- A soccer shoe with a flat rubber outsole for indoor courts and futsal surfaces. Read the guide →
L
- Law 4
- The Laws of the Game rule on players' equipment, including shin guards. Read the guide →
- Leather upper
- The leather portion of a soccer cleat around the foot; fit and feel depend on its construction. Read the guide →
M
- MG
- Multi-ground: a soleplate built for both natural and artificial grass. Read the guide →
N
- Negative cut
- A goalkeeper glove cut with inside seams for a tight fit. Read the guide →
R
- Rebounder
- A board or framed net that returns a soccer ball toward the player during practice. Read the guide →
- Roll finger
- A goalkeeper glove cut that wraps latex around each finger. Read the guide →
S
- SG
- Soft ground: a soleplate with longer, often metal-tipped studs for wet grass. Read the guide →
- Size 5 ball
- The adult soccer ball: 68 to 70 cm around and 410 to 450 g. Read the guide →
- Soccer ball pressure
- The air pressure in a ball, checked against its model instructions and competition rules. Read the guide →
- Synthetic upper
- A soccer cleat upper made from synthetic materials; feel and break-in vary by model. Read the guide →
T
- TF
- Turf: a shoe with small rubber nubs for short turf and hard ground. Read the guide →
- Thermally bonded
- A ball built with heat-bonded panels instead of stitching. Read the guide →
- Training ball
- A soccer ball marketed for practice; its construction and materials vary by model. Read the guide →