FAQs about sports terms

What is an enforcer in hockey?

An “enforcer” in hockey is a player whose role is to protect teammates and respond to aggressive opponents—often through physical play or fighting—instead of focusing on scoring.

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What is offsides in hockey?

“Offsides” in hockey is a colloquial form of “offside,” when an attacking player enters the offensive zone before the puck does. To be “onside,” the puck must cross the blue line before the player.

If a player is offside, this stops play and results in a faceoff in the neutral zone. The offside rule exists to stop players from hanging out near the goal waiting for a long pass.

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What is a hat trick in hockey?

A “hat trick” in hockey is when a player scores three goals in a single game. It’s a notable achievement celebrated by players and fans.

This term is also used in other sports like cricket, soccer, and baseball.

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What is high sticking in hockey?

“High-sticking” in hockey is when a player raises their stick above shoulder height and makes contact with an opponent, the puck, or the goal.

High-sticking is considered a penalty and can result in a minor or major infraction depending on the severity.

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What is a deke in hockey?

A “deke” in hockey is a move or fake a player uses to outsmart an opponent or goaltender. “Deke” is a shortened form of the noun “decoy.”

Understanding terms like “deke” will help you better keep up with the game. If you have questions about other hockey terms, ask QuillBot’s AI Chat.

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What does bowled over mean?

If you are bowled over by something, it means that you are very impressed with it, often unexpectedly (e.g., “I was bowled over by the quality of the performances at the talent show”).

This idiom may come from an old cricket term meaning to hit the wooden “sticks” behind the batter.

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What does sticky wicket mean?

A sticky wicket is a British English cricket idiom meaning “a tricky situation” (e.g., “We’re on a bit of a sticky wicket here because we promised two important customers we’d deliver projects next week, and we’re going to have to disappoint one of them”).

It comes from a cricket term meaning a playing surface that is difficult to play on if you are a batter because it is wet and soft.

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Is it inning or innings?

In the sport of cricket, it is innings (with an “s”) not “inning.”

In cricket, an innings is a team’s “turn” to bat instead of field.

The plural of the cricket term “innings” is also “innings” (e.g., “In test cricket, the teams get two innings”).

The word “inning” (without an “s”) is a baseball term.

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What are some pickleball slang terms?

Some common slang pickleball terms include:

• The kitchen: The non-volley zone near the net.
• Poaching: When a doubles player hits a shot their partner could have taken
• A banger: A player who hits mainly powerful drive shots rather than delicate “dink” shots

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What are some funny pickleball terms?

There are lots of funny pickleball terms:

• The non-volley zone is affectionately known as “the kitchen.”
• A “dink” is a soft shot made by gently tapping the ball over the net so it lands close to your opponent’s kitchen.
• An Erne—named after a well-known player—is a shot where you go outside the court to volley the ball close to the net in order to avoid touching the kitchen.

QuillBot’s free AI Chat can help you understand the funny pickleball terms you come across.

Read this FAQ: What are some funny pickleball terms?