B1 Vocabulary — Sport
Key words to talk about people in sport, places where you play, and common actions in matches and competitions.
B1 Intermediate
Sport & leisure
People • Places • Verbs
1. People who watch sport
- crowd / spectators = all the people watching a match or race. The crowd cheered when their team scored.
- fans = people who love and support a team, sport, or player. Thousands of fans came to celebrate the win.
2. People who play & train
- player = a person who takes part in a sport or game. All the players shook hands after the match.
- team = a group of players who play together. Our team trains three evenings a week.
- goalkeeper = the player who tries to stop the ball going into the goal. The goalkeeper made two fantastic saves.
- manager / coach = the person who trains, organises and leads the team. The coach gave a motivating speech at half-time.
3. Officials
- referee = the main official in sports like football or basketball who makes sure players follow the rules. The referee blew the whistle to end the game.
- umpire = an official in sports such as tennis, baseball or cricket. The umpire said the ball was out.
- linesman / assistant referee = an official who helps the referee, for example with offsides or balls out of play. The linesman raised his flag for offside.
4. Places where we do sport
- stadium = a large sports arena with seats for spectators. The stadium was full for the final.
- pitch = the field for football, rugby, cricket, hockey, etc. The players ran onto the pitch.
- court = the playing area for tennis, basketball, volleyball, etc. They met on the tennis court for the last match.
- course = the area where people play golf. We spent the afternoon on the golf course.
- sports hall / gymnasium = an indoor space for sports and PE lessons. The tournament took place in the sports hall.
- track = a round path for running, cycling or racing. The runners waited on the track for the 100m race.
- ski slope / ski piste = a marked area on a mountain for skiing. The ski slopes were busy after the new snow.
5. Verbs & verb phrases in sport
- win = be better than the other team or player. Our team won the match 2–0.
- beat / defeat = win against a person or team. They beat their rivals in the final.
- draw = finish a game with the same score. The teams drew one–one.
- break a record = get a better result than the previous best. She broke the record for the 100m sprint.
- hold a record = have the best result at the moment. He still holds the world record.
- score = get a goal, point or basket. She scored the winning goal.
- get injured = hurt yourself while doing sport. He got injured and had to leave the pitch.
- warm up = do light exercise before training or a match. The players are warming up before the game.
- get fit = improve your physical condition. She goes running to get fit.
- be sent off = be forced to leave the pitch because you broke the rules. The defender was sent off for a bad foul.
- throw = make the ball move through the air with your hand. The player threw the ball to his teammate.
- hit = touch the ball with a bat, stick or racket. She hit the ball across the tennis court.
- pass = send the ball to another player on your team. He passed the ball into the middle.
- kick = hit the ball with your foot. She kicked the ball towards the goal.
- head = hit the ball with your head. The striker headed the ball into the net.
- catch = take and hold the ball in your hands. The goalkeeper caught the ball easily.
Try to learn the whole phrase (for example, break a record, get injured, be sent off) not just the single verb. This will help you talk about matches more naturally.
Exercises:
Sport: people, places & actions
Choose the correct option to complete each sentence below.
1
A huge
of people waited outside the stadium before the final.
Correct:
A crowd is a large group of people together in one place.
2
The
were asked to sit down and not throw anything onto the pitch.
Correct:
Spectators are people who watch a match, not play in it.
3
The team’s
wore the club colours and sang songs all through the game.
Correct:
Fans support and love a particular team or player.
4
Every
must wear the correct shirt and number during the match.
Correct:
A player is someone who takes part in the game.
5
Our
trained together every day before the tournament.
Correct:
A team is a group of players who play together.
6
In football the
is the only player who can use their hands.
Correct:
The goalkeeper stands in front of the goal and tries to stop the ball.
7
The
chooses the players, decides the tactics and often buys new players for the club.
Correct:
A football manager is in charge of the team and makes big decisions.
8
Our
plans the training sessions and tells us how to improve our skills.
Correct:
A coach trains the players and helps them play better.
9
In a football match the
blows the whistle and stops the game when there is a foul.
Correct:
The referee controls the game and makes sure the rules are followed.
10
In tennis the
sits in a high chair and says if the ball is in or out.
Correct:
An umpire is the official in sports like tennis and cricket.
11
In older football books the
is the person at the side of the pitch who holds a flag.
Correct:
A linesman is the old word for the official with a flag on the touchline.
12
The
runs along the line with a flag and helps the referee with decisions.
Correct:
An assistant referee helps the main referee and uses a flag.
13
The final was played in a huge
with space for 60,000 people.
Correct:
A stadium is a very large sports building with seats all around.
14
Football is usually played on a grass
with a goal at each end.
Correct:
A football pitch is the grass area where the game happens.
15
Tennis and basketball are usually played on a hard, flat
with painted lines.
Correct:
A court is the area where you play sports like tennis or basketball.
16
We walked for hours around the
to play 18 holes of golf.
Correct:
A (golf) course is the large outdoor area where you play golf.
17
At school we play basketball and volleyball in the indoor
next to the main building.
Correct:
A sports hall is a large indoor space for different sports.
18
The gymnastics team trains in the
with bars, rings and mats.
Correct:
A gymnasium is an indoor room with equipment for sports or gymnastics.
19
Runners compete on a 400-metre
in athletics competitions.
Correct:
A track is the round or oval path where people run or race.
20
We learned to ski on a small
near the hotel.
Correct:
A ski slope is a hill or mountain area where people go skiing.
21
On the map each
has a different colour to show how easy or difficult it is.
Correct:
A ski piste is a marked route for skiing on a mountain.
Sport: people, places & actions
Match the sentences with the sport words
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