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“Hospital pass”

/ˈhɒspɪtəl pɑːs/

phrase · soccer

Definition:
A pass so mistimed that your teammate has to receive it just as an opponent arrives at full speed. You've essentially set him up to get hit and hit hard.
Origin:
Straight from 1970s rugby, where a mistimed pass left the receiver a sitting duck, about to catch the ball and get flattened, next stop the hospital. Crossed into soccer with the same idea.

Used in a sentence

“What kind of a pass was that?! That's a hospital pass. You nearly got me killed.”

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Games At The Bar

WHAT PL TEAM MATCHES YOUR PERSONALITY?

Find Your Premier League Club

New to the Premier League? Take our quick quiz and discover which team matches your personality, values, and style!

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WHAT KIND OF FAN ARE YOU?

Want to get into soccer? Start here.

Answer ten questions about how the game works and we'll tell you what kind of fan you already are — and how to fill in the bits you don't know yet!

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THINK YOU KNOW THE LANGUAGE OF SOCCER?

Understand soccer? Let’s find out.

Ten things we’ve overheard at the bar. Ten chances to prove you know what they mean. Plus: get your own personalised soccer 'style of play' at the end!

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