Getting into soccer? You’re in the right place.
Welcome to The Tap-Inn. We serve simple, witty, twice-weekly explainers to help you understand soccer, the world’s most popular sport. No assumed knowledge, no PhD-level tactics, no nonsense.
—Joe, your Irish bartender (no, really)
Latest Edition
Did we just see the best long range goal in Premier League history?
Plus: the goalkeeper who scored from 100 yards, City go seven from seven, and the AI goal meme of the week
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The Biggest Scandals in Soccer History
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The technicality on which Man City might escape punishment (despite being found guilty 114 times over)
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Term 1 of 5
“Cup-tied”
/ˈkʌp ˌtaɪd/
phrase · soccer
- Definition:
- A player who cannot play in a cup competition for his new club because he already appeared in that same competition for his old one this season. He is locked out until next year.
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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!
10
Questions
2
Minutes
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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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MOST READ EXPLAINERS
Browse allWhy do soccer teams play in so many competitions?
Why clubs juggle their domestic league, knockout cups and European tournaments across the same season.
What do soccer formations like 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 mean?
How to read the numbers in common soccer formations and what they reveal about a team's intentions.
What is the Carabao Cup?
England's second domestic knockout competition, why it keeps changing names, and why clubs care more than they admit.