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)
Previous Editions
Browse all past issues
Sound Like A Regular
“Golden Boot”
/ˈɡoʊldən bʊt/
phrase · soccer
- Definition:
- The award for the player who scores the most goals in a league or tournament that season. One prize, one stat, no voting panel. It's the scoring title, not the MVP.
- Origin:
- French magazine France Football launched the European Golden Shoe in 1968 for the continent's top scorer. "Boot" is simply the British word for a cleat, and the name spread to leagues and tournaments everywhere.
“He's got twelve goals by October and every pundit in the country has already handed him the Golden Boot. There are thirty games left. Ask me again in May.”
ASK THE BARTENDER
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!
9
Questions
30
Seconds
114k+
Matched
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
10,000+
Fans Tested
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!
10
Questions
2
Minutes
3,000+
Join Regulars
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.
How to watch soccer
What you're looking at, what happens when, and what to watch for beyond the ball in your first match.