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)
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“Row Z”
/ˌroʊ ˈzɛd/
phrase · soccer
- Definition:
- A shot or clearance hit so high or so far that it ends up deep in the stands, usually suggesting it was badly missed or emphatically defended.
- Origin:
- Stadium seating rows are lettered from the front, so Row Z is about as far from the field as a ticket gets. British commentary turned it into shorthand for a wildly inaccurate shot, or a defender getting the ball as far from their own goalline as possible.
“Only two minutes left. There’s no need for any fancy from the defense. Just lump it into Row Z.”
ASK THE BARTENDER
Games At The Bar
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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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