“Row Z”

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.

Used in a sentence

“Only two minutes left. There’s no need for any fancy from the defense. Just lump it into Row Z.”