# American Soccer **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 26, 2004, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-soccer/276747 "2004-11-26T14:57:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-soccer/276747/21 "2004-11-30T19:44:01Z")
BTW a “ **tie** ” is when the score is even during the course of the match. When the match ends with an even score, that is a “ **draw**.” And a note to American soccer commentators: there is no **sideline** or **endline** in soccer. There are instead **touchlines** and **goal lines**. And I guess MOST of you announcers have learned that it is “ **offside** ” not “ **offsides** ” but I still hear it sometimes. And while I’m at it-- don’t forget that simply because a player kicks his foot up high in the air to the level of his head does not mean it is a foul. there is no such thing as a “ **high kick** ” except in a chorus line. Oh… and if you settle a tournament match with kicks from the penalty mark they are not “ **penalty kicks** ” for there was no “penalty”. They are in fact called “ **kicks from the penalty mark** ”. Sorry-- one more thing… when the referee signifies the “ **advantage rule** ” it is not because there is an avantage for the **side who was fouled**. It is because if he/she whistled the foul and stopped the play, the \*\*fouling side \*\* would have an unfair advantage. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-soccer/276747/22 "2004-11-30T20:01:12Z")
> [@I Love Me](#): > > Sorry-- one more thing… when the referee signifies the “ **advantage rule** ” it is not because there is an avantage for the **side who was fouled**. It is because if he/she whistled the foul and stopped the play, the \*\*fouling side \*\* would have an unfair advantage. That’s the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-soccer/276747/23 "2004-11-30T20:28:07Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Yeah, but does anyone care [about the women’s team]? Plenty of people care, just not the ones who count, I guess. Certainly Nike, Gatorade, Pepsi, and Wheaties have cared enough to have Mia Hamm do endorsements. She even had a Barbie Doll. Hamm got around $2-3 million per year in endorsements at one point (don’t know if she gets anything currently, with retirement). > [@](#): > > The women’s league in the US was a huge disaster. As a former Boston Breakers fan, I would suggest that there’s more to the WUSA’s failure than lack of interest. I’d start with abysmal marketing and the fact that the league was planned and run by management that know zilch about soccer. I attended the last playoff game of the Breakers (with 3 other adults) before the WUSA folded. There was a big crowd of girls and young women (and yes, some young boys) absolutely ecstatic about the match. And there were enough adults for the stadium to run out of beer by halftime or so. :eek: I will be interested to see if the league makes it through the new proposed comeback. If we get a team within reasonable driving distance, I will be buying season tickets. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-soccer/276747/24 "2004-11-30T21:34:00Z")
> [@I Love Me](#): > > And a note to American soccer commentators: there is no **sideline** or **endline** in soccer. There are instead **touchlines** and **goal lines**. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a British or Irish commentator refer to a “touchline”. A ball that crosses it is just “over the line”. > [@](#): > > Oh… and if you settle a tournament match with kicks from the penalty mark they are not “ **penalty kicks** ” for there was no “penalty”. They are in fact called “ **kicks from the penalty mark** ”. Again, “penalty kicks” (actually, just “penalties”) is standard usage in Britain and Ireland. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-soccer/276747/25 "2004-12-01T02:39:32Z")
> [@ruadh](#): > > I don’t think I’ve ever heard a British or Irish commentator refer to a “touchline”. A ball that crosses it is just “over the line”. Nevertheless, it is a touchline not a sideline. Calling it “the line” works fine for me; calling it " a sideline" does not. > [@](#): > > Again, “penalty kicks” (actually, just “penalties”) is standard usage in Britain and Ireland. For penalty kicks, right? Because the kicks after 90 minutes (or extra time if it’s included) to settle a tied score are not “penalties” regardless of what the British or Irish announcers say. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-soccer/276747/26 "2004-12-01T11:54:14Z")
> [@I Love Me](#): > > BTW a “ **tie** ” is when the score is even during the course of the match. When the match ends with an even score, that is a “ **draw**.” …a tie is also the match itself, as in “forthcoming third-round tie between…” And the rest is correct, if not what’s normally used. See the [FA](http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/LawsIndex/0,,10794,00.html): > [@](#): > > The two longer boundary lines are called touch lines. > [@](#): > > LAW 14 - the Penalty Kick and > [@](#): > > Kicks from the penalty mark ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-soccer/276747/27 "2004-12-01T17:54:14Z")
> [@I Love Me](#): > > Nevertheless, it is a touchline not a sideline. Calling it “the line” works fine for me; calling it " a sideline" does not. > > For penalty kicks, right? Because the kicks after 90 minutes (or extra time if it’s included) to settle a tied score are not “penalties” regardless of what the British or Irish announcers say. My point was it’s a bit silly to single out American announcers over these usages. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-soccer/276747.md?page=1)