Sport & Exercise

Sporting collocations for games, fitness, and competition

Introduction

Sports language is packed with collocations. You "score a goal" not "make a goal", "break a record" not "beat a record" (though "beat" is used differently). These combinations are essential for discussing sports naturally.

This chapter covers sports and exercise collocations from team games to individual fitness.

Themes

All Collocations in This Chapter (28)

• score a goal To successfully kick or hit the ball into the net in a sport like football
• break a record To achieve a better result than the previous best in a sport or activity
• win a match To defeat the opposing team or player in a competitive game
• lose a match To be defeated in a competitive game
• beat an opponent To defeat a rival in a competition or contest
• set a record To establish a new best result that others will try to beat
• personal best An individual's best-ever performance or result in a sport or activity
• take the lead To move into first place in a race or competition
• keep fit To stay in good physical condition through regular exercise
• work out To do physical exercise, especially at a gym
• warm up To do gentle exercises to prepare the body for more intense physical activity
• cool down To do gentle exercises after intense activity to help the body recover
• pull a muscle To injure a muscle by stretching or straining it too much
• twist an ankle To injure your ankle by turning it awkwardly
• foul play Unfair or illegal behaviour in sport; also used to mean criminal activity
• fair play Honest and equal treatment; playing by the rules
• level playing field A situation where everyone has an equal chance of success
• home advantage The benefit a team gains from playing in their own stadium with local supporters
• away game A match played at the opposing team's ground or stadium
• extra time Additional playing time added to a match when the scores are level at the end...
• penalty kick A free kick awarded in football for a foul inside the penalty area
• half time The interval between the two halves of a sporting match
• full time The end of a sporting match when the allotted time has been played
• red card A card shown by the referee to a player being sent off for a serious foul or ...
• world record The best performance ever achieved globally in a particular sport or activity
• gold medal The medal awarded for first place in a competition, especially the Olympics
• silver medal The medal awarded for second place in a competition
• bronze medal The medal awarded for third place in a competition