49+ Useful Japanese Football Vocabulary for beginners

Learning Japanese through topics you love, like football, makes the process more fun and effective. Below is a list of essential Japanese football vocabulary, common match phrases, and commentary expressions to help you understand football in Japanese. Whether you're a learner or a fan, this guide will provide useful terms for following the game in Japanese.

1. Basic Japanese Football Vocabulary 

Here are some basic football terms in Japanese that are commonly used during matches:

• Goal = ゴール (gōru)
   
• Football = サッカー (sakkā)
   
• Ball = ボール (bōru)
   
• Pass = パス (pasu)
   
• Shoot = シュート (shūto)
   
• Foul = ファウル (fauru)
   
• Goalkeeper = ゴールキーパー (gōrukīpā)
   
• Forward = フォワード (fo wādo)
   
• Defender = ディフェンダー (difendā)
   
• Midfielder = ミッドフィールダー (mīddofīrudā)
   
• Offside = オフサイド (ofusaido)
   
• Corner Kick = コーナーキック (kōnā kiku)
   
• Penalty Kick = ペナルティキック (penaruti kiku)
   
• Substitution = 交代 (こうたい, kōtai)
   
• Red Card = レッドカード (reddo kādo)

2. Common Phrases and Expressions in Football 

• Nice shot! = ナイスシュート！ (naisu shūto!)
   
• Pass the ball! = ボールをパスして！ (bōru o pasu shite!)
   
• Shoot! = シュートして！ (shūto shite!)
   
• Well played! = よくやった！ (yoku yatta!)
   
• He scored a goal! = 彼はゴールを決めた！ (kare wa gōru o kimeta!)
   
• That’s a foul! = ファウルだ！ (fauru da!)
   
• Offside! = オフサイド！ (ofusaido!)
   
• Good defense! = いいディフェンス！ (ii difensu!)
   
• What a save! = すごいセーブ！ (sugoi sābu!)
   
• We need a substitution. = 交代が必要だ。 (kōtai ga hitsuyō da.)
   
• That was a close call! = 危なかった！ (abunakatta!)
   
• Extra time = 延長戦 (えんちょうせん, enchōsen)
   

• Penalty shootout = ペナルティシュート (penaruti shūto)
   
• Yellow card = イエローカード (ierō kādo)
   
• Free kick = フリーキック (furī kiku)

3. Japanese Football Commentary Phrases 

• What a fantastic pass! = なんて素晴らしいパスだ！ (nante subarashii pasu da!)
   
• The player is on a breakaway! = プレイヤーはブレイクアウェイだ！ (pureiyā wa bureiku awei da!)
   
• The ball goes out of bounds. = ボールがアウトオブバウンズになった。 (bōru ga autōbu baunzu ni natta.)
   
• He’s trying to make a move! = 彼は動こうとしている！ (kare wa ugokō to shite iru!)
   
• He dribbled past the defender! = 彼はディフェンダーを抜いた！ (kare wa difendā o nuīta!)
   
• That was a brilliant save by the goalkeeper! = ゴールキーパーの素晴らしいセーブだった！ (gōrukīpā no subarashii sābu datta!)
   
• It’s a clear penalty! = 明らかなペナルティだ！ (akirana penaruti da!)
   
• We’re heading into extra time. = 延長戦に突入だ。 (enchōsen ni totsyū da.)
   
• The crowd is going wild! = 観客は大興奮している！ (kankyaku wa daikōfun shite iru!)
   
• It’s a tight game! = いい試合だ！ (ii shiai da!)
   
• The match is tied! = 試合は同点だ！ (shiai wa dōten da!)
   
• He’s going for the header! = ヘディングを狙っている！ (hedingu o neratte iru!)
   
• A brilliant counterattack! = 素晴らしいカウンターアタック！ (subarashii kauntā atakku!)
   
• The referee is making a decision. = 審判が決定を下している。 (shinpan ga kettei o kudashite iru.)
   
• The match has ended in a draw. = 試合は引き分けで終わった。 (shiai wa hikiwake de owatta.)

4. FAQ 

Q1: How do you say “football” in Japanese?
A1: In Japanese, football is called サッカー (sakkā). It's a loanword from English, but it refers specifically to what we call soccer in the U.S.

Q2: What’s the difference between “シュート” (shūto) and “ゴール” (gōru)?
A2: シュート (shūto) means "shoot," while ゴール (gōru) means "goal." Shūto refers to the action of kicking the ball toward the goal, and gōru refers to the actual goal, the net or the score.

Q3: How do I say “I’m a football fan” in Japanese?
A3: You can say サッカーのファンです (sakkā no fan desu), which directly translates to "I am a fan of football."

Q4: Is the term for football the same in every region of Japan?
A4: Yes, サッカー (sakkā) is used universally across Japan. However, you may hear フットボール (futtobōru) in some cases, especially when referring to American football or in more formal contexts.

Q5: How do I say “penalty” in Japanese?
A5: The word for penalty in Japanese is ペナルティ (penaruti), which is a direct loanword from English.