Football Idiom Pictionary
" Cut the Idioms cards (pages 2 and 3) into strips so that the idiom and definition
are showing on the same card.
" In this activity, each student has one or more cards. On one side of the card is
an idiom that comes from football (soccer, not American football) and on the
reverse side is the definition.
" The student draws a picture representing the idiom (i.e. the literal meaning) and
asks the other students in the group or class to say what they think the idiom is.
At this stage, they only have to get the idiom right (or as close to it as possible)
they do not need to explain what it actually means.
" When the student holding the card thinks the class have got the right answer, or
have come close, s/he writes the idiom on the board (whole class) or shows the
card to the group. There then follows a discussion of what the idiom actually
means.
" Finally, the student with the card reads out the definition and the other students
write it down in their notebooks. The class/group discuss whether they guessed
the meaning of the idiom or not, and perhaps what the equivalent is in their
language (in monolingual groups or classes).
" The teacher needs to make it clear that these idioms are most often used to talk
about competition, rules and fairness in everyday life, not about football.
" The same technique could be used for all kinds of idioms of course, starting with
ones where the image is obvious or universal (e.g.  to blow your top = volcanic
eruption = lose your temper) and progressing to ones which are more surreal or
culture-specific ( pie in the sky ).
Author: Dennis Delany Page 1 of 33
r: Katie Jones.
© Pearson Education 2010 PHOTOCOPIABLE
Football Idiom Pictionary
moving the goalposts changing the rules of the game unfairly
to be left on the bench you are a substitute, not chosen for the first team
to score an own goal to make a mistake that harms yourself, your team, your company, etc.
to be out of your league you cannot compete because the standard is too high
to be a team player a team player works well with other people and is unselfish
to play for time to use delaying tactics hoping that time will run out
to wrong foot somebody to throw someone off balance and catch them by surprise
to cry  foul to complain about something you feel is unfair
to keep a clean sheet to make no mistakes; to avoid getting into trouble
Author: Dennis Delany Page 2 of 33
r: Katie Jones.
© Pearson Education 2010 PHOTOCOPIABLE
Football Idiom Pictionary
to take your eye off the ball to lose your concentration and get distracted
to go to the media or the police and report a crime or illicit
to blow the whistle behaviour, especially when the whistle-blower has secret or
confidential information
the game plan the strategy that you have prepared
a level playing field on a fair and equal basis  for example when several companies
compete for a government contract
to hang up your boots to retire
it s a game of two halves you have to wait until the second half to see what the result is   don t
count your chickens until they ve hatched
show somebody the red card punish or reprimand someone for bad behaviour, expel someone
Author: Dennis Delany Page 3 of 33
r: Katie Jones.
© Pearson Education 2010 PHOTOCOPIABLE