Meaning & use
five-a-side football
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountableBritish
A form of football (soccer) played with five players on each team, usually on a smaller pitch.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun: We play five-a-side football. No plural form.
Patterns
- play five-a-side football
- a game of five-a-side football
- five-a-side football match
We play five-a-side football every Wednesday after work.
Five-a-side football is a fast and fun way to stay fit.
The local sports center has a league for five-a-side football.
Common combinations
- play five-a-side football
- They play five-a-side football on the weekend.
- a game of five-a-side football
- We had a game of five-a-side football in the park.
- five-a-side football league
- He joined a five-a-side football league at work.
Synonyms and how they differ
- small-sided soccer
- This is a more general term for any soccer game with fewer players; five-a-side football specifically means five players per side.
- indoor soccer
- Indoor soccer is played inside, often with walls; five-a-side football can be played outdoors or indoors.
Opposites
Word family
- football noun
- The game played with a ball and two teams.
- five-a-side adjective
- Describing a game with five players per team.
Practice
What is 'five-a-side football'?
Choose one answer.
'Five-a-side' means five players on each side (team), so option 1 is correct. Option 2 is wrong because it means five players total. Option 3 is about frequency, not team size. Option 4 is about fields, not players.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “five-a-side football”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.