Meaning & use
goalmouth
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Meaning
nouncountablesport
The area right in front of a goal, where players crowd together to attack a shot or defend against one.
Grammar: Usually preceded by the: the ball bounced in the goalmouth.
Patterns
- in the goalmouth
- a goalmouth scramble
The ball ran loose in the goalmouth, and three players lunged for it.
A defender cleared the ball off the line from a goalmouth melee.
Fans held their breath as the corner kick dropped into the goalmouth.
Word forms
| plural | goalmouths |
|---|
Common combinations
- goalmouth scramble
- A frantic goalmouth scramble ended with the ball in the net.
- goalmouth action
- The second half offered little goalmouth action.
- clear from the goalmouth
- The defender managed to clear from the goalmouth just in time.
- goalmouth incident
- The referee studied the replay of the goalmouth incident.
- a crowded goalmouth
- The striker stood at the edge of a crowded goalmouth, waiting for the cross.
Synonyms and how they differ
- penalty area
- The penalty area is the entire marked box, much larger than the goalmouth, which is just the busy space near the posts.
- six-yard box
- The six-yard box is a specific marked rectangle, whereas goalmouth is a looser term for wherever the action happens near the goal.
- crease
- Crease is the equivalent protected area in ice hockey and cricket, not football.
Word family
- goal noun
- the frame or the score in sports like football
- goalkeeper noun
- the player who defends the goal
- goalpost noun
- one of the two upright poles of a goal
- goalless adjective
- with no goals scored
- goalscorer noun
- a player who scores
Commonly confused: goalmouth or goalpost?
goalmouth vs goalpost
A goalpost is one of the upright poles of the goal, while the goalmouth is the open space in front of it.
Practice
The match was dull, with hardly any ___ action until the final ten minutes.
Choose one answer.
Goalmouth action means attacking and defending near the goal. Goalpost and goalkeeper do not form this phrase, and goalless is an adjective that would not fit before 'action' this way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “goalmouth”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.