Premier Vocabulary is a mini-podcast for you to learn football English one word at a time. We have three different levels for you: easy, medium and hard.

This episode is medium so we’re looking at football words and phrases you need to describe what’s happening on the pitch or words and phrases fans and commentators on TV might use. There are lots of phrasal verbs to learn at this level.

Summary

Learn more football vocabulary with Premier Skills English. Each lesson in our Premier Vocabulary section looks at one football word or phrase. This lesson looks at the phrase to slow down.

You can find more lessons on the side of this page.

Transcript

Rich: Hello my name’s Rich and welcome to Premier Skills English - Premier Vocabulary.

Jack: Hi there! I’m Jack. We’re here to help you with your football English. Premier Vocabulary is a mini-podcast for you to learn football English one word at a time.

Rich: We have three different levels for you: easy, medium and hard.

Jack: This episode is medium so we’re looking at football words and phrases you need to describe what’s happening on the pitch or words and phrases fans and commentators on TV might use. There will be lots of phrasal verbs to learn at this level.

Rich: The phrase we are looking at in this episode is to slow down. Something can slow down or we can slow something down.

Jack: The phrase slow down can be used in several ways. Let’s start with how we often see it used in football.

Rich: We often talk about a team slowing the game down. When we try to slow something down we are trying to make something go at a slower speed or be less active.

Jack: One team might pass the ball around a lot in defence to slow the game down against opponents who want to play at high speed and at a high intensity.

Rich: A team might also slow the game down if they are winning and it’s near the end of the game. They will slow the game down by keeping the ball and taking their time when they have a throw-in or a free-kick.

Jack: So, a team can slow a match down - we can slow something down. We can also slow someone down.

Rich: Someone might be walking or talking too fast and you can ask them to slow down.

Jack: We often use the phrase to describe something that makes us go slower. Lots of traffic on the roads might slow you down.

Rich: A defender might put pressure on an attacker with the ball which will slow the player down.

Jack: You can also use the expression to slow up - no, to slow up is not the opposite of slow down it can actually mean the same.

Rich: The match slowed up in the second half. Sorry we’re late, the traffic slowed us up.

Jack: To slow down also means to go more slowly or be less active. The car slowed down before it stopped.

Rich: When I go for a run I usually slow down after about 10 kilometres.

Jack: You mean you slow down after 10 metres, not 10 kilometres.

Rich: Ah, yes. Football matches often slow down near the end of the game because players are tired or because it’s very hot.

Jack: We also talk about players slowing down as they get older. A player might be a winger or a box-to-box midfielder when they are younger but a central midfielder when they get older.

Rich: Players slow down as they get older and need to adapt if they want to carry on playing at a high level.

Jack: Other things slow down too. The economy slows down from time to time and we might need to slow down too sometimes.

Rich: Yes, if you work a lot it’s a good idea to slow down sometimes and take a break.

Jack: There is the final whistle!

Rich: We’ll be back soon with more Premier Vocabulary from Premier Skills English.

Jack: Bye for now and enjoy your football. 

Discuss

• Why do teams sometimes try to slow play down?

Write your answers in the comments section below.