amandastellisano
Last updated:
Game On! 50+ Italian Sports Vocabulary Words and Expressions for Fervent Fans
Italia! Italia! (Italy! Italy!)
Whether it’s thousands of people chanting in a stadium or a dozen in a restaurant, there’s no denying that Italians are hugely passionate about sports.
When you think about sports that Italians love, football (soccer in North America) might come to mind. But that’s hardly the only sport Italians love to play and follow.
Along with football, Italians enjoy tennis, cycling, basketball and rugby… just to name a few.
If you’re a fan, you can follow along with your favorite sport or team by learning some Italian sports vocabulary!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
How to Learn Italian Sports Vocabulary
Keep Up with Sports News and Replays
Learning the Italian vocabulary you need to participate in sports can be as easy as following your favorite teams. Instead of finding the latest news and scores from English sources, try seeking out Italian news outlets, instead.
There are lots of ways to follow your favorite sports teams in Italian. You can browse online newspapers like “La Gazzetta dello Sport” to follow along with the latest news.
There are several popular Italian websites for sports news, including Sky Sport, Tuttosport and Corriere dello Sport. These websites cover all of Italy’s most popular sports, plus some that Italians may consider more obscure.
There are also places where you can watch sports highlights in Italian. For instance, Italy’s popular sports TV channel Sky Sport has a YouTube channel for news and highlights.
Listen to the Play-by-play
Maybe you don’t feel ready to read sports news in Italian yet, or you prefer to listen while you’re on the move. There are still lots of options for you to practice your vocabulary. Instead of reading, you can listen to the sports news you’re looking for! There are many online sports radio stations, like Radio Sportiva or Centro Suono Sport.
You can also find podcasts dedicated to discussing sports. RAI Radio has a large selection of podcasts such as Domenica Sport and GR1 Sports.
Use Apps and Flashcards
Maybe you just don’t have enough practice with Italian sports vocabulary to watch highlights or read newspapers. Programs like Memrise and Anki allow you to browse take user-made courses or create your own deck of flashcards on any topic. Use them to learn that vocab in a way you’ll never forget: with the power of flashcards!
Flashcards are a time-tested way to practice and learn new words. For even more options, Quizlet offers lots of flashcard tests for both general sports vocabulary and vocabulary for specific sports, such as rugby.
Have Fun with It!
If you want your learning to be a little more fun, turn learning into a game! For example, Syvum offers several ways to work on your vocabulary. Their courses include multiple-choice quizzes, fill-in-the-blanks activities and even hangman!
Another fun website to practice with is Study Stack. They also have learning activities like hangman, crosswords and beat-the-clock games.
50+ Italian Sports Vocabulary Words and Expressions for Fervent Fans
General Italian Sports Vocabulary
Some vocabulary will be the same no matter what game you’re playing or watching. Possibly the most important word to know is giocare, or “to play.”
Io gioco — I play
Tu giochi — You play
Lui, lei gioca — He, she plays
Noi giochiamo — We play
Voi giocate — You play (plural)
Loro giocano — They play
Now that you know how to discuss who’s playing, here are some all-purpose words that are important to know when talking about sports.
La corsa — Race
La palla — Ball
Il gol — Goal
L’allenatore — Coach
La squadra — Team
Il torneo — Tournament
La rete — Net
I tifosi — Fans
Lo stadio — Stadium
La maglia — Jersey
Italy’s Most Popular Sports and Their Vocabulary
Calcio — Football / Soccer
Coppa del Mondo — World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, also known simply as the World Cup, is a popular international football tournament. It’s played by 32 qualifying men’s national teams. Like the Olympics, the World Cup only happens every four years.
La pena — Penalty
A penalty is issued when a player infringes on the rules, causing the player’s team to have a disadvantage. In calcio, that often means an extra shot on goal for the opposing team.
Il cartellino giallo / il cartellino rosso — Yellow card / red card
Cards in sports are a way for referees to warn or reprimand players (and sometimes coaches) for infractions. Yellow cards are used to caution players, whereas red cards are used to kick players out of the game after several or a serious infraction.
Il portiere — Goalkeeper
La partita — Match
Sparare — To shoot
There are several different types of shots in calcio. Some popular ones are:
Il passagio diretto — Direct pass
Il calcio di punizione — Free kick
Il calcio d’angolo — Corner kick
Il calcio di rigore — Penalty kick
Example sentences:
L’Italia sta giocando nella Coppa Del Mondo quest’anno! (Italy is playing in the World Cup this year!)
Il portiere ha ricevuto un cartellino giallo e l’altra squadra ha ricevuto un calcio di rigore. (The goalkeeper got a yellow card and the other team got a penalty kick.)
La squadra ha segnato un goal da un calcio di punizione. (The team scored a goal from a free kick.)
Il Tennis — Tennis
Racchetta — Racket
Love — Love
This is the term for when a player has no points.
Pari — Deuce
This is the word you use when players have scored the same number of points, although the word “deuce” is sometimes used in Italian games as well.
Quindici / Trenta / Quaranta — 15 / 30 / 40
In tennis, 15 is one point, 30 is two points and 40 is three points. Four points win the game.
Set — Set
There are several games in a set and the first player to six game wins takes the set. Best two sets out of three nets you the match.
Tennis singoli — Singles tennis
Tennis doppio — Doubles tennis
Campo — Court
Fuori — Out
When the ball lands outside the court lines.
Example sentences:
Il tennista può vincere il set se la palla non è fuori. (The tennis player can win the set if the ball isn’t out.)
Il punteggio del gioco è quindici-love. (The score of the game is 15-love.)
Il tennista ha vinto due set. Se ne vincono un’altra, vincono la partita. (The tennis player has won two sets. If they win one more, they win the match.)
La Pallacanestro — Basketball
Canestro — Basket
Palleggio — Dribbling
Schiacciare — Dunk
Il fallo — Foul
Guardia — Guard
This refers to a player who stays close to center court to create plays or play defense.
Rimbalzo — Rebound
A missed shot that bounces off the rim or backboard and back into play.
Centro — Center
Often the tallest person on the team, the center plays close to the basket to screen other players and catch rebounds.
Avanti — Forward
Forward players are relied on for both offense and defense.
Panchina — Bench
The area on the sidelines where non-active players sit.
Example sentences:
Il giocatore ha segnato sul rimbalzo. (The player scored on the rebound.)
Il centro ha sparato la palla e poi è tornato in panchina. (The center shot the ball then went back to the bench.)
L’avanti ha cercato di schiacciare la palla, ma ricevuto un fallo. (The forward tried to dunk the ball, but got a foul.)
Il Ciclismo — Cycling
La bicicletta / La bici — Bicycle / Bike
Il ciclismo su pista — Track Cycling
Cycling done on specifically made tracks, often with built-up banks.
Il ciclismo su strada — Road Cycling
Il casco — Helmet
Safety first!
La sella — Bike seat
La ruota — Wheel
Il freno — Brake
Il cambio — Gear lever
Gear levers shift gears to make pedaling easier or harder depending on terrain.
Example sentences:
Mi piace il ciclismo su strada, quindi posso prendere l’aria fresca. (I like road cycling so I can get fresh air.)
Ha comprato un nuovo casco così è al sicuro quando guida la sua bici. (She bought a new helmet so she is safe when she rides her bike.)
Rugby — Rugby
Campo — Pitch
The field on which rugby is played.
Mischia — Scrum
A restart in play where players huddle together and try to gain possession of the ball.
Una meta — A try
A point scored by touching the ball to the ground behind the opposition’s goal line.
Placaggio — Tackle
Ripresa — Catch
Calciatore — Kicker
Lato chiuso — Blindside
A player who’s tasked with stopping opponents on the narrow side of a scrum.
Example sentences:
I giocatori si sono riuniti in mezzo al campo per una mischia. (The players gathered in the middle of the pitch for a scrum.)
Il lato chiuso ferma l’altra squadra con un placcaggio. (The blindside stops the other team with a tackle.)
With this vocabulary under your belt, you’ll be all set for sports talk in Italy! Whether you’re playing a game, cheering a team or discussing stats with friends, you’ll be as passionate as any Italian fans!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
