Glossary of sports and reporting terms abbreviations
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Veer Offense [FB]: Complicated offense in which the quarterback can either (a) run with the ball; (b) give it to the fullback; (c) run toward the sidelines and pitch to a running back; or (d) pass. The veer takes advantage of the fact that the defense may react quickly to one of these options, thus allowing the quarterback to quickly execute another of these four options. How to prevent the success of the veer? Down the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage before he gets a chance to execute the veer. Vertical Magazine [JOUR]: same as special interest magazine; not necessarily a magazine that is vertically designed. Volley [H&R]: same as fly shot. Volley [SOC]: to kick the ball while it is in the air. Volley [TEN]: to return a ball to the opponent by hitting it before it bounces on the ground. Volley [TT]: Illegal stroke of the ball while it is in the air, and before it has touched the table. W.S.C.R. [PARA]: Women’s Star Crest Recipient. W.S.C.S. [PARA]: Women’s Star Crest Soloist. Waggle [GOLF]: to wiggle the body, arms, or legs, when the golfer addresses the ball. Waiver [PARA]: Legal release that most parachute clubs ask jumpers to sign relieving the club of responsibility in case of injury. Note In many states, the waiver is of little good (to the club) except to warn the prospective parachutist that he or she may be engaging in a risky participatory sport. Some states do not allow anyone to sign away responsibility for injury or death. Wake [WSKI]: turbulence caused by the boat propeller. Walk [BASE]: to be awarded first base because of four balls pitched by the pitcher. Wallpaper Ball [H&R]: Ball that hugs the wall so closely that it is hard or impossible to return (racquetball). Wanda [FB]: Coaching code for a weakside formation or play. Warning [BOX]: a statement by the referee that a boxer has fouled his opponent and points will be subtracted from his score. Water Jump [PARA]: Deliberate jump into a body of water (lake or river) for a demo jump or for U.S.P.A. license purposes. Water Skis [WSKI]: Invented and patented October, 1925 in the U.S. by Fred Waller, motion picture inventor (who later invented “Cinerama”). Wave-Off [PARA]: a safety measure, especially when other jumpers are in free-fall in the immediate area. Before pulling his or her ripcord, the sky diver waves his or her arms energetically horizontally across the chest to warn other sky divers that he or she will very soon pull the ripcord. A wave-off is done to avoid sky diver–canopy collisions. Wax [SURF]: Paraffin used to make the board less slippery. WBA [BOX]: World Boxing Association. WBC [BOX]: World Boxing Council. Weak [FEN]: tip end. Weakside [FB]: opposite of strongside. The side of the offensive line with the fewest players from the center. Wedge [GOLF]: Heavy club used for hitting out of sand. Weigh Off [BAL]: Slow ascent of a balloon. Weigh-in [BOX]: Ceremony before a bout to ensure that boxers’ weight is within the class designations. Weight [ARCH]: the pull of a bow in pounds or the weight of an arrow in grams. Weight [POOL]: Points of ability. To “give away weight,” is to give away points in a handicap game. “A heavyweight,” is a top-flight player. Weight Division [BOX]: See division. Wet Suit [SURF]: like a scuba diver’s suit, this suit protects the surfer from water that is too cold. Wheel [RUG]: when the ball is in a scrum, the scrum turns and breaks open and the team possessing the ball advances. Whiff [GOLF]: to miss the ball completely during a swing. White Hope [BOX]: A White boxer who is a contender for a title held by a Black boxer. White Space [JOUR]: Blank spaces on a page, left blank for design purposes. Whuffo [PARA]: any spectator not acquainted with the pomp and glories of skydiving. So named after an apocryphal farmer who watched sky divers and then asked, “Wha’ fo’ you jump outta them airplanes, fo’ ”? Wide [ARCH]: Arrow that misses the target on either side. Wide Receiver [FB]: formerly known as the split end, a lineman eligible to catch passes, whose position on the line of scrimmage separates him from the rest of the line. Wightman Cup [TEN]: trophy awarded to the winner of the annual tournament between the top women’s team from the U.S. and the top women’s team from England. Held alternately in the U.S. and England. Wild Card [FB]: team eligible for playoffs in the National Football League that did not outright win its division race toward the Super Bowl. Wild Pitch [BASE]: Pitch thrown so that the catcher cannot control it. Wimbledon [TEN]: the All England Lawn Tennis Championship played annually in the summer at the All England Tennis and Croquet, Wimbledon, London. Begun in 1877, it became an open event in 1968. The tennis equivalent of the Super Bowl in professional football. Win on Points [BOX]: to win by a decision. Win, Place, and Show [HORSE]: First, second, and third placers. Winch [B&F]: a crank with a handle. Wind [PARA]: sometimes a hazard to jumpers. Wind Line [PARA]: a direct line from the opening point to the target. Because of their forward drive capabilities, square parachutists are seldom worried about the wind line. Wind Sheer [HANG]: A sudden and dangerous “waterfall of wind” that often accompanies thunder-storms and that can knock small or large aircraft from the sky. Windage [ARCH]: Effect of wind on the arrow in flight. Windlass [B&F]: a device used for hauling or hoisting, usually for sails. Wind-Up [BASE]: the motion of a pitcher prior to releasing the ball. Wing [PARA]: Square or ram-air parachute, called a wing because of its appearance and flying capabilities. Wing Loading [HANG]: the total weight of the hang glider and pilot divided by the total wing footage. Winners [H&R]: Kill shots (racquetball). Winter Ball [BASE]: Organized baseball played during the off season. Winter Rules [GOLF]: to drop the ball for an advantage if it is in the rough during play. Wipe-out [SURF]: to fall from the board. Wire [HORSE]: the finish line. Wire-to-Wire [HORSE]: Refers to a horse that leads a race from start to finish. Reprinted by permission of The Dallas Times Herald. Wishbone [FB]: Offensive formation in which the quarterback lines up behind the center and the three other backs are behind him; seen from well behind the line and from above, the formation looks like a Y or like a chicken wishbone. The quarterback may keep the ball with two of the backs blocking ahead for him, or he may pitch out to one of them; similar in general respects to the option-style play of the veer offense. Wonderhog [PARA]: One type of tandem system sold under that name. Wood [GOLF]: a golf club with a wood head, used to hit distance shots from the tee. Work-For-Hire [JOUR]: Writing that is assumed by a magazine to be done as staff work. Freelancers who sell material on a “work-for-hire” basis generally lose all other further legal rights to the work. World Series [BASE]: a best-of-seven game series played by the champion teams of the American and National Leagues. Wrist Mount [PARA]: Velcro band used to attach an altimeter on the jumper’s wrist where it is visible. X’s and O’s [FB]: Chalkboard symbols for offensive and defensive players and strategy. It’s a compliment to a coach if it is said, “He really knows his X’s and O’s.” XX-rated [PARA]: Jumper who has been in a 20-man formation. XXX [JOUR]: Used in copy to indicate facts to come (or needed); “There are XXX automobiles in Russia this year.” Newsmagazine usage. Yacht [B&F]: Vessel used for private cruising, racing, or other noncommercial purposes. Yaw [HANG]: to turn flatly on the vertical axis. Z’s [FRIS]: the spin that a disc has in flight. Zamboni [HOCK]: Machine that rebuilds and smoothes the ice. To suggest that a player skates “like a Zamboni” would hardly be a compliment. Zapped Out [PARA]: a jumper who became unstable out the door (or) who broke up a formation. Zebras [FB]: Because of their black-and-white striped jackets, officials are sometimes called zebras (also true in basketball). Zone [BB]: Particular area of the court. Zone Defense [BB]: type of play in which each player is responsible for a particular part of the court and responsible for the play when the action enters that zone. Zone Press [BB]: type of play in which a player is responsible for close man-to-man coverage when the action is in his zone. Download 7.55 Mb. Share with your friends:
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