R&A ( golf ) abbreviation of the Royal and Ancient
Golf Club of St. Andrews
rabbit (athletics) colloquial term for a pacemaker;
(cricket) (1) colloquial term for a poor batsman;
(2) colloquial term for a batsman often dismissed
by the same bowler; ( golf ) colloquial
119 putting cleek • rabbit
term for a poor player [from the characteristic
timidity of a rabbit]
rabbit ball (baseball ) a ball that is lively in action
[it springs like a rabbit]
rabbit punch (boxing) an illegal punch to the back
of the neck [like that used by hunters and farmers
to kill a rabbit]
Rabbitohs (rugby league) short name of the Australian
team South Sydney Rabbitohs
rabbitry ( general ) (1) a poor player; (2) poor performance
in a game [like that of a rabbit]
race ( general ) a competitive trial of speed, as in
auto racing, cycling, greyhound racing, horse
racing, rowing, sailing, and swimming
race-fixing ( general ) the fraudulent manipulation
of the result of a race
race meeting (horse racing) a series of races on a
particular day at a racecourse
race walking (athletics) a form of racing in which
the competitors walk as fast as possible, with one
or other of the feet always in contact with the
ground
raceball (horse racing) a ball held in connection
with a race meeting
racecar (auto racing) a specially constructed or
modified automobile used for the sport
racecard (horse racing) the program of a day of
races at a race meeting
racecourse (horse racing) a delimited area or track,
with or without obstacles, that is specially prepared
for racing
raceday (horse racing) the day when a particular
race or meeting is held
racegoer (horse racing) a person who regularly visits
race meetings, usually to place bets
racehorse (horse racing) a horse specially bred and
trained to take part in racing
racemare (horse racing) a female racehorse
racer ( general ) a person or vehicle that takes part
in a race
races (horse racing) another term for a race meeting
racetrack ( general ) an area marked out as the location
of a race; (horse racing) another term for
a racecourse
racewalk (athletics) a contest in race walking
raceway (horse racing) a track or circuit for running
horses in harness racing
racing ( general ) the act of taking part in a race;
(sport) shortening of (especially) horse racing or
of any sport specified by the first word, as auto
racing, greyhound racing
racing car (auto racing) another term for a racecar
racing colors (horse racing) the distinctive colors
worn by a jockey to identify the owner of the
horse
racing dive (swimming) a dive approached by a
run-up
racing flag (sailing) a private flag flown on a boat
or yacht when racing
racing form (horse racing) a record of a horse’s performance
in previous races
racing line (auto racing) the optimum line on a
track on which to drive between one corner and
the next
rack (equestrianism) a horse’s gait in which the legs
on the same side move almost simultaneously;
(pool) (1) the arrangement of the balls at the beginning
of the game; (2) a single game
racket ( general ) a bat with a round or oval frame
strung with catgut or nylon, used in sports such
as tennis and squash
racket abuse (tennis) an impetuous act in which a
player hurls his racket to the ground or smashes
it against something
racketball (sport) a British version of racquetball,
played on a smaller court with a slower ball
rackets (sport) a game similar to squash, in which
two or four people alternately strike a hard white
ball with a racket against one of the walls of a
four-walled court
racquet ( general ) another spelling of racket
racquetball (sport) a game of U.S. origin blending
elements of handball and squash, played between
two or four players with a short-handled racket
and a small rubber ball in a four-walled court
racquets (sport) alternate spelling of rackets
rafting (sport) the sport of traveling down a river,
especially over rapids, on a raft
ragworm (angling) the burrowing marine worm
Nereis diversicolor used as bait
raider (horse racing) a horse brought over from
abroad to run in a particular race
Raiders (American football ) short name of the
Oakland Raiders team; (rugby league) short name
of the English club Barrow Raiders
rail (equestrianism) a wooden bar in an obstacle;
(pool, snooker) another term for the cushion;
(squash) a shot hit close to the side walls of the
court; (surfing) the edge of the surfboard
rail turn (surfing) a trick turn in which the rail of
the surfboard is submerged
rails (horse racing) the fence forming the inside
boundary of a racecourse
Railwaymen (association football ) nickname of the
English club Crewe Alexandra [from the town’s
historic importance as a railroad center]
rainbow jersey (cycling) the multicolored jersey
awarded to the winner of the World Road Race
Championships
rainbow shot (basketball) a shot that curves from
the player’s hand down into the basket
raincheck ( general ) a ticket for future use given to
a spectator if a game or sports meeting is rained
off
rabbit ball • raincheck 120
rained off (general) cancelled or prematurely ended
because of rain
raise (curling) a draw that knocks another stone
into the house or into a better position within it
rally (auto racing) (1) formerly, a race as both a test
of endurance and speed and a method of recording
the performance of automobiles; (2) today,
a competition to test skill in driving over long
distances, sometimes over an unknown route, as
either a road rally or a stage rally; (badminton,
squash, table tennis, tennis) a vigorous or extended
exchange of shots, especially to decide a
point; (boxing) a sustained exchange of blows
[French rallier, “re-ally,” “bring together again”]
rally driver (auto racing) a driver in a rally
rally driving (auto racing) the sport of driving in
a rally
rallycross (auto racing) a form of the sport that
combines elements of rally driving and autocross,
with a circuit that consists partly of
paved road and partly of rough ground
rallye (auto racing) alternate spelling of rally
rallying (auto racing) shortening of rally driving
Rams (American football ) short name of the St. Louis
Rams team; (association football ) nickname of the
English club Derby County [from a local legend
about the mythical Derby Ram]; (rugby league)
short name of the English club Dewsbury Rams
randolph (trampolining) a forward somersault
with two and a half twists [named from its similarity
to a rudolph]
randy (trampolining) colloquial name for a randolph
Ranfurly Shield (rugby union) the trophy awarded
to the winner of a New Zealand interprovincial
competition [presented in 1902 by the 5th Earl
of Ranfurly (1856–1933), governor of New
Zealand]
range ( golf ) shortening of driving range; (shooting)
shortening of rifle range or shooting range
ranger ( golf ) an official who monitors the rate of
play on a course, encouraging slow players to
speed up or to allow others to play through
Rangers (association football ) short name of the
English club Queen’s Park Rangers [not to be
confused with either of the Scottish clubs
Queen’s Park or Rangers]; (baseball ) short name
of the Texas Rangers team; (ice hockey) short
name of the New York Rangers team
rappel (mountaineering) another term for abseil
[French rappel, “recall”]
Raptors (basketball) short name of the Toronto
Raptors team
rapture of the deep (aquatics) colloquial term for
nitrogen narcosis, the intoxicating and anesthetic
effect of too much nitrogen in the brain, experienced
by divers at considerable depths
rate (horse racing) to ride at a moderate pace so as
to save the horse’s energy for the finish
rating (rowing) the total of strokes rowed per
minute, used to advise a crew of its work rate
rattle (association football ) a wooden instrument
with a ratchet wheel which when whirled around
makes a loud clacking noise, formerly sounded
by a team’s supporters at a match
Ravens (American football ) short name of the Baltimore
Ravens team
RBI (baseball ) abbreviation of run batted in
reach (boxing) the distance between the fingertips
of the outstretched arms of a boxer; (cricket) the
extent to which a batsman can play forward
without moving his back foot
reaction time (athletics) the fraction of time between
the firing of the starting pistol and the
departure of the athlete from the starting block
read the green ( golf ) to assess the physical features
of the green on making an approach shot
ready golf ( golf ) a mode of playing in which players
aim to keep up with those playing in front of
them, as by selecting a club while walking to the
ball rather than when stationary
Real (association football ) short name of the Spanish
club Real Madrid
real tennis (sport) the original form of tennis,
played between two or four players, who hit a
hard ball with a racket back and forth across a
net in a court reminiscent of medieval cloisters
with a penthouse along three of its sides [so
named by contrast with lawn tennis]
rebound (basketball) an instance of catching the
ball after a missed shot has bounced off the
backboard or the edge of the basket
rec ( general ) colloquial abbreviation of recreation
ground
recce (auto racing) in rally driving, inspection of
the course by the driver and codriver in advance
of the rally in order to draw up the pace notes
receiver (American football ) an offensive player eligible
to catch a pass from the quarterback;
(table tennis, tennis) the player to whom the
server serves the ball
record ( general ) an unsurpassed achievement or
performance in a competitive sport
recordbreaker ( general) a person who has set a new
record
recordholder ( general ) a person whose record has
not been beaten
recovery ( golf ) a stroke that brings the ball out
of a hazard; (rowing) the phase in the stroke
cycle in which the rower swings forward to take
the next catch
recreation ground ( general ) a public open area for
sports and games, often including tennis courts
and a park
121 rained • recreation
recumbent (cycling) a low-slung bicycle in an aerodynamic
bodyshell in which the rider is in a recumbent
position
recurve (archery) a bow with limbs curving away
from the archer
recycle (rugby union) to keep possession of the
ball after a breakdown
red (billiards) the red ball, worth three points;
(snooker) the red ball, worth one point
red-ball game (sport) byname of cricket when
played with a traditional red ball, as distinct
from the modern white-ball game
red belt (judo, karate) a belt worn to indicate attainment
of the dan rank
red card (association football ) a red-colored card
shown by the referee to a player who is being
sent off, either because he has committed a serious
foul or because he has already been shown
two yellow cards
Red Devils (association football ) nickname of the
English clubManchester United [from the color
of the team’s shirts]
red dog (American football ) a play in which one
of the defensive team rushes the passer of the
ball
red flag (athletics) a flag waved to an athlete who
commits a foul in a jump or throw; (auto racing)
a flag waved to show that a race has been
stopped, as for bad weather conditions
Red Imps (association football ) nickname of the
English club Lincoln City [as for Imps with the
color of the team’s shirts]
Red Lichties (association football ) nickname of the
Scottish club Arbroath [from Scots red licht, “red
light,” from the red light cast by the Bell Rock
lighthouse off the coast here]
red line (cycling) another term for the sprinters’
line; (ice hockey) the line that divides the playing
area into two
red rose ( general ) the emblem of a Yorkshire sports
team, as opposed to the white rose [from the
Wars of the Roses, the 15th-century dynastic
struggle between the English houses of Lancaster
and York, whose respective emblems were a
white rose and a red rose]
Red Sox (baseball ) short name of the Boston Red
Sox team
red spinner (angling) an artificial fly imitating the
olive dun mayfly
Red Stockings (baseball ) short name of the
Cincinnati Red Stockings team
Red Wings (ice hockey) short name of the Detroit
Red Wings team
red zone (American football ) the area between the
goal line and the 20-yard line, within which the
offensive team concentrate their attack strategy
Redbacks (water polo) nickname of the Australian
national men’s team [name of a type of poisonous
spider]
Redcar (horse racing) a flat racecourse at Redcar,
northeastern England
Reds (association football ) nickname of the English
clubs Barnsley, Liverpool, and Nottingham Forest
[the color of the teams’ shirts]; (rugby league)
short name of the English club Salford City
Reds
redshirt (American football ) in college football, a
player whose course is extended by one year,
usually the sophomore year, during which he is
not selected for a representative team in order to
develop his skills and extend his period of eligibility
[the color of his shirt, worn for distinction
from members of the varsity]
Redskins (American football ) short name of the
Washington Redskins team
reefbreak (surfing) the point where a wave breaks
over a shallow underwater reef
reel (angling) a cylindrical device attached to a
fishing rod, used to wind the line
reel in (angling) to draw in a hooked fish by winding
in the line onto the reel
re-entry (surfing) a trick that resembles “skating” on
a surfboard along the top curl of a wave [the
board leaves the wave, then comes back down to
re-enter it]
ref ( general ) colloquial shortening of referee
referee (American football ) the person in overall
charge of the officiating team; (association football
) the official in charge of a game, who upholds
the rules with the aid of two assistant referees
on the touchlines and a fourth official off
the pitch; (boxing) the official stationed in the
ring with the boxers who regulates the bout,
intervening if necessary to stop a fight and administering
the count to a boxer down on the
canvas; (cricket) an official who deals with disciplinary
matters in a test match; ( fencing) the
controller of a bout; (wrestling) one of the three
officials in charge of a bout, adjudicating from
the mat
referral (cricket) a referral to the third umpire of
a disputed decision by the umpire
refusal (equestrianism, horse racing) the pulling up
or running aside of a horse at a fence
regatta (rowing, sailing) an organized program of
races [Venetian Italian regata, “contest”]
regional games (Olympics) a festival of Olympic
Games held within a particular geographical region,
as the African Games or Pan-American
Games
registered player (tennis) an independent professional
registered with the International Tennis
Federation who is eligible to play for prize
money in open tournaments
recumbent • registered 122
regular footer (snowboarding) a boarder who rides
with the left foot in front of the right
reining (equestrianism) a discipline in which the
rider uses the reins to perform a routine of
figures, including turns and stops at different
speeds
relative work (parachuting) a free fall in which
competitors execute maneuvers relative to each
other before opening the parachute
relay (athletics) shortening of relay race; (baseball )
a throw to the infield by a cut-off man after he
has intercepted a throw from the outfield
relay race (athletics) a race run by a team of four
athletes over the same distance, each passing a
baton to the next member of the team on completing
a stage
release ( g ymnastics) the action of letting go one’s
hold of a piece of apparatus during or on completing
a routine
relegation (association football ) the demotion of a
club from a higher division to a lower following
a season in which they finished at or near the
bottom of their division
relegation zone (association football ) the positions
at the bottom of a league which will result in
relegation at the end of the season
reliability test (auto racing) former name for a rally
reliability trial (auto racing) alternate term for a
reliability test
relief ( golf ) the option of moving one’s ball if a
normal stroke is obstructed
relief pitcher (baseball ) a pitcher who enters the
game as a substitute
reliever (baseball ) another term for a relief pitcher
reload ( golf ) to take a second tee shot because the
first ball is lost or out of bounds
rematch ( general ) (1) a second match, especially
when the first had a questionable result; (2) a return
match
remise ( fencing) a second thrust made after the
first one has missed [French remise, “put back”]
remove (cricket) to dismiss a batsman
rep ( general) abbreviation of replacement in sports
reports
repechage (canoeing, cycling, fencing, rowing) an
extra contest in which competitors who lost in an
earlier heat have a second chance to go on to the
final [French repêchage, “fishing out again”]
repetition training (athletics) a training exercise in
which an athlete alternately runs and rests over
set distances
replacement ( general ) a player who replaces another,
especially in a field game
replay ( general ) (1) a game or match that is played
again, as when the original did not result in a
winning score or was for some reason abandoned;
(2) shortening of action replay
replay umpire (cricket) another term for a third
umpire
reserve ( general ) a substitute kept in readiness
resistance (equestrianism) movements by a horse
that indicate an imminent refusal
rest (billiards, snooker) a long wooden pole with a
bridge at one end on which a player rests his cue
when he cannot form a bridge with his hand;
(bowls) a shot in which a bowl is delivered to
push an opponent’s bowl through and take its
place [the opposing bowl is given a “rest”]; (real
tennis) a series of strokes concluding with the
dead ball
rest day ( general ) a day free of activity in an extended
contest such as a cycle race
rest on one’s oars (rowing) to stop rowing without
removing the oars from the rowlocks
restart (rugby union) a drop kick from the halfway
line to recommence play after the scoring of
points by the opposing team
result ( general ) a satisfactory outcome against an
opponent
retain (association football ) to keep a player on in
a club although his actual contract has expired
retire ( fencing) to give ground before one’s adversary
retired hurt (cricket) (of ) a batsman who has left
the pitch because of injury
retired shirt (association football ) the symbolic removal
of a former player’s squad number in
recognition of his value to the club
retrieve (angling) to reel in a line; (association football
) to obtain possession of a shot or pass that
is difficult to reach; (tennis) to make a shot that
returns the ball successfully into the court when
it seemed that it would land outside it
return ( general ) a shot that sends a ball back to
an opponent, as in tennis
return crease (cricket) a line marked at right angles
to the bowling crease and popping crease on either
side of the wicket, inside which the bowler
must bowl the ball
return match ( general ) a second match played at
a different venue by the same teams
returner (American football ) a player who collects
the ball from a kick downfield and carries it
back toward the opposing team
reversal (wrestling) a maneuver enabling a wrestler
to escape from the hold of his opponent and
move into a dominant position
reverse (American football ) a play in which a player
passes the ball to a teammate moving in the opposite
direction, thus reversing the direction of attack;
(swimming) a dive in which the diver starts
facing forward then turns back to face the board
reverse cut (lacrosse) another term for a backdoor
play
123 regular • reverse cut
reverse pass (association football ) a pass made when
a player runs in one direction but passes in another
direction
reverse sticks (field hockey) a move in which a
player turns the stick so that the flat blade faces
to the right, enabling a shot to be made in the
opposite direction
reverse sweep (cricket) a sweep played on the off
side, made by reversing the grip on the bat
reverse swing (cricket) the observed swing in a different
direction to a new ball of a used ball that
has been roughened on one side
revirginization (ice skating) the process by which
professional skaters were declared “amateurs” so
that they could compete in the 1994 Olympics
Rhinos (rugby league) short name of the English
club Leeds Rhinos
rhubarb (baseball ) an argument on the field of play
between players or between the umpire and
managers [from the use of the word to denote
the indistinct sound of voices]
rhythmic gymnastics ( g ymnastics) a combination
of traditional floor exercises and classical ballet
in which female gymnasts perform with a ball,
hoop, rope, ribbon, or the like
ride (horse racing) to urge a horse at an excessive
speed
ride off (polo) to bump against an opponent’s horse
moving in the same direction
ride-off (equestrianism) an extra round to resolve
a tie in a competition
ride out (horse racing) to exercise a horse by riding
it
rider (cycling) a cyclist in a race; (equestrianism) a
person riding a horse in a contest; ( general ) a
person riding a board in a sport such as skateboarding
or surfing; (horse racing) a person riding
a horse in a race, as a jockey; (motorcycle racing)
a person riding a motorcycle in a race
riding ( general ) the riding of horses for exercise or
pleasure; (Olympics) another term for showjumping
in the modern pentathlon
riding school (equestrianism) a school or establishment
for teaching skills in the sport
rifle (shooting) (1) a firearm with a spirally grooved
(rifled) barrel; (2) shortening of air rifle; (3)
shortening of small-bore rifle
rifle range (shooting) a special enclosed area with
targets for practice or competition in rifle
shooting
rifle shooting (shooting) the discipline of shooting
with a rifle
rig (sailing) the disposition of the sails, masts, and
spars in a boat or yacht that define its type
rigger (rowing) shortening of outrigger
rigging (sailing) the wires and ropes that support
a boat’s masts and control or set the sails
right arm (cricket) a bowler who bowls with the
right arm
right back (field games) a back who plays primarily
on the right side of the pitch
right center (field games) a player who plays primarily
to the right of the center of the pitch
right cross (boxing) a punch delivered from the
right side
right defender (field games) a right half who plays
deep
right field (baseball ) the part of the outfield to the
right of second base as viewed from home plate
right fielder (baseball ) a fielder positioned in right
field
right half (field games) a halfback who plays primarily
on the right side of the pitch
right-hander (boxing) a punch delivered with the
right hand; ( general ) a player whose right hand
is dominant, as against the less common lefthander;
(surfing) a wave breaking to the right, as
seen by a surfer facing the beach
right midfield (field games) the midfield players
who play primarily on the right side of the pitch
right wing (field games) the part of the pitch to the
right of its center
right winger (field games) an attacking player on
the right wing
rightie ( general ) colloquial term for a righthander
rikishi (sumo) a wrestler [Japanese riki, “strength,”
and shi, “warrior”]
rim out (basketball) to hit the edge of the basket
and bounce away
ring (boxing, wrestling) the roped rectangular area
on a raised platform in which a match takes
place [originally the space for a match surrounded
by a circle of spectators]; (2) the sport
itself as a profession; (horse racing) (1) an enclosure
for bookmakers at a racecourse; (2) bookmaking
itself as a profession; (3) shortening of
parade ring; (sumo) the circular area within
which a match takes place
ring rust (boxing) staleness of performance shown
by a boxer who has been out of the ring
ring tennis (sport) a combination of tennis and
quoits similar to deck tennis [played with rubber
rings]
ring the bell (American football ) to hit another
player so hard on his helmeted head that he is disorientated
and may even suffer slight concussion
ringer (athletics) an athlete competing under a false
name; (curling) a stone inside the circle drawn
around the tee; (horse racing) a horse raced under
the name of another horse
ringette (sport) a sport similar to ice hockey,
played mainly by women and girls, in which a
rubber ring is used instead of a puck
reverse pass • ringette 124
ringman ( general ) colloquial term for a bookmaker
rings ( g ymnastics) two cylindrical handles suspended
from wire cables on which, in men’s
competition, the gymnast executes swings and
handstands
ringside (boxing) the area immediately surrounding
the ring
ringside physician (boxing) the doctor who checks
the physical condition of a boxer before the start
of a bout and who determines whether a dazed
boxer is fit enough to continue
ringside seat (boxing) a seat immediately next to the
ring
ringsider (boxing) a spectator at a prizefight
rink (bowls) (1) one of the playing areas into which
a green is divided; (2) a team of four players;
(curling) (1) the playing area of prepared ice; (2)
a team in this sport; (ice hockey, ice skating)
shortening of ice rink; (roller skating) a smooth
floor or area, usually of wood or asphalt, prepared
for skating on roller skates
rip (swimming) a dive with an ideal entry [from
the sound as the diver enters the water]
ripcord (parachuting) a cord pulled to inflate a
parachute by opening the pack in which it is
folded
Ripon (horse racing) a flat racecourse at Ripon,
North Yorkshire, England
riposte ( fencing) a quick thrust given after a parry
[French riposte, from Italian risposta, “reply”]
rise (angling) the movement of a fish to the surface
of the water to take food or a bait; (cricket) the
upward course of a bowled ball after pitching
riverboarding (sport) the riding of a bodyboard
down rapids
Riverside (cricket) the home ground of Durham
county cricket club, Chester-le-Street, Co.
Durham
ro (cricket) abbreviation of run out in scoring
road bike (cycling) a bicycle designed for road
races, with dropped handlebars and several gears
road book (auto racing) in rally driving, a book of
instructions, information, and maps issued to
drivers by the organizers of a rally
road game ( general ) (1) a game played by a team
on a tour; (2) another term for an away game
road race (cycling) a race ridden on roads, as distinct
from a track race
road rash (cycling, skateboarding) colloquial term for
skin abrasions caused by sliding across the road
or other hard surface after a fall or crash
Road World Championships (cycling) an annual
road race held in various countries since 1927
roadeo (sport) a contest and display of driving skills
among truck drivers [blend of road and rodeo]
roadman (cycling) a competitor in a road race
roads and tracks (equestrianism) a phase of the
cross-country section of the three-day event,
involving riding on the flat
roadwork ( general ) running on roads as a method
of training for marathon runners, boxers, and
the like
roar (curling) to send a stone with great speed [in
the roaring game]
roaring game (sport) another name for curling
[from the sound made by the stones as they
travel over the ice]
Robin Hood (archery) the feat of splitting the shaft
of an arrow already in the target with another
arrow [from the legendary English outlaw, who
was skilled in archery]
Robins (association football ) nickname of the
English clubs Bristol City, Charlton Athletic,
Cheltenham Town, and Swindon Town, and
the Welsh club Wrexham [from the teams’ red
shirts]
rock climbing (mountaineering) the climbing of
rock faces
rocker (ice skating) a figure in which the skater
makes a 180-degree turn and continues to travel
backward in the same direction; (surfing) the upward
curve on a surfboard
Rockets (basketball) short name of the Houston
Rockets team
Rockies (baseball ) short name of the Colorado
Rockies team
rod (angling) (1) shortening of fishing rod; (2) another
term for an angler; (3) a permit to fish a
particular stretch of river
rodeo (sport) a competitive display of riding and
other skills among cowboys
rodman (angling) another term for an angler
Roehampton ( general ) a fashionable London
sports club, founded in 1901, with polo
grounds, croquet lawns, tennis courts, a golf
course, and a clubhouse
Rokerites (association football ) former nickname
of the English club Sunderland [from Roker
Park, their home ground until 1997, when they
moved to the Stadium of Light]
role player (basketball) a player who performs a
specific function and is brought on only when
required
roll (g ymnastics, swimming) a move in which the
body, in a tuck position, rolls forward or backward
roll cast (angling) a cast in which the tip of the
rod is rolled so that the line is picked off the
water without being thrown behind the angler,
as is more usual
roll-off (tenpin bowling) an extra game played to resolve
a tie
roll-out (American football ) a play in which a
125 ringman • roll-out
quarterback moves out from the blockers before
attempting a pass
roll with the punches (boxing) to move the body
away to lessen the impact of an opponent’s blows
roller (baseball ) a ball that rolls along the ground
after being hit; (cricket) a ball apparently bowled
with a spin but actually running straight along
the ground after pitching
roller arena (roller skating) another term for a rink
roller derby (roller skating) a speed skating race on
roller skates [as a derby]
roller hockey (sport) a game resembling ice hockey
played on a rink by teams on roller skates with
a short hockey stick and a hard ball instead of a
puck
roller seat drop (trampolining) a full twist to a seat
drop
roller skates (roller skating) skates with four wheels
instead of blades, the wheels set either at the
corners of the shoe or in a single line to make
rollerblades
roller skating (sport) the sport or competitive display
of skating on roller skates, either on a rink
or on a public street or other hard-surface area
roller sports ( general ) sports played on roller
skates, as roller hockey
rollerblades (roller skating) roller skates in which
the wheels are fixed in a single line akin to the
blades of ice skates
rollerblading (roller skating) skating on
rollerblades
rollerdrome (roller skating) another term for a rink
rolling maul (rugby union) a maul that is rolled or
wheeled by its members with the aim of preventing
the opposition from obtaining the ball
romp ( general ) an easily won game or race
romp home ( general ) to win by a substantial margin,
as in a race
rookie ( general ) a person new to a sport or inexperienced
in it
rooster tail (surfing) the curved plume of water
thrown up by a surfboard
rope (baseball ) shortening of frozen rope; (horse
racing) to hold back a horse in order to lose a
race intentionally; (mountaineering) (1) shortening
of climbing rope; (2) a climbing party roped
together; (rodeo) to lasso, as in calf-roping and
team roping
rope-a-dope (boxing) a tactic in which a boxer
pretends to be trapped on the ropes in order to
incite his opponent to tire himself out with
punches [an expression popularized in the 1970s
by heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, a
noted employer of the tactic, the “dope” being
the baited opponent]
rope down (mountaineering) another term for abseil
roper (horse racing) a jockey who pulls on the reins
to slow his horse down and so lose a race, usually
for financial reasons
ropes (boxing) the cords around the ring; (cricket)
the cords marking the boundary of the field
roque (croquet) a version of the game with nine
hoops played on a walled, hard-surface court
[from croquet]
roquet (croquet) a stroke in which the striker’s
ball is played against another ball, whereupon
the striker can play a croquet shot [probably
from croquet]
Roscommon (horse racing) a flat and National
Hunt racecourse at Roscommon, Co. Roscommon,
Ireland
Rose Bowl (American football ) (1) a postseason
college football contest held annually (from
1916) in Pasadena, California, where it was first
organized in 1902 as part of the festival inaugurated
in 1890 as the Battle of the Flowers; (2) the
stadium opened in 1922 for this game; (cricket)
the home ground of Hampshire county cricket
club, Southampton
rosette ( general ) (1) a rose-shaped badge of colored
ribbons worn by a sports participant or animal
(such as a horse) as a symbol of a prize; (2)
a similar badge worn by a supporter
Rossoneri (association football ) nickname of the
Italian club AC Milan [Italian rosso, “red,” and
nero, “black,” the colors of the team’s red and
black striped shirts]
rot (cricket) a rapid loss of wickets in an innings
rotation (baseball ) the order of play assigned to
pitchers for the matches of a particular series;
( g ymnastics) the period during which a team of
gymnasts work on a particular piece of apparatus;
(volleyball) the clockwise movement of
players when the service changes
rouge (Canadian football ) a single point awarded
when the ball is played into the opponents’ goal
area and becomes dead; (Eton field game) a score
awarded when a attacker touches a ball that has
been sent over the goal line by a defender [origin
obscure, apparently not French rouge, “red”]
rough ( golf ) an area of rough ground, especially
uncut grass, around a fairway or green; (tennis)
the side of a racket from which the loops of
twisted string project, used as a call (opposed to
smooth) when the racket is spun to decide on the
server or choose an end
Rough Riders (Canadian football ) short name of
the Ottawa Rough Riders team
Roughriders (Canadian football ) short name of
the Saskatchewan Roughriders team
Roughyeds (rugby league) short name of the English
club Oldham Roughyeds
rouleur (cycling) a cyclist who specializes in ridroll
with • rouleur 126
ing long flat stages or races [French rouleur,
“roller”]
round (archery) a specified number of arrows shot
over different distances; (boxing) a subdivision of
a bout in the form of a period of action over a
given number of minutes, separated from the next
period by a rest; ( general ) a specified stage in a
competition; ( golf ) a complete series of played
holes; (shooting) a single shot fired from a rifle
round-arm (cricket) (of ) a ball bowled with an almost
horizontal swing of the arm
round-ball game (sport) colloquial name for association
football [played with a round ball, as
against the oval-ball game]
round heels (boxing) colloquial term for a poor
boxer [who might easily fall]
round-off ( g ymnastics) a move in which the gymnast
begins a cartwheel but lands on both feet
instead of one, facing the opposite direction
round robin ( general ) a tournament in which
each competitor competes once with each of the
others; (horse racing) a form of multiple bet on
three horses that adds up to ten bets
round-the-cans (sailing) colloquial term for a harbor
race [the cans being the buoys]
round-the-clock shooting (shooting) colloquial
term for skeet
round-the-houses (auto racing) colloquial term
for a street race
Round-the-Island Race (sailing) an annual 50-
mile race around the Isle of Wight, southern
England, starting from and returning to Cowes,
the location of Cowes Week
round the wicket (cricket) bowled from the hand of
the bowler that is further away from the wicket
round trip (baseball ) to score a home run and so
make a complete circuit of all four bases
rounder (rounders) a complete circuit of the bases
run by the batter
rounders (sport) a game similar to baseball in
which players hit the ball with a bat and run to
a base or if possible around all four bases (scoring
a rounder) before the ball is thrown back to
the bowler
roundhouse (baseball ) a pitch made with a sweeping
swing of the arm; (boxing) a wild swinging
punch
route (horse racing) a long race of more than a mile
Route du Rhum (sailing) a solo transatlantic race
held every four years from St. Malo, France, to
Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe [French route du
rhum, “rum route”]
route one (association football ) (of ) a style of play
in which long high passes are made upfield
route orienteering (orienteering) a form of the
sport in which the route is marked on the
ground but not on the map
routegoer (baseball ) a pitcher who goes the
route
routine (general) a series of movements in a display,
as in gymnastics or ice skating
rover (American football ) a defensive linebacker
assigned to anticipate the moves of the opposing
team; (archery) a competitor in field archery;
(Australian Rules) a (usually small and fast) player
who forms part of the ruck and is skillful at receiving
the ball; (croquet) a ball that has passed
through all the hoops and is now ready to peg
out
rover hoop (croquet) the last hoop through which
a ball must pass before it can peg out
Rovers (association football ) short name of the English
clubs Blackburn Rovers, Bristol Rovers,
Doncaster Rovers, and Tranmere Rovers, and
the Scottish club Raith Rovers; (rugby league)
short name of the English clubs Featherstone
Rovers and Hull Kingston Rovers
row (rowing) to propel a boat through water by
making strokes with one or more oars
row over (rowing) to win a heat in a race by rowing
the course unopposed
rower (rowing) a person who rows or is a member
of a rowing club
rowing (sport) the sport or recreation of using oars
to propel a boat through water
rowing club (rowing) a club for people who row,
especially competitively in a race
Rowley Mile (horse racing) a racecourse at Newmarket,
on which the One Thousand Guineas
and Two Thousand Guineas are run [from
“Old Rowley,” nickname (from a favorite horse)
of Charles II, who proclaimed Newmarket as the
headquarters of racing]
rowlocks (rowing) U-shaped swivels that hold the
oars in place [originally oarlock]
Royal and Ancient ( golf ) short name of the Royal
and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews
Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews
( golf ) a golf club in St. Andrews, eastern Scotland,
dating back to 1754 and today the accepted
international authority on the game [“Royal”
from 1834, when William IV agreed to be its patron]
Royal Ascot (horse racing) an annual race and society
occasion at Ascot attended by the monarch
[founded in 1711 by Queen Anne]
Royal Birkdale ( golf ) a golf course near Southport,
Lancashire, northwestern England
royal duck (cricket) a duck scored by a opening
batsman on the first ball of the innings
Royal Lytham ( golf ) a golf course at Lytham St.
Annes, Lancashire, northwestern England
Royal Melbourne ( golf ) a golf course at Black
Rock, near Melbourne, Australia
127 round • Royal Melbourne
Royal Portrush ( golf ) a golf course at Portrush,
northeastern Northern Ireland
Royal St. George’s ( golf ) a golf course at Sandwich,
Kent, England
royal tennis (sport) another spelling of real tennis
[despite the historically attested association of
royalty with the sport, the derivation of the
name is in real, not royal]
Royal Troon ( golf ) a golf course at Troon, southwestern
Scotland
Royals (association football ) nickname of the English
club Reading [from the royal blue of the
team’s strip]; (baseball ) short name of the Kansas
City Royals team
Rozelle rule ( general ) the provision in a contract
between a free agent and a professional team
which requires the team to give the free agent’s
former team an agreed compensation [established
by Alvin Ray Rozelle (1927–1996) commissioner
of the National Football League from
1960]
Rs (association football ) colloquial abbreviation for
the English club Queens Park Rangers
rub (bowls) an interference to the course of a rolling
bowl caused by a snag on the green
rub of the green ( golf ) an accidental interference
with the course of the ball
rubber (baseball ) colloquial term for the mound,
and formerly for the home plate; ( general ) a series
of games, as in cricket or tennis
ruck (Australian Rules) the three players (a rover
and two ruckmen) who follow the ball closely
but do not have fixed positions; (rugby union) a
loose scrum formed by the players around the
ball on the ground with the aim of pushing back
their opponents
ruckman (Australian Rules) one of the three players
in a ruck whose function is to knock the ball
to the rover
ruckrover (Australian Rules) fuller term for a rover
rudolph (trampolining) a forward somersault with
one and a half twists [performed in the music
hall of the 1920s by Dave Rudolph]
rudy ( g ymnastics) a vault consisting of a handspring
off the springboard followed by a forward
salto with one and a half twists off the
horse; (trampolining) shortening of rudolph
rugby (sport) short name of either rugby league
or rugby union [the basic sport evolved from
football in the early 19th century at Rugby
School, Warwickshire, England]
rugby academy (rugby union) a national or regional
organization set up with the support of England’s
Rugby Football Union to recruit good
players
Rugby fives (fives) the most common variant of the
game, played between singles or doubles and
distinguished from Eton fives in that the court
is four-walled and the hazards different [originally
played at Rugby School]
rugby football (sport) another term for rugby
union
rugby league (sport) a field game based on rugby
union, played with an oval ball between teams
of 13 players, each side having six attempts or
tackles to move the ball upfield and score a try
by grounding the ball in the in-goal area [mostly
played in northern England, where an association
of clubs was formed in 1922 as the Rugby
League (originally Northern Union)]
rugby tackle (rugby league, rugby union) fuller term
for a tackle
rugby union (sport) a field game played with an
oval ball between teams of 15 players, with handling
of the ball permitted and each side aiming
to amass more points than the other [named
for the Rugby Union, an association of clubs
formed in 1871 to regularize the original form of
rugby]
rugger (sport) colloquial term for rugby football
rugger bugger (rugby football ) colloquial term for
a player or fan, especially if burly or boisterous
Rules (horse racing) (1) shortening of the National
Hunt Rules of Racing; (sport) shortening of Australian
Rules
run (baseball ) a point scored by the batter after
completing a circuit of the bases and returned to
home plate; (cricket) (1) the basic unit of scoring;
(2) a point scored by a batsman after running
from one popping crease to the other;
( general ) a spell of forward movement, as by an
athlete in a foot race or a player with the ball
in American football; (horse racing) another
term for a race; (skiing) (1) a snow slope prepared
for skiers; (2) a descent on such a slope
run a cracker (horse racing) to perform excellently
in a race
run a hoop (croquet) to hit the ball through a hoop
run-and-gun (basketball) (of ) a style of fast freeflowing
play with few set plays
run-and-shoot (American football ) (of ) a style of
play in which a fast-paced quarterback makes
quick short passes while evading tacklers
run batted in (baseball ) a credit awarded to a batter
for every run scored as a result of his action,
as a hit, sacrifice, or walk
Run for the Daisies (horse racing) colloquial name
of the Preakness Stakes [from the chain of
daisies hung around the winner’s neck]
Run for the Roses (horse racing) colloquial name
of the Kentucky Derby [from the chain of roses
hung around the winner’s neck]
run green (horse racing) to be distracted during a
race through lack of experience
Royal Portrush • run 128
run-in (horse racing) another term for the home
straight; (rugby league, rugby union) the act of
running over the touchline of the opposite side
with the ball
run interference ( general ) in team games, the offense
of hindering opposing players while a
teammate is in possession of the ball or puck
run-off (auto racing) an area of gravel or other material
near a corner, designed to slow down cars
if they run off the track; ( general ) an additional
contest such as a race to decide a winner in the
event of a dead heat or tie
run out (cricket) to dismiss a batsman by dislodging
the bails of the wicket while he is still running
and so out of his ground
run-out (mountaineering) the length of rope required
to climb a particular pitch
run rate (cricket) a statistic in which a team’s total
number of runs scored is divided by the number
of overs faced
run the line (association football ) to act as assistant
referee [on the touchline]
run up ( golf ) to send the ball rolling or low in the
air toward the hole
run-up ( general ) a running approach to a key
physical action such as a jump or throw in athletics
or a bowl in cricket
runback (American football ) a forward run made
after catching a kick or intercepting a pass; (tennis)
the area behind the baseline at either end
of the court [in which the receiver can run back
to make a return]
rundown (baseball ) a play in which defending
players attempt to tag out a runner caught between
two bases; (horse racing) a list of entries
and odds for the horses in a race
runner (American football ) a player who runs with
the ball in an attacking play; (baseball ) shortening
of baserunner; (cricket) a player who runs
on behalf of an injured batsman; (general) a person
who runs in a foot race such as a marathon;
(horse racing) a horse entered in a race
runner-up ( general ) a competitor taking second
place in a race
runner’s high (athletics) the sense of euphoria that
can be experienced by a runner at a particular
stage in a long-distance race such as a marathon
running ( general ) fast forward motion on foot, either
for exercise or as a race; (Olympics) another
term for cross-country running in the modern
pentathlon
running back (American football ) a back whose
main function is to run with the ball from the
line of scrimmage
running belay (mountaineering) a device attached
to the rock face through which the rope runs
freely, acting as a pulley if the climber falls
running mate (horse racing) a horse entered in a
race to set the pace for another horse from the
same stable which is intended to win
running rugby (rugby union) play in which the
ball is primarily advanced by being carried, as
against a kicking game
running shot (handball ) a shot made while running
running side (snooker) a side that causes the cue
ball to rebound off the cushion at a greater angle
than in a normally struck shot
running target (shooting) a target that moves
across a track to simulate a moving animal or
another target
runway (athletics) the section of track along which
an athlete approaches a jump or throw; (gymnastics)
the approach on which a gymnast makes
his run-up to the vaulting horse
rush (American football ) (1) to run with the ball
or gain ground by doing so; (2) a move to push
through a line of defenders while in possession
of the ball; (croquet) a form of roquet in which
the ball is struck with a strong swing of the mallet;
(rugby league, rugby union) an attempt by
one or more players to force the ball through a
line of defenders
rush line (American football ) a line of defenders,
prepared for a rush
rusher (American football ) a player, such as a forward,
who specializes in rushing
rushing (American football ) attempting to advance
the ball by means of a rush
Ryder Cup ( golf ) the trophy awarded to the winners
of a biennial tournament for male professionals,
held since 1927 between teams from the
United States and Europe (until 1979 USA and
Britain) [donated by British seed merchant
Samuel A. Ryder (1859–1936)]
Golf Club of St. Andrews
rabbit (athletics) colloquial term for a pacemaker;
(cricket) (1) colloquial term for a poor batsman;
(2) colloquial term for a batsman often dismissed
by the same bowler; ( golf ) colloquial
119 putting cleek • rabbit
term for a poor player [from the characteristic
timidity of a rabbit]
rabbit ball (baseball ) a ball that is lively in action
[it springs like a rabbit]
rabbit punch (boxing) an illegal punch to the back
of the neck [like that used by hunters and farmers
to kill a rabbit]
Rabbitohs (rugby league) short name of the Australian
team South Sydney Rabbitohs
rabbitry ( general ) (1) a poor player; (2) poor performance
in a game [like that of a rabbit]
race ( general ) a competitive trial of speed, as in
auto racing, cycling, greyhound racing, horse
racing, rowing, sailing, and swimming
race-fixing ( general ) the fraudulent manipulation
of the result of a race
race meeting (horse racing) a series of races on a
particular day at a racecourse
race walking (athletics) a form of racing in which
the competitors walk as fast as possible, with one
or other of the feet always in contact with the
ground
raceball (horse racing) a ball held in connection
with a race meeting
racecar (auto racing) a specially constructed or
modified automobile used for the sport
racecard (horse racing) the program of a day of
races at a race meeting
racecourse (horse racing) a delimited area or track,
with or without obstacles, that is specially prepared
for racing
raceday (horse racing) the day when a particular
race or meeting is held
racegoer (horse racing) a person who regularly visits
race meetings, usually to place bets
racehorse (horse racing) a horse specially bred and
trained to take part in racing
racemare (horse racing) a female racehorse
racer ( general ) a person or vehicle that takes part
in a race
races (horse racing) another term for a race meeting
racetrack ( general ) an area marked out as the location
of a race; (horse racing) another term for
a racecourse
racewalk (athletics) a contest in race walking
raceway (horse racing) a track or circuit for running
horses in harness racing
racing ( general ) the act of taking part in a race;
(sport) shortening of (especially) horse racing or
of any sport specified by the first word, as auto
racing, greyhound racing
racing car (auto racing) another term for a racecar
racing colors (horse racing) the distinctive colors
worn by a jockey to identify the owner of the
horse
racing dive (swimming) a dive approached by a
run-up
racing flag (sailing) a private flag flown on a boat
or yacht when racing
racing form (horse racing) a record of a horse’s performance
in previous races
racing line (auto racing) the optimum line on a
track on which to drive between one corner and
the next
rack (equestrianism) a horse’s gait in which the legs
on the same side move almost simultaneously;
(pool) (1) the arrangement of the balls at the beginning
of the game; (2) a single game
racket ( general ) a bat with a round or oval frame
strung with catgut or nylon, used in sports such
as tennis and squash
racket abuse (tennis) an impetuous act in which a
player hurls his racket to the ground or smashes
it against something
racketball (sport) a British version of racquetball,
played on a smaller court with a slower ball
rackets (sport) a game similar to squash, in which
two or four people alternately strike a hard white
ball with a racket against one of the walls of a
four-walled court
racquet ( general ) another spelling of racket
racquetball (sport) a game of U.S. origin blending
elements of handball and squash, played between
two or four players with a short-handled racket
and a small rubber ball in a four-walled court
racquets (sport) alternate spelling of rackets
rafting (sport) the sport of traveling down a river,
especially over rapids, on a raft
ragworm (angling) the burrowing marine worm
Nereis diversicolor used as bait
raider (horse racing) a horse brought over from
abroad to run in a particular race
Raiders (American football ) short name of the
Oakland Raiders team; (rugby league) short name
of the English club Barrow Raiders
rail (equestrianism) a wooden bar in an obstacle;
(pool, snooker) another term for the cushion;
(squash) a shot hit close to the side walls of the
court; (surfing) the edge of the surfboard
rail turn (surfing) a trick turn in which the rail of
the surfboard is submerged
rails (horse racing) the fence forming the inside
boundary of a racecourse
Railwaymen (association football ) nickname of the
English club Crewe Alexandra [from the town’s
historic importance as a railroad center]
rainbow jersey (cycling) the multicolored jersey
awarded to the winner of the World Road Race
Championships
rainbow shot (basketball) a shot that curves from
the player’s hand down into the basket
raincheck ( general ) a ticket for future use given to
a spectator if a game or sports meeting is rained
off
rabbit ball • raincheck 120
rained off (general) cancelled or prematurely ended
because of rain
raise (curling) a draw that knocks another stone
into the house or into a better position within it
rally (auto racing) (1) formerly, a race as both a test
of endurance and speed and a method of recording
the performance of automobiles; (2) today,
a competition to test skill in driving over long
distances, sometimes over an unknown route, as
either a road rally or a stage rally; (badminton,
squash, table tennis, tennis) a vigorous or extended
exchange of shots, especially to decide a
point; (boxing) a sustained exchange of blows
[French rallier, “re-ally,” “bring together again”]
rally driver (auto racing) a driver in a rally
rally driving (auto racing) the sport of driving in
a rally
rallycross (auto racing) a form of the sport that
combines elements of rally driving and autocross,
with a circuit that consists partly of
paved road and partly of rough ground
rallye (auto racing) alternate spelling of rally
rallying (auto racing) shortening of rally driving
Rams (American football ) short name of the St. Louis
Rams team; (association football ) nickname of the
English club Derby County [from a local legend
about the mythical Derby Ram]; (rugby league)
short name of the English club Dewsbury Rams
randolph (trampolining) a forward somersault
with two and a half twists [named from its similarity
to a rudolph]
randy (trampolining) colloquial name for a randolph
Ranfurly Shield (rugby union) the trophy awarded
to the winner of a New Zealand interprovincial
competition [presented in 1902 by the 5th Earl
of Ranfurly (1856–1933), governor of New
Zealand]
range ( golf ) shortening of driving range; (shooting)
shortening of rifle range or shooting range
ranger ( golf ) an official who monitors the rate of
play on a course, encouraging slow players to
speed up or to allow others to play through
Rangers (association football ) short name of the
English club Queen’s Park Rangers [not to be
confused with either of the Scottish clubs
Queen’s Park or Rangers]; (baseball ) short name
of the Texas Rangers team; (ice hockey) short
name of the New York Rangers team
rappel (mountaineering) another term for abseil
[French rappel, “recall”]
Raptors (basketball) short name of the Toronto
Raptors team
rapture of the deep (aquatics) colloquial term for
nitrogen narcosis, the intoxicating and anesthetic
effect of too much nitrogen in the brain, experienced
by divers at considerable depths
rate (horse racing) to ride at a moderate pace so as
to save the horse’s energy for the finish
rating (rowing) the total of strokes rowed per
minute, used to advise a crew of its work rate
rattle (association football ) a wooden instrument
with a ratchet wheel which when whirled around
makes a loud clacking noise, formerly sounded
by a team’s supporters at a match
Ravens (American football ) short name of the Baltimore
Ravens team
RBI (baseball ) abbreviation of run batted in
reach (boxing) the distance between the fingertips
of the outstretched arms of a boxer; (cricket) the
extent to which a batsman can play forward
without moving his back foot
reaction time (athletics) the fraction of time between
the firing of the starting pistol and the
departure of the athlete from the starting block
read the green ( golf ) to assess the physical features
of the green on making an approach shot
ready golf ( golf ) a mode of playing in which players
aim to keep up with those playing in front of
them, as by selecting a club while walking to the
ball rather than when stationary
Real (association football ) short name of the Spanish
club Real Madrid
real tennis (sport) the original form of tennis,
played between two or four players, who hit a
hard ball with a racket back and forth across a
net in a court reminiscent of medieval cloisters
with a penthouse along three of its sides [so
named by contrast with lawn tennis]
rebound (basketball) an instance of catching the
ball after a missed shot has bounced off the
backboard or the edge of the basket
rec ( general ) colloquial abbreviation of recreation
ground
recce (auto racing) in rally driving, inspection of
the course by the driver and codriver in advance
of the rally in order to draw up the pace notes
receiver (American football ) an offensive player eligible
to catch a pass from the quarterback;
(table tennis, tennis) the player to whom the
server serves the ball
record ( general ) an unsurpassed achievement or
performance in a competitive sport
recordbreaker ( general) a person who has set a new
record
recordholder ( general ) a person whose record has
not been beaten
recovery ( golf ) a stroke that brings the ball out
of a hazard; (rowing) the phase in the stroke
cycle in which the rower swings forward to take
the next catch
recreation ground ( general ) a public open area for
sports and games, often including tennis courts
and a park
121 rained • recreation
recumbent (cycling) a low-slung bicycle in an aerodynamic
bodyshell in which the rider is in a recumbent
position
recurve (archery) a bow with limbs curving away
from the archer
recycle (rugby union) to keep possession of the
ball after a breakdown
red (billiards) the red ball, worth three points;
(snooker) the red ball, worth one point
red-ball game (sport) byname of cricket when
played with a traditional red ball, as distinct
from the modern white-ball game
red belt (judo, karate) a belt worn to indicate attainment
of the dan rank
red card (association football ) a red-colored card
shown by the referee to a player who is being
sent off, either because he has committed a serious
foul or because he has already been shown
two yellow cards
Red Devils (association football ) nickname of the
English clubManchester United [from the color
of the team’s shirts]
red dog (American football ) a play in which one
of the defensive team rushes the passer of the
ball
red flag (athletics) a flag waved to an athlete who
commits a foul in a jump or throw; (auto racing)
a flag waved to show that a race has been
stopped, as for bad weather conditions
Red Imps (association football ) nickname of the
English club Lincoln City [as for Imps with the
color of the team’s shirts]
Red Lichties (association football ) nickname of the
Scottish club Arbroath [from Scots red licht, “red
light,” from the red light cast by the Bell Rock
lighthouse off the coast here]
red line (cycling) another term for the sprinters’
line; (ice hockey) the line that divides the playing
area into two
red rose ( general ) the emblem of a Yorkshire sports
team, as opposed to the white rose [from the
Wars of the Roses, the 15th-century dynastic
struggle between the English houses of Lancaster
and York, whose respective emblems were a
white rose and a red rose]
Red Sox (baseball ) short name of the Boston Red
Sox team
red spinner (angling) an artificial fly imitating the
olive dun mayfly
Red Stockings (baseball ) short name of the
Cincinnati Red Stockings team
Red Wings (ice hockey) short name of the Detroit
Red Wings team
red zone (American football ) the area between the
goal line and the 20-yard line, within which the
offensive team concentrate their attack strategy
Redbacks (water polo) nickname of the Australian
national men’s team [name of a type of poisonous
spider]
Redcar (horse racing) a flat racecourse at Redcar,
northeastern England
Reds (association football ) nickname of the English
clubs Barnsley, Liverpool, and Nottingham Forest
[the color of the teams’ shirts]; (rugby league)
short name of the English club Salford City
Reds
redshirt (American football ) in college football, a
player whose course is extended by one year,
usually the sophomore year, during which he is
not selected for a representative team in order to
develop his skills and extend his period of eligibility
[the color of his shirt, worn for distinction
from members of the varsity]
Redskins (American football ) short name of the
Washington Redskins team
reefbreak (surfing) the point where a wave breaks
over a shallow underwater reef
reel (angling) a cylindrical device attached to a
fishing rod, used to wind the line
reel in (angling) to draw in a hooked fish by winding
in the line onto the reel
re-entry (surfing) a trick that resembles “skating” on
a surfboard along the top curl of a wave [the
board leaves the wave, then comes back down to
re-enter it]
ref ( general ) colloquial shortening of referee
referee (American football ) the person in overall
charge of the officiating team; (association football
) the official in charge of a game, who upholds
the rules with the aid of two assistant referees
on the touchlines and a fourth official off
the pitch; (boxing) the official stationed in the
ring with the boxers who regulates the bout,
intervening if necessary to stop a fight and administering
the count to a boxer down on the
canvas; (cricket) an official who deals with disciplinary
matters in a test match; ( fencing) the
controller of a bout; (wrestling) one of the three
officials in charge of a bout, adjudicating from
the mat
referral (cricket) a referral to the third umpire of
a disputed decision by the umpire
refusal (equestrianism, horse racing) the pulling up
or running aside of a horse at a fence
regatta (rowing, sailing) an organized program of
races [Venetian Italian regata, “contest”]
regional games (Olympics) a festival of Olympic
Games held within a particular geographical region,
as the African Games or Pan-American
Games
registered player (tennis) an independent professional
registered with the International Tennis
Federation who is eligible to play for prize
money in open tournaments
recumbent • registered 122
regular footer (snowboarding) a boarder who rides
with the left foot in front of the right
reining (equestrianism) a discipline in which the
rider uses the reins to perform a routine of
figures, including turns and stops at different
speeds
relative work (parachuting) a free fall in which
competitors execute maneuvers relative to each
other before opening the parachute
relay (athletics) shortening of relay race; (baseball )
a throw to the infield by a cut-off man after he
has intercepted a throw from the outfield
relay race (athletics) a race run by a team of four
athletes over the same distance, each passing a
baton to the next member of the team on completing
a stage
release ( g ymnastics) the action of letting go one’s
hold of a piece of apparatus during or on completing
a routine
relegation (association football ) the demotion of a
club from a higher division to a lower following
a season in which they finished at or near the
bottom of their division
relegation zone (association football ) the positions
at the bottom of a league which will result in
relegation at the end of the season
reliability test (auto racing) former name for a rally
reliability trial (auto racing) alternate term for a
reliability test
relief ( golf ) the option of moving one’s ball if a
normal stroke is obstructed
relief pitcher (baseball ) a pitcher who enters the
game as a substitute
reliever (baseball ) another term for a relief pitcher
reload ( golf ) to take a second tee shot because the
first ball is lost or out of bounds
rematch ( general ) (1) a second match, especially
when the first had a questionable result; (2) a return
match
remise ( fencing) a second thrust made after the
first one has missed [French remise, “put back”]
remove (cricket) to dismiss a batsman
rep ( general) abbreviation of replacement in sports
reports
repechage (canoeing, cycling, fencing, rowing) an
extra contest in which competitors who lost in an
earlier heat have a second chance to go on to the
final [French repêchage, “fishing out again”]
repetition training (athletics) a training exercise in
which an athlete alternately runs and rests over
set distances
replacement ( general ) a player who replaces another,
especially in a field game
replay ( general ) (1) a game or match that is played
again, as when the original did not result in a
winning score or was for some reason abandoned;
(2) shortening of action replay
replay umpire (cricket) another term for a third
umpire
reserve ( general ) a substitute kept in readiness
resistance (equestrianism) movements by a horse
that indicate an imminent refusal
rest (billiards, snooker) a long wooden pole with a
bridge at one end on which a player rests his cue
when he cannot form a bridge with his hand;
(bowls) a shot in which a bowl is delivered to
push an opponent’s bowl through and take its
place [the opposing bowl is given a “rest”]; (real
tennis) a series of strokes concluding with the
dead ball
rest day ( general ) a day free of activity in an extended
contest such as a cycle race
rest on one’s oars (rowing) to stop rowing without
removing the oars from the rowlocks
restart (rugby union) a drop kick from the halfway
line to recommence play after the scoring of
points by the opposing team
result ( general ) a satisfactory outcome against an
opponent
retain (association football ) to keep a player on in
a club although his actual contract has expired
retire ( fencing) to give ground before one’s adversary
retired hurt (cricket) (of ) a batsman who has left
the pitch because of injury
retired shirt (association football ) the symbolic removal
of a former player’s squad number in
recognition of his value to the club
retrieve (angling) to reel in a line; (association football
) to obtain possession of a shot or pass that
is difficult to reach; (tennis) to make a shot that
returns the ball successfully into the court when
it seemed that it would land outside it
return ( general ) a shot that sends a ball back to
an opponent, as in tennis
return crease (cricket) a line marked at right angles
to the bowling crease and popping crease on either
side of the wicket, inside which the bowler
must bowl the ball
return match ( general ) a second match played at
a different venue by the same teams
returner (American football ) a player who collects
the ball from a kick downfield and carries it
back toward the opposing team
reversal (wrestling) a maneuver enabling a wrestler
to escape from the hold of his opponent and
move into a dominant position
reverse (American football ) a play in which a player
passes the ball to a teammate moving in the opposite
direction, thus reversing the direction of attack;
(swimming) a dive in which the diver starts
facing forward then turns back to face the board
reverse cut (lacrosse) another term for a backdoor
play
123 regular • reverse cut
reverse pass (association football ) a pass made when
a player runs in one direction but passes in another
direction
reverse sticks (field hockey) a move in which a
player turns the stick so that the flat blade faces
to the right, enabling a shot to be made in the
opposite direction
reverse sweep (cricket) a sweep played on the off
side, made by reversing the grip on the bat
reverse swing (cricket) the observed swing in a different
direction to a new ball of a used ball that
has been roughened on one side
revirginization (ice skating) the process by which
professional skaters were declared “amateurs” so
that they could compete in the 1994 Olympics
Rhinos (rugby league) short name of the English
club Leeds Rhinos
rhubarb (baseball ) an argument on the field of play
between players or between the umpire and
managers [from the use of the word to denote
the indistinct sound of voices]
rhythmic gymnastics ( g ymnastics) a combination
of traditional floor exercises and classical ballet
in which female gymnasts perform with a ball,
hoop, rope, ribbon, or the like
ride (horse racing) to urge a horse at an excessive
speed
ride off (polo) to bump against an opponent’s horse
moving in the same direction
ride-off (equestrianism) an extra round to resolve
a tie in a competition
ride out (horse racing) to exercise a horse by riding
it
rider (cycling) a cyclist in a race; (equestrianism) a
person riding a horse in a contest; ( general ) a
person riding a board in a sport such as skateboarding
or surfing; (horse racing) a person riding
a horse in a race, as a jockey; (motorcycle racing)
a person riding a motorcycle in a race
riding ( general ) the riding of horses for exercise or
pleasure; (Olympics) another term for showjumping
in the modern pentathlon
riding school (equestrianism) a school or establishment
for teaching skills in the sport
rifle (shooting) (1) a firearm with a spirally grooved
(rifled) barrel; (2) shortening of air rifle; (3)
shortening of small-bore rifle
rifle range (shooting) a special enclosed area with
targets for practice or competition in rifle
shooting
rifle shooting (shooting) the discipline of shooting
with a rifle
rig (sailing) the disposition of the sails, masts, and
spars in a boat or yacht that define its type
rigger (rowing) shortening of outrigger
rigging (sailing) the wires and ropes that support
a boat’s masts and control or set the sails
right arm (cricket) a bowler who bowls with the
right arm
right back (field games) a back who plays primarily
on the right side of the pitch
right center (field games) a player who plays primarily
to the right of the center of the pitch
right cross (boxing) a punch delivered from the
right side
right defender (field games) a right half who plays
deep
right field (baseball ) the part of the outfield to the
right of second base as viewed from home plate
right fielder (baseball ) a fielder positioned in right
field
right half (field games) a halfback who plays primarily
on the right side of the pitch
right-hander (boxing) a punch delivered with the
right hand; ( general ) a player whose right hand
is dominant, as against the less common lefthander;
(surfing) a wave breaking to the right, as
seen by a surfer facing the beach
right midfield (field games) the midfield players
who play primarily on the right side of the pitch
right wing (field games) the part of the pitch to the
right of its center
right winger (field games) an attacking player on
the right wing
rightie ( general ) colloquial term for a righthander
rikishi (sumo) a wrestler [Japanese riki, “strength,”
and shi, “warrior”]
rim out (basketball) to hit the edge of the basket
and bounce away
ring (boxing, wrestling) the roped rectangular area
on a raised platform in which a match takes
place [originally the space for a match surrounded
by a circle of spectators]; (2) the sport
itself as a profession; (horse racing) (1) an enclosure
for bookmakers at a racecourse; (2) bookmaking
itself as a profession; (3) shortening of
parade ring; (sumo) the circular area within
which a match takes place
ring rust (boxing) staleness of performance shown
by a boxer who has been out of the ring
ring tennis (sport) a combination of tennis and
quoits similar to deck tennis [played with rubber
rings]
ring the bell (American football ) to hit another
player so hard on his helmeted head that he is disorientated
and may even suffer slight concussion
ringer (athletics) an athlete competing under a false
name; (curling) a stone inside the circle drawn
around the tee; (horse racing) a horse raced under
the name of another horse
ringette (sport) a sport similar to ice hockey,
played mainly by women and girls, in which a
rubber ring is used instead of a puck
reverse pass • ringette 124
ringman ( general ) colloquial term for a bookmaker
rings ( g ymnastics) two cylindrical handles suspended
from wire cables on which, in men’s
competition, the gymnast executes swings and
handstands
ringside (boxing) the area immediately surrounding
the ring
ringside physician (boxing) the doctor who checks
the physical condition of a boxer before the start
of a bout and who determines whether a dazed
boxer is fit enough to continue
ringside seat (boxing) a seat immediately next to the
ring
ringsider (boxing) a spectator at a prizefight
rink (bowls) (1) one of the playing areas into which
a green is divided; (2) a team of four players;
(curling) (1) the playing area of prepared ice; (2)
a team in this sport; (ice hockey, ice skating)
shortening of ice rink; (roller skating) a smooth
floor or area, usually of wood or asphalt, prepared
for skating on roller skates
rip (swimming) a dive with an ideal entry [from
the sound as the diver enters the water]
ripcord (parachuting) a cord pulled to inflate a
parachute by opening the pack in which it is
folded
Ripon (horse racing) a flat racecourse at Ripon,
North Yorkshire, England
riposte ( fencing) a quick thrust given after a parry
[French riposte, from Italian risposta, “reply”]
rise (angling) the movement of a fish to the surface
of the water to take food or a bait; (cricket) the
upward course of a bowled ball after pitching
riverboarding (sport) the riding of a bodyboard
down rapids
Riverside (cricket) the home ground of Durham
county cricket club, Chester-le-Street, Co.
Durham
ro (cricket) abbreviation of run out in scoring
road bike (cycling) a bicycle designed for road
races, with dropped handlebars and several gears
road book (auto racing) in rally driving, a book of
instructions, information, and maps issued to
drivers by the organizers of a rally
road game ( general ) (1) a game played by a team
on a tour; (2) another term for an away game
road race (cycling) a race ridden on roads, as distinct
from a track race
road rash (cycling, skateboarding) colloquial term for
skin abrasions caused by sliding across the road
or other hard surface after a fall or crash
Road World Championships (cycling) an annual
road race held in various countries since 1927
roadeo (sport) a contest and display of driving skills
among truck drivers [blend of road and rodeo]
roadman (cycling) a competitor in a road race
roads and tracks (equestrianism) a phase of the
cross-country section of the three-day event,
involving riding on the flat
roadwork ( general ) running on roads as a method
of training for marathon runners, boxers, and
the like
roar (curling) to send a stone with great speed [in
the roaring game]
roaring game (sport) another name for curling
[from the sound made by the stones as they
travel over the ice]
Robin Hood (archery) the feat of splitting the shaft
of an arrow already in the target with another
arrow [from the legendary English outlaw, who
was skilled in archery]
Robins (association football ) nickname of the
English clubs Bristol City, Charlton Athletic,
Cheltenham Town, and Swindon Town, and
the Welsh club Wrexham [from the teams’ red
shirts]
rock climbing (mountaineering) the climbing of
rock faces
rocker (ice skating) a figure in which the skater
makes a 180-degree turn and continues to travel
backward in the same direction; (surfing) the upward
curve on a surfboard
Rockets (basketball) short name of the Houston
Rockets team
Rockies (baseball ) short name of the Colorado
Rockies team
rod (angling) (1) shortening of fishing rod; (2) another
term for an angler; (3) a permit to fish a
particular stretch of river
rodeo (sport) a competitive display of riding and
other skills among cowboys
rodman (angling) another term for an angler
Roehampton ( general ) a fashionable London
sports club, founded in 1901, with polo
grounds, croquet lawns, tennis courts, a golf
course, and a clubhouse
Rokerites (association football ) former nickname
of the English club Sunderland [from Roker
Park, their home ground until 1997, when they
moved to the Stadium of Light]
role player (basketball) a player who performs a
specific function and is brought on only when
required
roll (g ymnastics, swimming) a move in which the
body, in a tuck position, rolls forward or backward
roll cast (angling) a cast in which the tip of the
rod is rolled so that the line is picked off the
water without being thrown behind the angler,
as is more usual
roll-off (tenpin bowling) an extra game played to resolve
a tie
roll-out (American football ) a play in which a
125 ringman • roll-out
quarterback moves out from the blockers before
attempting a pass
roll with the punches (boxing) to move the body
away to lessen the impact of an opponent’s blows
roller (baseball ) a ball that rolls along the ground
after being hit; (cricket) a ball apparently bowled
with a spin but actually running straight along
the ground after pitching
roller arena (roller skating) another term for a rink
roller derby (roller skating) a speed skating race on
roller skates [as a derby]
roller hockey (sport) a game resembling ice hockey
played on a rink by teams on roller skates with
a short hockey stick and a hard ball instead of a
puck
roller seat drop (trampolining) a full twist to a seat
drop
roller skates (roller skating) skates with four wheels
instead of blades, the wheels set either at the
corners of the shoe or in a single line to make
rollerblades
roller skating (sport) the sport or competitive display
of skating on roller skates, either on a rink
or on a public street or other hard-surface area
roller sports ( general ) sports played on roller
skates, as roller hockey
rollerblades (roller skating) roller skates in which
the wheels are fixed in a single line akin to the
blades of ice skates
rollerblading (roller skating) skating on
rollerblades
rollerdrome (roller skating) another term for a rink
rolling maul (rugby union) a maul that is rolled or
wheeled by its members with the aim of preventing
the opposition from obtaining the ball
romp ( general ) an easily won game or race
romp home ( general ) to win by a substantial margin,
as in a race
rookie ( general ) a person new to a sport or inexperienced
in it
rooster tail (surfing) the curved plume of water
thrown up by a surfboard
rope (baseball ) shortening of frozen rope; (horse
racing) to hold back a horse in order to lose a
race intentionally; (mountaineering) (1) shortening
of climbing rope; (2) a climbing party roped
together; (rodeo) to lasso, as in calf-roping and
team roping
rope-a-dope (boxing) a tactic in which a boxer
pretends to be trapped on the ropes in order to
incite his opponent to tire himself out with
punches [an expression popularized in the 1970s
by heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, a
noted employer of the tactic, the “dope” being
the baited opponent]
rope down (mountaineering) another term for abseil
roper (horse racing) a jockey who pulls on the reins
to slow his horse down and so lose a race, usually
for financial reasons
ropes (boxing) the cords around the ring; (cricket)
the cords marking the boundary of the field
roque (croquet) a version of the game with nine
hoops played on a walled, hard-surface court
[from croquet]
roquet (croquet) a stroke in which the striker’s
ball is played against another ball, whereupon
the striker can play a croquet shot [probably
from croquet]
Roscommon (horse racing) a flat and National
Hunt racecourse at Roscommon, Co. Roscommon,
Ireland
Rose Bowl (American football ) (1) a postseason
college football contest held annually (from
1916) in Pasadena, California, where it was first
organized in 1902 as part of the festival inaugurated
in 1890 as the Battle of the Flowers; (2) the
stadium opened in 1922 for this game; (cricket)
the home ground of Hampshire county cricket
club, Southampton
rosette ( general ) (1) a rose-shaped badge of colored
ribbons worn by a sports participant or animal
(such as a horse) as a symbol of a prize; (2)
a similar badge worn by a supporter
Rossoneri (association football ) nickname of the
Italian club AC Milan [Italian rosso, “red,” and
nero, “black,” the colors of the team’s red and
black striped shirts]
rot (cricket) a rapid loss of wickets in an innings
rotation (baseball ) the order of play assigned to
pitchers for the matches of a particular series;
( g ymnastics) the period during which a team of
gymnasts work on a particular piece of apparatus;
(volleyball) the clockwise movement of
players when the service changes
rouge (Canadian football ) a single point awarded
when the ball is played into the opponents’ goal
area and becomes dead; (Eton field game) a score
awarded when a attacker touches a ball that has
been sent over the goal line by a defender [origin
obscure, apparently not French rouge, “red”]
rough ( golf ) an area of rough ground, especially
uncut grass, around a fairway or green; (tennis)
the side of a racket from which the loops of
twisted string project, used as a call (opposed to
smooth) when the racket is spun to decide on the
server or choose an end
Rough Riders (Canadian football ) short name of
the Ottawa Rough Riders team
Roughriders (Canadian football ) short name of
the Saskatchewan Roughriders team
Roughyeds (rugby league) short name of the English
club Oldham Roughyeds
rouleur (cycling) a cyclist who specializes in ridroll
with • rouleur 126
ing long flat stages or races [French rouleur,
“roller”]
round (archery) a specified number of arrows shot
over different distances; (boxing) a subdivision of
a bout in the form of a period of action over a
given number of minutes, separated from the next
period by a rest; ( general ) a specified stage in a
competition; ( golf ) a complete series of played
holes; (shooting) a single shot fired from a rifle
round-arm (cricket) (of ) a ball bowled with an almost
horizontal swing of the arm
round-ball game (sport) colloquial name for association
football [played with a round ball, as
against the oval-ball game]
round heels (boxing) colloquial term for a poor
boxer [who might easily fall]
round-off ( g ymnastics) a move in which the gymnast
begins a cartwheel but lands on both feet
instead of one, facing the opposite direction
round robin ( general ) a tournament in which
each competitor competes once with each of the
others; (horse racing) a form of multiple bet on
three horses that adds up to ten bets
round-the-cans (sailing) colloquial term for a harbor
race [the cans being the buoys]
round-the-clock shooting (shooting) colloquial
term for skeet
round-the-houses (auto racing) colloquial term
for a street race
Round-the-Island Race (sailing) an annual 50-
mile race around the Isle of Wight, southern
England, starting from and returning to Cowes,
the location of Cowes Week
round the wicket (cricket) bowled from the hand of
the bowler that is further away from the wicket
round trip (baseball ) to score a home run and so
make a complete circuit of all four bases
rounder (rounders) a complete circuit of the bases
run by the batter
rounders (sport) a game similar to baseball in
which players hit the ball with a bat and run to
a base or if possible around all four bases (scoring
a rounder) before the ball is thrown back to
the bowler
roundhouse (baseball ) a pitch made with a sweeping
swing of the arm; (boxing) a wild swinging
punch
route (horse racing) a long race of more than a mile
Route du Rhum (sailing) a solo transatlantic race
held every four years from St. Malo, France, to
Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe [French route du
rhum, “rum route”]
route one (association football ) (of ) a style of play
in which long high passes are made upfield
route orienteering (orienteering) a form of the
sport in which the route is marked on the
ground but not on the map
routegoer (baseball ) a pitcher who goes the
route
routine (general) a series of movements in a display,
as in gymnastics or ice skating
rover (American football ) a defensive linebacker
assigned to anticipate the moves of the opposing
team; (archery) a competitor in field archery;
(Australian Rules) a (usually small and fast) player
who forms part of the ruck and is skillful at receiving
the ball; (croquet) a ball that has passed
through all the hoops and is now ready to peg
out
rover hoop (croquet) the last hoop through which
a ball must pass before it can peg out
Rovers (association football ) short name of the English
clubs Blackburn Rovers, Bristol Rovers,
Doncaster Rovers, and Tranmere Rovers, and
the Scottish club Raith Rovers; (rugby league)
short name of the English clubs Featherstone
Rovers and Hull Kingston Rovers
row (rowing) to propel a boat through water by
making strokes with one or more oars
row over (rowing) to win a heat in a race by rowing
the course unopposed
rower (rowing) a person who rows or is a member
of a rowing club
rowing (sport) the sport or recreation of using oars
to propel a boat through water
rowing club (rowing) a club for people who row,
especially competitively in a race
Rowley Mile (horse racing) a racecourse at Newmarket,
on which the One Thousand Guineas
and Two Thousand Guineas are run [from
“Old Rowley,” nickname (from a favorite horse)
of Charles II, who proclaimed Newmarket as the
headquarters of racing]
rowlocks (rowing) U-shaped swivels that hold the
oars in place [originally oarlock]
Royal and Ancient ( golf ) short name of the Royal
and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews
Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews
( golf ) a golf club in St. Andrews, eastern Scotland,
dating back to 1754 and today the accepted
international authority on the game [“Royal”
from 1834, when William IV agreed to be its patron]
Royal Ascot (horse racing) an annual race and society
occasion at Ascot attended by the monarch
[founded in 1711 by Queen Anne]
Royal Birkdale ( golf ) a golf course near Southport,
Lancashire, northwestern England
royal duck (cricket) a duck scored by a opening
batsman on the first ball of the innings
Royal Lytham ( golf ) a golf course at Lytham St.
Annes, Lancashire, northwestern England
Royal Melbourne ( golf ) a golf course at Black
Rock, near Melbourne, Australia
127 round • Royal Melbourne
Royal Portrush ( golf ) a golf course at Portrush,
northeastern Northern Ireland
Royal St. George’s ( golf ) a golf course at Sandwich,
Kent, England
royal tennis (sport) another spelling of real tennis
[despite the historically attested association of
royalty with the sport, the derivation of the
name is in real, not royal]
Royal Troon ( golf ) a golf course at Troon, southwestern
Scotland
Royals (association football ) nickname of the English
club Reading [from the royal blue of the
team’s strip]; (baseball ) short name of the Kansas
City Royals team
Rozelle rule ( general ) the provision in a contract
between a free agent and a professional team
which requires the team to give the free agent’s
former team an agreed compensation [established
by Alvin Ray Rozelle (1927–1996) commissioner
of the National Football League from
1960]
Rs (association football ) colloquial abbreviation for
the English club Queens Park Rangers
rub (bowls) an interference to the course of a rolling
bowl caused by a snag on the green
rub of the green ( golf ) an accidental interference
with the course of the ball
rubber (baseball ) colloquial term for the mound,
and formerly for the home plate; ( general ) a series
of games, as in cricket or tennis
ruck (Australian Rules) the three players (a rover
and two ruckmen) who follow the ball closely
but do not have fixed positions; (rugby union) a
loose scrum formed by the players around the
ball on the ground with the aim of pushing back
their opponents
ruckman (Australian Rules) one of the three players
in a ruck whose function is to knock the ball
to the rover
ruckrover (Australian Rules) fuller term for a rover
rudolph (trampolining) a forward somersault with
one and a half twists [performed in the music
hall of the 1920s by Dave Rudolph]
rudy ( g ymnastics) a vault consisting of a handspring
off the springboard followed by a forward
salto with one and a half twists off the
horse; (trampolining) shortening of rudolph
rugby (sport) short name of either rugby league
or rugby union [the basic sport evolved from
football in the early 19th century at Rugby
School, Warwickshire, England]
rugby academy (rugby union) a national or regional
organization set up with the support of England’s
Rugby Football Union to recruit good
players
Rugby fives (fives) the most common variant of the
game, played between singles or doubles and
distinguished from Eton fives in that the court
is four-walled and the hazards different [originally
played at Rugby School]
rugby football (sport) another term for rugby
union
rugby league (sport) a field game based on rugby
union, played with an oval ball between teams
of 13 players, each side having six attempts or
tackles to move the ball upfield and score a try
by grounding the ball in the in-goal area [mostly
played in northern England, where an association
of clubs was formed in 1922 as the Rugby
League (originally Northern Union)]
rugby tackle (rugby league, rugby union) fuller term
for a tackle
rugby union (sport) a field game played with an
oval ball between teams of 15 players, with handling
of the ball permitted and each side aiming
to amass more points than the other [named
for the Rugby Union, an association of clubs
formed in 1871 to regularize the original form of
rugby]
rugger (sport) colloquial term for rugby football
rugger bugger (rugby football ) colloquial term for
a player or fan, especially if burly or boisterous
Rules (horse racing) (1) shortening of the National
Hunt Rules of Racing; (sport) shortening of Australian
Rules
run (baseball ) a point scored by the batter after
completing a circuit of the bases and returned to
home plate; (cricket) (1) the basic unit of scoring;
(2) a point scored by a batsman after running
from one popping crease to the other;
( general ) a spell of forward movement, as by an
athlete in a foot race or a player with the ball
in American football; (horse racing) another
term for a race; (skiing) (1) a snow slope prepared
for skiers; (2) a descent on such a slope
run a cracker (horse racing) to perform excellently
in a race
run a hoop (croquet) to hit the ball through a hoop
run-and-gun (basketball) (of ) a style of fast freeflowing
play with few set plays
run-and-shoot (American football ) (of ) a style of
play in which a fast-paced quarterback makes
quick short passes while evading tacklers
run batted in (baseball ) a credit awarded to a batter
for every run scored as a result of his action,
as a hit, sacrifice, or walk
Run for the Daisies (horse racing) colloquial name
of the Preakness Stakes [from the chain of
daisies hung around the winner’s neck]
Run for the Roses (horse racing) colloquial name
of the Kentucky Derby [from the chain of roses
hung around the winner’s neck]
run green (horse racing) to be distracted during a
race through lack of experience
Royal Portrush • run 128
run-in (horse racing) another term for the home
straight; (rugby league, rugby union) the act of
running over the touchline of the opposite side
with the ball
run interference ( general ) in team games, the offense
of hindering opposing players while a
teammate is in possession of the ball or puck
run-off (auto racing) an area of gravel or other material
near a corner, designed to slow down cars
if they run off the track; ( general ) an additional
contest such as a race to decide a winner in the
event of a dead heat or tie
run out (cricket) to dismiss a batsman by dislodging
the bails of the wicket while he is still running
and so out of his ground
run-out (mountaineering) the length of rope required
to climb a particular pitch
run rate (cricket) a statistic in which a team’s total
number of runs scored is divided by the number
of overs faced
run the line (association football ) to act as assistant
referee [on the touchline]
run up ( golf ) to send the ball rolling or low in the
air toward the hole
run-up ( general ) a running approach to a key
physical action such as a jump or throw in athletics
or a bowl in cricket
runback (American football ) a forward run made
after catching a kick or intercepting a pass; (tennis)
the area behind the baseline at either end
of the court [in which the receiver can run back
to make a return]
rundown (baseball ) a play in which defending
players attempt to tag out a runner caught between
two bases; (horse racing) a list of entries
and odds for the horses in a race
runner (American football ) a player who runs with
the ball in an attacking play; (baseball ) shortening
of baserunner; (cricket) a player who runs
on behalf of an injured batsman; (general) a person
who runs in a foot race such as a marathon;
(horse racing) a horse entered in a race
runner-up ( general ) a competitor taking second
place in a race
runner’s high (athletics) the sense of euphoria that
can be experienced by a runner at a particular
stage in a long-distance race such as a marathon
running ( general ) fast forward motion on foot, either
for exercise or as a race; (Olympics) another
term for cross-country running in the modern
pentathlon
running back (American football ) a back whose
main function is to run with the ball from the
line of scrimmage
running belay (mountaineering) a device attached
to the rock face through which the rope runs
freely, acting as a pulley if the climber falls
running mate (horse racing) a horse entered in a
race to set the pace for another horse from the
same stable which is intended to win
running rugby (rugby union) play in which the
ball is primarily advanced by being carried, as
against a kicking game
running shot (handball ) a shot made while running
running side (snooker) a side that causes the cue
ball to rebound off the cushion at a greater angle
than in a normally struck shot
running target (shooting) a target that moves
across a track to simulate a moving animal or
another target
runway (athletics) the section of track along which
an athlete approaches a jump or throw; (gymnastics)
the approach on which a gymnast makes
his run-up to the vaulting horse
rush (American football ) (1) to run with the ball
or gain ground by doing so; (2) a move to push
through a line of defenders while in possession
of the ball; (croquet) a form of roquet in which
the ball is struck with a strong swing of the mallet;
(rugby league, rugby union) an attempt by
one or more players to force the ball through a
line of defenders
rush line (American football ) a line of defenders,
prepared for a rush
rusher (American football ) a player, such as a forward,
who specializes in rushing
rushing (American football ) attempting to advance
the ball by means of a rush
Ryder Cup ( golf ) the trophy awarded to the winners
of a biennial tournament for male professionals,
held since 1927 between teams from the
United States and Europe (until 1979 USA and
Britain) [donated by British seed merchant
Samuel A. Ryder (1859–1936)]
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