If you’re new to sports betting, you might be curious about some of the terminology and abbreviations that make the game more interesting and easier to follow. Here’s a glossary of terms you will encounter frequently when wagering on sporting events:
Accusation
This is when a team is formally charged with a violation of baseball’s rules. A baseball accusation can be brought against a team by the opposing team, the umpire, or the home team if they believe a rule was broken. The consequences of an accusation vary by severity. A minor accusation will result in a warning or two to the offending team. A more severe accusation could lead to a suspension or even disqualification of a team.
Aftermath
The outcome of a sporting event can have major financial implications for teams and players involved. When a game ends in a draw, there’s no clear-cut winner and loser. Depending on the betting line and the number of points scored, the sportsbook will assign a winner. Bettors who backed the winning team will automatically receive their bet back with an even bigger pile of winnings. Those who bet on the losing team might end up taking a loss followed by a substantial payout if their selected team finished far behind the predicted number of points.
Ante-Up
This is a mandatory pre-game ritual in horse racing. The public is invited to ‘put down’ a wager on the upcoming horse race before the first race is even officially announced. The ante is typically 10 to 20 percent of the pari-mutuel money bet on that day’s race. So if you bet $100 on a $2,000 race, you’ll have to put down $200 for the chance to win $2,000. If no one bets on a particular race, the ante stays in and the public is encouraged to place a bet on the next race. This is done to create an incentive for people to wager on horse races.
Armistice
This is a term used to mean ‘cease fire’ in sports. When one team stops playing during the middle of a game (usually due to injury), the umpire will declare a temporary ‘armistice’ in which play is suspended while the teams negotiate a suitable resolution. Once hostilities are resumed, the game will either continue or it will be ended in a tie. In the event of a tie, a second ‘armistice’ will be called enabling the administrators to break the deadlock by means of a coin toss. If only one team is involved, the game is simply ended in the ‘armistice’ and no refunds are given.
Ballpark
This is the area outside the court where baseball games are played. It is traditionally associated with baseball and is the largest stadium of the sport. Named after its primary tenant, the Cleveland Indians, Progressive Field is the largest sports arena in the United States. Originally designed by a local firm, it was officially opened in 1994 and has since hosted numerous sporting events including the Republican National Convention in 2016.
Bench
In professional sports, this is where teams’ star players sit during games. The team’s coach will usually sit on one side of the bench, with the players on the other. The offensive team’s bench might be behind the opposing team’s bench, leading to some odd glances during the game. When fans stand during the national anthem or the playing of ‘God Save The Queen’, players on both teams will often turn around and face each other. The term ‘bench’ originates from the early 20th century, when teams wore leather or cloth jerseys and spectators stood during the game. Coaches, managers, and players would sit on the turf behind their respective benches while the crowds were restricted to the standing area in front.
Betting Line
If you place a wager on the number of goals a soccer club will score in a game, you are placing a bet on the betting line. The betting line is sometimes written in boldface or italicized type for emphasis. If a match is scheduled to go to extra time, the betting line will be adjusted according to the final score or the result of the additional period(s). A betting line on a match involving two teams will list the total number of goals each team is expected to score, as well as the total number of goals scored so far. For example, a $2.00 goal line for a game between the New York City Football Club and the New York Red Bulls is “NYCFC +2.0 to win”. This means that you are expected to win $2.00 if the New York City Football Club scores two or more goals.
Bias
This is when a person or organization has an unfair advantage in making a decision. Bias can be discovered with the use of statistical analysis, which looks for unusual occurrences that might be attributed to foul play. If you believe that a team or a referee is exhibiting bias during a sporting event, you may file a complaint with the appropriate governing body. An example of bias would be if you feel that there are extraordinary occurrences that should be investigated because they are not consistent with the rules of the game.
Callaway
This is a golf term that stands for ‘calls away’. It is used to describe a shot that was made fairway and was carried out of the fairway. A golfers’ score for a round of golf is commonly referred to as a ‘callaway’. If you’re looking for an edge in online golf betting, you might try using a VPN to keep your personal data secure while placing bets from the convenience of your home. Doing so should not affect your primary connection to other sites and services as you would not be utilizing those specific devices to access sports betting websites.
Commission
Paying off the ‘house’ is a common practice among sportsbooks. When a wager is placed on a sporting event, the odds quoted by the sportsbook will typically include a small ‘commission’, which is a percentage of the wager. The house will typically take a rake off the top of each wager, meaning the total amount wagered will be taxed. However, if you’re looking to place a wager from another country, you must make sure that it’s legal where you are. Different countries have different laws regarding gambling, and it might be against the law for you to place a wager in another country. Be sure to read up on any licensing regulations or restrictions wherever you choose to place your wager.
Cricket
‘Cricket’ is the game that was originally derived from baseball. It is named after its early 19th century founder, William ‘Captain’ Crosby. The game is traditionally associated with England, but Pakistanis, South Africans, and others have embraced it as their national sport. One of the distinguishing features of cricket is that the pitcher delivers the ball from the endline of the pitch toward the batter, who stands at mid-off.
The cricket scoring system is based on runs scored. The pitch is 6.0 miles long, and runs are scored by driving the ball through the ‘ring’ around the bat. Runs are further classified as ‘full’ or ‘fair’ according to whether the ball crosses the boundary or not. In order to score more runs, bowlers will try to devise ways to deceive the batsman. One of the most notable strategies is ‘pray’ bowling, in which a bowler will deliberately hold the ball for a few seconds before releasing it. By doing so, the ball might sneak past the batsman, or at least give the illusion of sneaking past him. The bowler will want to do this on purpose to make sure the batsman misses the ball and wastes his time looking for it. Pray bowling is one of the ways in which cricket remains popular around the world, particularly in Europe and South America. However, this is a strategy that might be illegal where you play. If you’re looking for a way to beat the system, you might try creating the illusion of a mistake or a deflection by the umpires. This might help you get away with an otherwise unlawful stroke, so be sure that you’re reporting the incident to the proper authorities. Otherwise, you risk finding yourself in legal trouble. Always remember: if you’re not supposed to be there, don’t be there!