After watching the games last night on Monday Night Football I decided expand the list below for those who have to watch the NFL in Spanish on Fox or ESPN. Learning the vocabulary below will help you understand what the announcers are talking about. They are Mexican and often tend to translate the football terminology literally form English to Spanish.

Abrir un espacio – to open a hole in the opposing line
abucheos – boos (noise)
acarrear – to carry a ball
acarreo – a carry
Aficionado/a – fan
aguador – waterboy
ala abierta – split end
ala cerrada – tight end
alineación titular – starting line up
anotar – to score
apoyador – linebacker
árbitro – ref
arranque en falso – off sides
atrapada –a catch
atrapar – to catch
barra or hincas – avid fans or fanatics
balón suelto – fumble (noun)
banca – bench
buena posición de campo – good field position
caderera – hip pad
campo de juego – playing field
captura sack
capturar – to sack
Capturar en la zona de anotación – safety
carga – rush
casco – helmut
castigo – penalty
cuartos – quarters (periods of time)
centro – center (lineman)
¿Con quién vas? or ¿A quién le vas? – Who are you rooting for?
corredor – runner
cuartos – quarters (periods of time)
cubrir or marcar – to cover a player
defensivo – a defensive player
defensiva – defense
desempater – to break a tie
desempate – tie breaker
despeje – punt
doble marcaje – to have two men guarding one man
doblar la esquina – turn the corner on the outside
empate – tie game
echar porra al equipo or animar – to cheer or root for a team
entrenador – coach
engaño – a trick play
equipo favorito – favorite team
escopeta – shotgun formation
estadio – stadium
finta – a fake
fogeo – scrimmage
formación – formation
fuerza excesiva – unnecessary roughness
ganar – to win
ganar terreno – to gain ground
guardia – guard (lineman)
gol de campo – field goal
golpe – hit
Hacer un bloque or bloquear – to block
hombre en movimiento – a man in motion
hombrera – shoulder pad
hueco – a hole in the scrimmage line
intercepción – interception
interceptar – to intercept
jugada – a play
jugada de anotacíon – scoring play
jugada de pizzarón or de película – a picture perfect play
jugador – player
interferencia – interference
lesión- an injury
línea de golpeo – scrimmage line
lineros – linemen
Mantener el equipo en el partido – to keep the team in the game
marcador – score or scoreboard
marcador final- final score
marcar – to guard a player
mariscal de campo – quarterback
mascarazo – illegal grabbing of the facemask
mascarilla – facemask
Medio campo – midfield
medio tiempo- half time
Movimiento ilegal – illegal movement
muete súbita – sudden death
narrador o locutor – announcer
ofensiva – offense
oviode – football (the ball)
pañuelo – flag (penalty)
pasador – passer
pasar – to pass
pase – pass
pase completo – completed pass
pase incompleto – incomplete pass
patada corta – short kick or onsides quick
patada de salida – kickoff
patear – to kick
perder el balón – to fumble (verb)
Perder terreno – to lose ground
pédida – a loss
primera, segunda, tercera oportunidad – fist down, second down and third down
por aire – through the air
por tierra on the ground
Posición de campo – field position
porristas – cheer leaders
postes – goal posts
postemporada – postseason
Preciso – like an accurate pass
pretemporada – preseason
primer tiempo – first half
primera y diez – first and ten
profundo – safety (player)
protector bucal – mouth piece
protesta – challenge
punto extra – extra point
receptor – receiver
repetición de la jugada – replay
reserva o suplente – back up player
retorno – kick return
rodillera – knee pad
Se le pasó el balón – they threw the ball over his head
Se zafa la tacleada – slips out of a tackler’s arms
sujetando – holding
Super Tazón – Super Bowl
tabla de posciones – standings (record)
tacleada – a tackle
taclear – to tackle
temporada regular – regular season
jugador titular – a player in the starting line up
tiempo extra – overtime
¡tiempo fuera! – Time out! Le quedan dos tiempos fuera ..They have three time outs left.
uso ilegal de las manos or sujetando – illegal use of the hands
utilero – equipment man
vestidor – locker room
victoria – victory
zona de anotación – end zone

Sports expressions:
La ópera no ha terminado hasta que cante la gorda – The opera isn’t over until the fat lady sings