How to Speak Football ─ From Ankle Breaker to Zebra: An Illustrated Guide to Gridiron Gab

From "ankle breaker” to “zebra,” How to Speak Football includes over 125 football terms paired with amusing illustrations that decode the words and phrases that fly around the field. The “Sidelines” sections sprinkled throughout the book will teach you fun trivia about the history of the sport, the stories behind football players’ nicknames, the most famous touchdown celebrations, and much more!

The terms included in the book range from the well-known, like “blitz” and “punt,” to the more uncommon such as:

-Alligator arms: A term coaches, players, and television commentators frequently use to describe—and disparage—a receiver who keeps his arms protectively tucked in close to his ribs, instead of stretched out to catch the ball.
-Chain gang: The officials on the sideline who hold the yardage and down markers.
-Pancake: A forceful block, usually by an offensive lineman, tight end, or fullback, that sets an opposing lineman completely on his back, taking him out of play.

A fantastic blend of funny anecdotes and entertaining bits of history and trivia, this is the perfect gift book for all the football lovers in your life, fantasy football fanatics, or any of the growing number of fans who are gravitating toward this exciting sport!

SALLY COOK coauthored, with Gene Stallings, Another Season: A Coach’s Story of Raising an Exceptional Son,aNew York Times bestseller, and with James Charlton, How to Speak Baseballand Hey Batta Batta Swing! She is also the author of How to Speak Golf.

ROSS MACDONALD’s illustrations have appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker,and Vanity Fair. He has written and illustrated several books includingHow to Speak Baseball, How to Speak Golf, and What Would Jesus Craft?