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linesman

linesman

1 4.9
An official who watches the lines and signals when the ball is out or a player is offside
  • noun
  • /ˈlaɪnzˌmən/
  • Jargon
translation icon : juez de línea
  • In tennis, the linesman called out 'Out!' when the ball landed beyond the boundary line.
  • linesman drops the puck
  • head linesman

It's thanks for being there on that touchline when I was linesman, you know, thanks for not putting too much focus just on success and school reports and being top.

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Examples

  • The linesman indicated that the player was offside, leading to a free kick for the opposing team.

  • The ref has gone to the linesman.

  • Look, I didn't see that linesman.

  • For the linesman had ruled offside, and the score remained at 2-2.

    Blog text (31)
  • Unfortunately for the linesman, Benzema was level with the last defender when Luka Modric played him in, and the goal should have stood.

    Blog text (17)
  • Although Asamoah looked offside in the replays, the linesman wasn't convinced.

    Blog text (29)
  • During the soccer match, the linesman raised his flag to signal that the ball had gone out of bounds.

Synonyms

lineswoman
vslinesman
  • Jargon
1 6.8

A woman who helps the referee by deciding if the ball is out or offside

is the same role but in male or neutral form
line judge
vslinesman
  • US
1 4.8

An official who helps the referee by watching the sideline and keeping the game time

focuses on boundary and offside decisions rather than timing duties
football official
vslinesman
1 3.0

A person who makes sure players follow the rules in a football game

has narrower duties, mainly boundary and offside judgement
assistant referee
vslinesman
3.4

A person with a flag on the sideline who helps the referee call offside and out of play

focuses more on boundary and offside calls than general assistance
lines umpire
vslinesman
  • Jargon
4.9

A person who watches the line to tell if a ball or player is out

is used more generally for this boundary and offside judging role

Compounds

7.6

An official who watches the line where play starts and records yards gained or lost

Surface Forms

linesman singular
linesmen plural

Morphology

linesman = line + man (semi-transparent) = line + man

While the components 'line' and 'man' are clear, the specific role of a 'linesman' in sports is specialized and not immediately obvious from the components alone.

Etymology

Linesman starts with line, which here means the mark on the field, and ends with -man, meaning a person. So a linesman in sports is the person who watches the 'line' to show when the ball is out or a player is offside.