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Glite Dictionary
🏒 Extra players 💪 A forceful tactic 🤾 A group tactic
power play

power play

1 4.6
A team plan that puts several players in one area to try to score
  • noun
  • /ˈpaʊər pleɪ/
  • Jargon
translation icon : jugada táctica
  • The team worked on their power play strategies during practice to improve their scoring chances.

Examples

  • Florida ran a combination of zone and power plays in the run game yesterday, and Gillislee looked very fluid in both schemes.

    Blog text (16)

  • "We have some work to do on our power play.

    Blog text (33)

  • He caught passes on bootlegs, pulled to block on counter and power plays.

    Blog text (29)

  • After analyzing the game footage, the coach emphasized the importance of executing a successful power play to secure a win.

  • During the match, the players executed a brilliant power play, ultimately leading them to score the decisive goal.

Synonyms

power move
vspower play
  • Informal
3 6.6

A bold action to show strength or gain advantage over others

is a sport tactic where several players concentrate in one area to gain advantage

Antonyms

dispersal
17 5.2

The spreading of things over a wide area, for example seeds or people

How Concentrated

overload
30 4.4
power play
  • Jargon
1 4.6
spread
4 3.3

Surface Forms

power play singular
power plays plural

Morphology

power + play

The phrase is compositionally built from 'power' (influence/strength) + 'play' (a tactical move), so a learner who knows both words can reasonably infer it denotes a tactic that uses strength or advantage. However, the precise, sport-specific sense (e.g. a particular formation or numerical-advantage situation) and conventional usage are somewhat lexicalized, so the full meaning and contexts of use may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Power play in team sports describes a tactic where several players move into one area to add power to a single play, making it easier to break the defence. That is why it means a planned move to create an 'advantage' on the field.