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Glite Dictionary
trap block

trap block

7.9
In American football, an illegal action where a player hits another player from the side or behind
  • noun
  • /træp blɑk/
  • Jargon
translation icon : bloqueo ilegal
  • The referee called a penalty when he noticed a player executing a trap block on the sidelines.

Examples

  • During the game, the coach highlighted the importance of avoiding a trap block to ensure player safety.

  • The team used a clever trap block to prevent the defender from reaching the quarterback.

  • They'd anticipated the twist and set up trap blocks.

    Fiction book (2000)

Synonyms

block
vstrap block
89 2.0

An action in sport that stops another player from moving

is an illegal action that contacts opponents from the side or behind
interference
vstrap block
  • US
22 5.3

Blocking an opponent to help a teammate who has the ball

is an illegal action that contacts opponents from the side or behind
crackback
vstrap block
  • Jargon
1 8.6

A block in American football when a player moves back to hit another player from the side

is an illegal action that contacts opponents from the side or behind

Surface Forms

trap block singular
trap blocks plural

Morphology

trap + block

The compound labels a kind of 'block' and 'trap' contributes an idea of ensnaring or deceptive action, so a learner who knows both words could infer it denotes a special type of block. However, the precise meaning—an illegal side/behind blocking technique specific to American football—is technical and rule-bound, not fully predictable from the common senses of 'trap' and 'block', so a B1 learner would likely need exposure to learn the exact sense.

Etymology

Trap block in American football comes from the image of a hidden trap that suddenly closes with a block on a player. One player lets a defender move through a gap and then another player hits them from the side or behind, surprising them, so this dangerous move became 'illegal'.