trap play
- noun
- /træp pleɪ/
- Jargon
:
jugada trampa
- During the game, the coach called for a trap play to create space for the running back.
Examples
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After reviewing the strategy, they executed the trap play perfectly and gained significant yardage.
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Our trap play worked.
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The team practiced their trap play to confuse the opposing defense.
Synonyms
1
9.0
An American football play that blocks a defender to open a lane for the runner
How Aggressive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'trap' (to catch or trick) and 'play' (a sports maneuver) combine to signal a play intended to trap or deceive an opponent, so a B1 learner who knows both words would grasp the general intent. However, the specific tactical details of the American football "trap play" (how a defender is allowed through then blocked) are specialized and not fully predictable from the words alone, making the expression only partially transparent.
Etymology
The noun trap play comes from a simple picture on the field: the offense lets a defender run in, then traps him with a block from the side so the runner can go through the empty space. That's why a trap play means 'a planned trick to catch a defender and open a running lane'.