Learn English Through Football

The learn English through football podcast explains the language of football: the words, phrases, and cliches used in the game. This week, we look at the word ‘claw’, and how it is used in combination with other words. You can find a transcript of the show below, which is great for learners of English to practice listening and reading skills. Teachers of English can also use it to create activities, such as fill in the blanks, true/false, comprehension questions, sentence ordering activities, etc. You can also check out our massive glossary of footballing phrases here. We have hundreds of previous posts and podcasts too on our website. All  can access these resources for free.  Let us know if you have any suggestions or questions then you can contact us at admin@languagecaster.com.
Learn English Through Football
DB: Hello there. Welcome to languagecaster.com’s football language podcast. My name’s Damon, and I’m based in Tokyo. Damian, the other half of the team and based in London, has recently posted a podcast on the Champions League semi-finals and describing close ties. Remember, all four quarter finals were close games, with teams either drawing the first leg or only having a one-goal lead. Check it out to learn how to use phrases like slender advantage, in the balance, and others.
On this podcast, I’ll be talking about the verb ‘to claw’. But first let’s hear a message from a French fan of the show.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in French)
DB: Yes, you are listening to languagecaster and it’s time to kick off and discuss the verb ‘to claw‘.
Claw out
DB: Did you watch the FA Cup semi final between Chelsea and Manchester City? It was an interesting game, and Man City were perhaps lucky to win 1-0. I was reading a BBC match report and read this description of a key moment:
Jackson also shot low and tamely for Ortega to save in the second half, then saw a header clawed out by the keeper seconds later when the striker should have done better.
The Manchester City keeper made a good save to stop a header by Chelsea forward, Jackson. The keeper clawed out the header.
To claw something is to scratch something. Imagine a cat fighting another cat. It uses its paws and sharp nails to cut its opponent. If a human claws something, they use their fingers to grab something and pull, or dig. In football and used with out, to claw out, it means to use the fingers or hand to grab the ball and pull it away from the goal. It is almost in the goal but the goalie keeps it out.
Another Example
DB: Here is another example from a game in the Women’s Champions League between Chelsea and Madrid earlier in 2024:  She hit an audacious, dipping effort that was just clawed out from underneath the crossbar.
This time it is a shot not a header, but the idea of the ball nearly going across the line is the same. To claw out a shot or a header is to just stop the ball going across the line. You might also hear claw the ball away too.
Claw Back