12th Man
Loud home fans
The 12th Man refers to a sports team's fans, who through their noise and energy become an unofficial additional player—especially in American football, where eleven players take the field.
The term implies that crowd support genuinely affects game outcomes: The 12th Man was deafening tonight.
Texas A&M University trademarked the phrase, though similar concepts exist across sports worldwide.
- crowdLarge public gathering
- SeattlePacific Northwest metropolis
- fansArdent admirers or coolers
- footballField sport with goals
- stadiumLarge venue for spectators
crowd noise · sea of green · sold out · noise · roar · Texas A&M · Aggies · student section · cheering · supporter · substitute · bench · reserve · home · advantage · decibels · CenturyLink · towel
12th Manstarting eleven
Initial players fielded
starting lineup · first-string · active roster · team member
12th Manfair-weather fan
Supporter only during success
bandwagon fan · casual fan · casual observer · no-show · neutral observer
man, men, manly, manliness, manhood, mankind, twelfth, twelve, twenties