fouls
Whistled court infractions
Fouls is the plural of foul—violations of rules in sports or games.
In basketball, accumulating fouls leads to free throws for opponents; in baseball, foul balls land outside the baselines.
The verb form means to commit such violations or to make something dirty or tangled: The propeller fouls on kelp, Pollution fouls the air.
To foul up is to bungle: He fouls up everything he touches.
Breaking of rules
- penaltyPunishment for wrongdoing
- infractionMinor rule breach
- offenseViolation or umbrage
- whistleShrill air-blown sounder
referee · call · flagrant · technical · personal · intentional · offside · traveling
Improper professional behavior
- tauntingInsulting to provoke
- flagrantShockingly conspicuous and wrong
- ejectionForced removal from somewhere
- suspensionTemporary halt or exclusion
trash-talk · provocation · retaliation · cheap-shot · gamesmanship · simulation · diving · embellishment
violation
Breaking of rules
- penaltyPunishment for wrongdoing
- infractionMinor rule breach
- offenseViolation or umbrage
whistle · referee · call · flagrant · technical · personal · intentional · offside · traveling · handball
misconduct
Improper professional behavior
- tauntingInsulting to provoke
- flagrantShockingly conspicuous and wrong
- ejectionForced removal from somewhere
suspension · trash-talk · provocation · retaliation · cheap-shot · gamesmanship · simulation · diving · embellishment · disqualification
pollute
Make impure harmfully
stain · sully · corrupt · spoil · defile · contaminate · muddy · cloud · poison · adulterate
tangle
Twisted mass of strands
jam · clog · block · impede · hinder · ensnare · snarl · knot · twist · rope
- game rulesruleset, scoring, time limits, penalties, overtime
- penaltiespenalty, fine, civil penalty, criminal penalty, infractions
- football rulesdowns, first down, first downs, touchdowns, field goals
- basketball rulestraveling, double dribble, carrying, goaltending, shot clock violation
- basketballbasketball, rebound, dunk, basketball camps, dribble
- sports stuffplayers, coaches, referees, umpires, team captain
foulspurifies
Removes unwanted substances
cleanses · cleans · sanitizes · decontaminates · sterilizes
- foul playCriminal or violent action
- foul upSpoil by mishandling
- foul mood
- party foulsGathering etiquette violations
- foul languageObscene or vulgar speech
- foul lineBoundary marking violations
foul, fouled, foulness, befoul, fouling, fouler, foulest, befouled, foully