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Hard : A level playing field

Hard : A level playing field

Premier Vocabulary is a mini-podcast for you to learn football English one word at a time. We have three different levels for you: easy, medium and hard.

This episode is hard so we’re looking at more difficult football phrases and idioms. These phrases can be used to talk about football but are also useful when talking about other topics.

Summary

Learn more football vocabulary with Premier Skills English. Each lesson in our Premier Vocabulary section looks at one football word or phrase. This lesson looks at the phrase a level playing field

You can find more lessons on the side of this page.

Transcript

Rich: Hello my name's Rich and welcome to Premier Skills English - Premier Vocabulary.

Jack: Hi there! I'm Jack. We're here to help you with your football English. Premier Vocabulary is a mini-podcast for you to learn football English one word at a time.

Rich: We have three different levels for you: easy, medium and hard.

Jack: This episode is hard so we're looking at more difficult football phrases and idioms. These phrases can be used to talk about football but are also useful when talking about other topics.


Rich: The phrase we are looking at in this episode is: a level playing field.

Jack: This is a strange phrase. Aren't all football pitches level?

Rich: It's funny that you say that but yes and no. I don't think you'll find a football pitch that's not flat in the Premier League - not these days.

Jack: In the past?

Rich: Maybe not in the Premier League but I remember playing at school and in the first half we'd be playing downhill and in the second going uphill.

Jack: That doesn't sound very fair.

Rich: No, but it made me feel like Ryan Giggs running down the wing in the first half!

Jack: And I bet the goalkeeper could score. A couple of bounces and it's in the net.

Rich: Exactly. The second half was more difficult though. It wasn't just school football either - one of the biggest FA Cup shocks was when a little amateur team called Yeovil Town beat Sunderland who, at the time, were one of the biggest teams in England.

Jack: And this team didn't have a level playing field?

Rich: No, it had a massive slope - it was like playing on a hill.

Jack: That doesn't sound very fair!


Rich: So there are examples of teams playing on pitches that are not level but the expression a level playing field is used much more outside of football.

Jack: The expression is used to describe a situation where everyone has the same opportunities and is fair to everyone.

Rich: If one team has to play kicking uphill this is not fair - it's not a level playing field.

Jack: The phrase is used as an idiom to describe a situation that is fair to everyone. It might be used in business. Listen to this example:

Rich: If a government offers lower taxes to companies from one country and not others it's more difficult to enter that market as it's not a level playing field.

Jack: It might be used to talk about rights. Listen to this example:

Rich: Why are there more men in positions of power? Women are still not given the same opportunities as men at work - it's not a level playing field.

Jack: And in politics. Listen to this example:

Rich: The European Union have spoken about a level playing field when it comes to a post-Brexit trade deal with the UK. They want open and fair competition.


Jack: There is the final whistle!

Rich: We'll be back soon with more Premier Vocabulary from Premier Skills English.

Jack: Bye for now and enjoy your football.

Discuss

  • Have you ever felt that you were in an unfair competition?
  • Can you think of any situations in your country where the phrase a level playing field could be used?

Write your answers in the comments section below.

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Comentários

Michaelsun
17/02/2022
CN
738
points

I always felt that I were in on unfair competition sometimes.
China companies should take men and women in a level playing field when they recruit employees.


Michaelsun
17/02/2022 09:05
China
Manchester United
738

I always felt that I were in on unfair competition sometimes.
China companies should take men and women in a level playing field when they recruit employees.

Gabriel Amaral's picture
Gabriel Amaral
29/04/2021
BR
1512
points

Not that I remeber. And even if I was, I wouldn't mind. I'ld just try my best to win.
In Brazil, we're living very difficult times. The social classes are not a level plying field. And it's becoming worse everyday. Specially during the COVID 19 crisis.


Gabriel Amaral's picture
Gabriel Amaral
29/04/2021 16:06
Brazil
Arsenal
1512

Not that I remeber. And even if I was, I wouldn't mind. I'ld just try my best to win.
In Brazil, we're living very difficult times. The social classes are not a level plying field. And it's becoming worse everyday. Specially during the COVID 19 crisis.

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
03/12/2020
UA
6278
points

Because of the war conflict in the East of Ukraine, people living there are not on a level playing field as are the other parts of the country.


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
03/12/2020 14:18
Ukraine
Liverpool
6278

Because of the war conflict in the East of Ukraine, people living there are not on a level playing field as are the other parts of the country.

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
03/12/2020
UA
6278
points

Once when at school my school football team of 14-year-olds was trapped in an unfair competition - a few opponents were much older, there was even an adult. The referee didn't protest all the same, we had to play. 


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
03/12/2020 14:13
Ukraine
Liverpool
6278

Once when at school my school football team of 14-year-olds was trapped in an unfair competition - a few opponents were much older, there was even an adult. The referee didn't protest all the same, we had to play. 

ldzingirai's picture
ldzingirai
20/06/2020
ZW
1745
points

The way VAR is used in some matches is definately not a level playing field. Sheffield was robbed of a clear goal because technolodgy failed. What a coincidence! With noisy teams it would be replay after replay. Why did the same not happen to the Blades.


ldzingirai's picture
ldzingirai
20/06/2020 11:24
Zimbabwe
Chelsea
1745

The way VAR is used in some matches is definately not a level playing field. Sheffield was robbed of a clear goal because technolodgy failed. What a coincidence! With noisy teams it would be replay after replay. Why did the same not happen to the Blades.

hsn's picture
hsn
22/04/2020
TR
5525
points

In the most countries there is an exam in order to begin university which is not "a level playing field"
Students who from different region of country and quality of education must attend the same examination.It's awful.


hsn's picture
hsn
22/04/2020 17:45
Turkey
Tottenham Hotspur
5525

In the most countries there is an exam in order to begin university which is not "a level playing field"
Students who from different region of country and quality of education must attend the same examination.It's awful.

Leaderboard

Top Scorers
RankNameScore
1mobeckham6510
2Alex_from_Ukraine6278
3hsn5525
4wsanta5086
5kwesimanifest4768
6Liubomyr4408
7elghoul3988
8assemjuve3705
9aragorn19863557
10Gergő Nagy3396
Country ranking
RankNameScore
1Colombia71478
2Ukraine33300
3Spain28277
4Serbia27289
5Brazil23896
6Albania20578
7Vietnam19939
8Turkey19810
9Macedonia19074
10Bosnia and Herzegovina16333
Club ranking
RankNameScore
1Manchester United141846
2Liverpool110282
3Chelsea88559
4Arsenal85660
5Manchester City56951
6Tottenham Hotspur19169
7Newcastle United10457
8West Ham United7454
9AFC Bournemouth4454
10Crystal Palace4240

Level

5
Average: 5 (1 vote)

Goals

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