flick-pass: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowTechnical / Sports
Quick answer
What does “flick-pass” mean?
A rapid pass in team sports, especially rugby or hockey, made with a short, quick wrist movement without a full arm swing.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A rapid pass in team sports, especially rugby or hockey, made with a short, quick wrist movement without a full arm swing.
Any swift, deft transfer of an object, or metaphorically, the quick delegation of a task or responsibility.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Far more common in British, Australian, and New Zealand English due to rugby's cultural prominence. In American English, it is rare and mostly confined to niche sports like field hockey or lacrosse commentary.
Connotations
In the UK, it connotes skill and spontaneity in rugby. In the US, it may sound like a specialised or foreign sports term.
Frequency
High frequency in UK sports journalism and commentary; very low in general US English.
Grammar
How to Use “flick-pass” in a Sentence
[Player] flick-passes (the ball) to [Teammate]A flick-pass from [Player] found [Teammate]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “flick-pass” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The scrum-half will flick-pass to the winger to exploit the gap.
- He flick-passed it off the ground.
American English
- The midfielder flick-passed the ball to the striker in the circle. (Field hockey)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Metaphorically used for quickly delegating a task: 'He just flick-passed the client complaint to the junior team.'
Academic
Virtually never used.
Everyday
Extremely rare outside of sports fans.
Technical
Core term in rugby union/league, hockey, and netball coaching manuals and analysis.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “flick-pass”
- Using 'flick-pass' to describe a long, looping pass.
- Incorrect hyphenation: 'flick pass' (common) vs. 'flick-pass' (standard in dictionaries).
- Using it as a general synonym for any pass.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a hyphenated compound word: 'flick-pass'.
It is less common but possible, especially for a very quick, close-range pass made with the inside of the foot with a 'flicking' motion. 'Backheel' or 'flick' might be more common terms.
Its speed and element of surprise. It takes less time to execute than a conventional pass, allowing players to exploit tight gaps in the defence.
Yes. A 'flick' can be any deft touch or movement (e.g., a header flick-on in soccer). A 'flick-pass' specifically denotes a pass made with that flicking action.
A rapid pass in team sports, especially rugby or hockey, made with a short, quick wrist movement without a full arm swing.
Flick-pass is usually technical / sports in register.
Flick-pass: in British English it is pronounced /ˈflɪk ˌpɑːs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈflɪk ˌpæs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of FLICKing a light switch quickly – a flick-pass is a quick, sharp movement to switch possession to a teammate.
Conceptual Metaphor
PASSING IS TRANSFERRING (with added nuance of SPEED AND LIGHT TOUCH).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'flick-pass' MOST commonly and correctly used?