These are the 3 most popular sports in Germany
Sports can be both a great way to practice a language and get a real taste of a country when you are traveling. So whatever sports you are into or wherever you are visiting in the world, there is something out there for you. Especially in Germany! Here are the top sports you will find in Germany, and a little of the vocabulary you might want to use watching sports there. Enjoy!

Table of Contents
Photo Pixabay
Football
Yes, of course, football is one of the most popular sports you will find in Germany! The Bundesliga is the country’s premier football league, home to big-named clubs like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Germany’s national team ranks thirteenth in Fifa’s World Rankings, and some of those players are huge players around the world. Toni Kroos players for Real Madrid, and Mesut Ozil for Arsenal. Germany takes part in many international and European club competitions, though if you are visiting Germany you can see many regional events as well throughout the country.
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So what vocabulary should you use if you’re watching a match in Germany? For the team:
Heim — home team
Trainer — club manager/head coach
Verein — club
Verteidiger — defender
Angreifer — forward, attacker
Angriff — attack
Abwehr — defense
Mittelfeldspieler — midfielder
Links/rechts aussen — left/right wingers
Reserven — reserve players
Spiel — game
Spieler — player
Torwart/Torhüter — goalkeeper
And for the game:
Anstoss — kickoff
Ecke — corner
Endlinie — endline/goal-line
Feld — the field, the pitch
Kasten — box, penalty area or goal
Mittelfeld — the middle/half of the field
Netz — net
Pfosten — post
Strafraum — the penalty box
Seitenlinie — sideline, touchline
Strafpunkt — penalty spot
Tor — goal
Vorwärts/rückwärts — forwards/backwards
Stand — the score
Anfang — the beginning, the start (season/game)
Erste Hälfte — first half
Zweite Hälfte — second half
Schiedsrichter — the referee
Linienrichter — linesman
Ein/aus wechseln — substitute in/out
Rot, rote karte/Gelbe Karte — red card/yellow card

Photo via Flickr
Ice Hockey
Yes, we promise, there is ice hockey going on in the world outside of the NHL. Shocker! The Deutsche Eishockey Liga is actually considered one of the best leagues in the world; even if ice hockey as a sport ranks far below football in terms of popularity. The league hosts 14 teams which include Adler Mannheim and Kölner Haie. There are various tournaments and championships held around the country both in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga and other, minor leagues, as well as the Deutschland Cup. And if you want to see German ice hockey players overseas, Leon Draisaitl plays for the Edmonton Oilers, while Tom Kühnhackl plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
If you’re attending a hockey match in Germany, here is some of the vocabulary you need.
Zuschauer — Spectator(s)
Fan — Fan, Supporter
Kapitän — Captain
Linienrichter (sg. and pl.) — Lines man/men
Schiedsrichter — Referee
Torhüter, Torwart — Goaltender, Goalie
Torschütze — Scorer
Auswärtsspiel — Game on the road
Bande — Boards
Tor — Goal
Heimspiel — Home game
Bank, Spielerbank — Bench
Bully — Faceoff, Draw
Fangnetz — Net behind the goal to protect the fans
Niederlage — Loss
Pass — Pass
Verlängerung — Overtime
Videobeweis — Goal under review (Beweis — Proof)
Zu viele Spieler auf dem Eis — Too many men on the ice
Penalty — Penalty shot
Penaltyschießen — Shoot out
Powerplay — Powerplay
Statistik — Statistics
Strafe — Penalty
Leeres Tor — Empty net
Halten — Hooking
Hoher Stock — High sticking
Abseits — Offside
Behinderung — Interference
Check von hinten — Check from behind
Icing — Icing
Konter — Break away
Netz — (Goal) Net
Schläger — Stick
Schlägerei — Fight
Schlagschuss — Slapshot
Sieg — Win, Victory

Photo via Wikimedia
Basketball
Our final choice for popular German sports is basketball. The Basketball Bundesliga is the professional hockey league of Germany, and while it isn’t quite on par with the NBA, you will still find some of the very best players and teams. Check out the Geißen 46ers or Science City Jena to see what German basketball is like! Teams in this league compete for the BBL Champions Cup, and there are regular basketball matches throughout the country attracting hundreds of spectators. Why not be amongst them on your next visit to Germany!
Schiedsrichter — referee
Spieler — player
Trainer — coach
Mannschaft/team — team
(Spiel)feld — court
Bracket — bracket
Auszeit — time out
Pause — break
Turnier — tournament
Meisterschaft — championship
Seed — seed
Nachspielzeit — overtime
Korbleger — layup
Dribbeln — dribble
Dreier — three-pointer
Wurf — shot
Freiwurf — free throw
Dunk/stopfer — dunk
Einen Ball werfen — to shoot a ball
Korb — basket
Whatever sport is your thing, we hope it can help you learn German!