Football Betting Terms Every Beginner Should Know

Football betting comes with its own language. Markets, bet types and shorthand that get used constantly. And that can be confusing if you're just getting started.

With the new football season well and truly in full swing, there’s no better time to get to grips with the parlance bettors and books like to throw around.

Here's a plain-English guide to the terms you'll most often encounter, with links to our full explainers for the ones that need more than a sentence.

1X2

The standard match result market. 1 = home win, X = draw, 2 = away win. Three outcomes, one selection, settled at 90 minutes plus stoppage time. The most widely placed football bet and the natural starting point for anyone new to the markets.

Acca (Accumulator)

A bet that combines multiple selections - typically match results from different games - into one. All selections must win for the bet to pay out, but the odds of each selection multiply together, producing enhanced returns compared to placing each as a separate single. One losing leg ends the whole bet.

Full article: accumulators explained

Handicap

A virtual advantage or disadvantage applied to one team's score. A -1 handicap on the favourite means they need to win by two or more goals for the bet to land. A +1 on the underdog means they can lose by one goal and the bet still wins. Useful in matches with a clear favourite where the standard match result odds are short.

Full article: handicap betting explained

Asian handicap

A handicap variant that removes the draw as an outcome by using half-goal or quarter-goal lines.

A +0.5 handicap on the away side means they can draw or win for the bet to land; a -0.5 on the home side means they must win outright.

Quarter-goal lines split the stake across two adjacent handicaps, making a partial refund possible on certain outcomes.

Full article: Asian handicap explained

Bet builder

A feature that lets you combine multiple markets from within a single match into one bet: match result, a Both Teams to Score selection and an anytime goalscorer, for example. All legs must land, and the odds multiply across each one. Some market combinations may be restricted depending on how they interact.

BTTS (Both Teams to Score)

A yes/no market on whether both teams will score at least one goal each during the match. The result doesn't matter, only whether both sides get on the scoresheet before the final whistle. Settled on 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Extra time doesn't normally count.

Double Chance

Covers two of the three possible match outcomes in one bet. Home win or draw (1X), away win or draw (X2), or home win or away win (12). Shorter odds than a straight match result bet, reflecting the wider coverage. The 12 option - covering either side to win - loses only if the match ends level.

Full article: Double Chance explained

Draw No Bet

Removes the draw from the market. Back either team to win, and if the match ends level, your stake is returned rather than lost. The odds are shorter than a straight win bet to reflect the partial protection. A useful market when you have a view on a winner but want to avoid losing to a draw.

FGS (First Goalscorer)

A bet on which specific player will score the first goal of the match. It doesn't matter which team they play for; if they score first, the bet wins. If any other player scores before them, the bet loses immediately.

Own goals don't count; the market continues until a player scores a legitimate goal. Settled on 90 minutes plus stoppage time.

HT/FT (Half-time/full-time)

A single bet covering two results: the score at half-time and the result at full-time. Both need to be correct for the bet to win: get one right and the other wrong, and the bet loses. Nine possible combinations are available, from Home/Home to Away/Draw. Settled on 90 minutes plus stoppage time.

Over/under

A market on whether a specific count - goals, corners, cards - will go over or under a set line. The most common is total goals over/under 2.5: over means three or more goals, under means two or fewer. The result and the scorer don't matter, only whether the total clears or falls short of the line.

Scorecast

A combination of two markets in one bet: first goalscorer and correct score. Both need to be correct, so the player you've backed must score first and the match must end on your chosen scoreline. The precision required produces longer odds, and it's one of the harder markets to land consistently.

Win from behind

A market on whether a specific team will be losing at any point in the match and then go on to win it. Both conditions need to be met: the side you've backed must trail at some stage and must win at full-time. A team that leads throughout and wins does not settle this bet as a winner, even if they end up victorious.

Football betting terms FAQs

What’s the difference between a handicap and an Asian handicap?

Standard handicaps apply a whole-goal adjustment and retain three possible outcomes: the adjusted home win, draw or away win. Asian handicaps use half-goal or quarter-goal lines to remove the draw as a possible result.

What’s the difference between an acca and a bet builder?

An accumulator combines selections across different matches. A bet builder combines different markets from within a single match. Both require all selections to land, and the odds of each multiply together.

Are these markets available on every match at Bally Bet?

Major markets like 1X2, BTTS, over/under, handicap and goalscorer are available for the majority of our fixtures. Check the relevant match page at Bally Bet to see which markets are on offer for a specific fixture.

We've got plenty more helpful content waiting at the Bally Bet Sports & Casino blog. If you want to know how certain bets work or what to expect from a certain event, or maybe what the deal with roulette and other casino games is, it's the right place to be.

All offers mentioned correct at the time of writing but may be subject to change.