"to square up to each other"

[Mehrgan]

Hi,
I hope somebody will help me with this. Is there any special phrase or idiom to refer to when footballers square up to each other at the beginning of a football match, shouting some motivational words (slogan?)?


Thanks.

[JMurray]

Mehrgan.
It's usually opponents who "square up" to each other before they compete, most typically boxers.
When teammates get in a huddle before a game to motivate each other it's often called a "rev up", where I come from.

not a teacher

[Mehrgan]

Mehrgan.
It's usually opponents who "square up" to each other before they compete, most typically boxers.
When teammates get in a huddle before a game to motivate each other it's often called a "rev up", where I come from.

not a teacher

Hmmm...I thought 'to square up' means to come together to prepere to fight against the other team. Would you please give me an example, if possible?


Cheers!

[5jj]

Hmmm...I thought 'to square up' means to come together to prepere to fight against the other team. Would you please give me an example, if possible?

The boxers touched gloves and then squared up as if to start the bout, but the referee sent them back to their corners to wait for the bell.

[JMurray]

when footballers square up to each other at the beginning of a football match, shouting some motivational words

I was a little confused by your post because you seem to refer to teammates shouting motivational words to each other as a "square up". The point I was making is that it's usually opponents who square up, not teammates. Your follow-up post shows that you understand this. As for terms referring to team motivation I'll stick with "a rev up" and add "a gee up" and "to fire up".

Note that "square off" has the same meaning as "square up" in this context and may be the more common term.

[Rover_KE]

In BE, the players go into a team huddle.

Rover

[BobK]

Hmmm...I thought 'to square up' means to come together to prepere to fight against the other team. Would you please give me an example, if possible?


Cheers!

I think you're right; squaring up to each other suggests a fight (actual or rhetorical).

Many southern-hemisphere rugby teams (NZ, Tonga, Fiji, W. Samoa - maybe others too) perform a ritual confrontational dance called a Haka (YouTube - All Blacks Haka - the 'All Blacks' are the NZ 15-1-side rugby team [named after their strip, modelled - I understand - on one they first saw on a tour in Cornwall!) I've never seen a Haka in any other context.

In my sporting days we were told to 'face' or 'face up to' the opposition before kick-off, or 'not to let them stare you down'. But we weren't encouraged to 'square up' to them - though that sort of aggressive confrontation might well happen during the ensuing match.

b