Gelora Bung Tomo, home of Persebaya Surabaya. Photo: Flix11, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Going to a match in Indonesia, or watching on Indosiar, is much more fun if you know a few words of the local football language. Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) is written in the Latin alphabet and pronounced largely as it is spelt, and plenty of football words are borrowed from English or Dutch, so many will look familiar.
Below is an A-Z of 53 words and phrases you are likely to see on tickets, in stadiums, on TV and in club posts on social media.
A-Z of Indonesian football words
| Word or phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ayo! | "Come on!" The start of countless chants, as in "Ayo, Indonesia!" or "Ayo, Persija!" |
| Babak pertama / babak kedua | First half / second half. |
| Bek | Defender (from the Dutch back). A centre-back is a bek tengah. |
| Bola | Ball, and also everyday shorthand for football itself. |
| Bonek | Short for bondo nekat ("reckless courage"): the name of Persebaya Surabaya's supporters. |
| Bobotoh | Sundanese word for supporters, used for the fans of Persib Bandung. |
| Derbi | Derby. The biggest is the Derbi Indonesia between Persija and Persib. |
| Degradasi | Relegation. Three clubs go down from the Super League each season. |
| Gol | Goal. Commentators like to stretch it out: "Goooool!" |
| Garuda | The mythical eagle on Indonesia's coat of arms, and the nickname of the national team. |
| Garuda ID | PSSI's verified fan account, needed to buy national team tickets. |
| Hakim garis | Assistant referee (linesman). Literally "line judge". |
| Imbang | A draw. A goalless draw is imbang tanpa gol or 0-0. |
| Juara | Champion or winner. |
| Jadwal | Fixture list or schedule. |
| Kandang | Home (literally "pen" or "stable"). A home game is a laga kandang. |
| Kapten | Captain. |
| Kartu kuning / kartu merah | Yellow card / red card. |
| Kemenangan / kekalahan | Victory / defeat. |
| Kiper | Goalkeeper (also penjaga gawang, "goal guard"). |
| Klasemen | League table or standings. |
| Kick-off | Used as in English; times are usually given in WIB (Western Indonesia Time). |
| Laga | Match or fixture. Also pertandingan. |
| Laga tunda | A postponed match, to be played at a later date. |
| Lapangan | Pitch or field. |
| Liga | League. The top division was called Liga 1 until 2025 and is now the Super League. |
| Menang / kalah | To win / to lose. |
| Nobar | Short for nonton bareng, "watching together": a public screening of a match. |
| Offside | Used as in English (sometimes spelt ofsaid). |
| Panpel | Short for panitia pelaksana, the home club's match organising committee, responsible for tickets and stadium safety. |
| Pelatih | Coach or manager. The head coach is the pelatih kepala. |
| Pemain | Player. A foreign player is a pemain asing. |
| Pemain naturalisasi | A naturalised player who has taken Indonesian citizenship, often of Indonesian heritage. |
| Penalti | Penalty kick. A shootout is adu penalti. |
| Pekan | Week; used for a league matchweek, as in pekan 9. |
| Penonton | Spectators or the crowd. |
| Pertandingan | Match. |
| Piala | Cup or trophy, as in Piala Presiden (President's Cup). |
| Promosi | Promotion to a higher division. |
| PSSI | Persatuan Sepakbola Seluruh Indonesia, the Football Association of Indonesia, founded in 1930. |
| Sepak bola | Football. Literally "kick ball". |
| Sepak pojok | Corner kick (also simply corner). |
| Skor | Score. |
| Suporter | Supporter or fan. Supporter groups have names, such as The Jakmania (Persija) or Aremania (Arema). |
| Tandang | Away. An away game is a laga tandang. |
| Tanpa penonton | Behind closed doors, with no spectators, often a disciplinary punishment. |
| Tendangan bebas | Free kick. |
| Tiket | Ticket. Most are now e-tickets bought through club apps or websites. |
| Timnas | Short for tim nasional, the national team. |
| Tribun | A stand or terrace in a stadium, such as the tribun utara (north stand). |
| Ultras | Organised, choreographed fan sections, usually behind the goals. |
| Wasit | Referee. |
| WIB / WITA / WIT | Indonesia's three time zones (GMT+7, +8, +9). Bali is on WITA, an hour ahead of Jakarta. |
A few tips on pronunciation
- "C" is pronounced "ch", so Cibinong sounds like "Chi-bi-nong".
- Vowels are short and clear, as in Spanish or Italian. Every letter is pronounced.
- Stress is gentle, usually on the second-to-last syllable: pe-LA-tih, sup-POR-ter.
Useful phrases at the stadium
- Di mana pintu masuk? Where is the entrance gate?
- Tribun mana? Which stand?
- Skornya berapa? What's the score?
- Siapa yang cetak gol? Who scored?
- Terima kasih: Thank you. It goes a long way.
Where to go next
Now that you have the vocabulary, find out how the league works in Super League explained, learn about the fans in our supporter culture guide, or read the matchday guide before your first game. You can also browse all 18 Super League clubs.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_Association_of_Indonesia
- https://ombudsman.go.id/pers/r/potensi-maladministrasi-panpel-pt-lib-polisi-dalam-pertandingan-di-kanjuruhan
- https://katadata.co.id/lifestyle/varia/6aadb9a346570/inilah-cara-daftar-garuda-id-untuk-membeli-tiket-fifa-asean-cup-2026
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026%E2%80%9327_Super_League_(Indonesia)
Updated weekly through the 2026-27 season. Spotted something out of date? Use the Submit an Update button at the top of the page.