pöhlen

From Central Franconian pöhle and Westphalian Low German päölen, originally “to drive in stakes”. Doublet of standard German pfählen. Compare related regional German Pohl, doublet of Pfahl (“stake”). Compare also the German synonym bolzen, originally “to drive in bolts”.

• IPA^(key): /ˈpœːlən/ (original dialectal pronunciation)
• IPA^(key): /ˈpøːlən/ (spelling pronunciation; chiefly outside the region)

• Audio:

  (file)

pöhlen (weak, third-person singular present pöhlt, past tense pöhlte, past participle gepöhlt, auxiliary haben)

1. (soccer, regional, North-Rhine Westphalia, transitive) to kick the ball hard and long, as a way of defending or inapt playmaking

   Ich konnte den Ball im letzten Moment noch aus dem Strafraum pöhlen.

   At the last moment, I was able to kick the ball out of the box.

2. (soccer, regional, more restricted, chiefly Ruhrgebiet, intransitive) to play football, especially on a small ground in a residential area (Bolzplatz)

   Wir gehen pöhlen. Kommst du mit?

   We’re going to play some footy. Are you coming along?

• The word got some supraregional recognition through Jürgen Klopp, who, when coach of Borussia Dortmund, regularly wore a baseball hat with the word Pöhler on it.

• bolzen (both senses)