Definition of double over

The phrase "double over" originated in the world of sports, particularly in soccer (known as football outside of North America). It refers to a situation where a team is losing by a significant margin, and the opposing team has already scored multiple goals against them. The term "over" is short for "over-weigh," and it was originally used in horse racing to indicate that a horse had crossed the finish line faster than another competitor. In the context of sports betting, "over" means exceeding a certain number of goals or points, as opposed to "under" which means staying below the number. In association football, a team that is ahead by two goals is said to have a "two-goal lead." If the trailing team manages to score two more goals before the end of the game, they will have overturned their deficit, effectively doubling over their opponents. In this scenario, the phrase "double over" is used to describe the rare and dramatic turnaround. While the term "double over" is most commonly heard in soccer, it has spilled over into other sports where teams can have leads and deficits, such as rugby league and hockey. In those circumstances, it refers to a team trailing by more than one goal or score. In summary, the origin of the phrase "double over" can be traced back to horse racing, but it has been adopted by the world of sports betting and used to describe a team overcoming a two-goal deficit in sports like soccer.