What Does ‘Open Play’ Mean in Betting?
In betting, the term ‘open play’ has two distinct meanings, depending on the context.
The most common meaning relates to how an event happens within a game (especially in soccer), while the second, more technical meaning relates to how a specific type of bet is constructed.
1. Open Play (in a Game)
This is the most frequent use of the term, particularly in soccer betting.
‘Open play’ refers to any action that happens during the normal, fluid course of a game, as opposed to a structured, stopped-ball situation.
The opposite of open play is a ‘set piece’, which includes:
- Penalties
- Free kicks
- Corners
- Throw-ins
How it’s Used in Betting
You will see markets that specify whether an event will happen from open play.
- Example Bet: “Player X to Score from Open Play”
- What it means: You win if Player X scores a goal during the regular flow of the game (e.g., by dribbling, from a pass from a teammate in fluid play).
- What it excludes: You would lose the bet if Player X scored, but the goal came directly from a penalty, a free kick, or a corner.
This distinction is important because some players are set-piece specialists, while others score more frequently from the dynamic run of play.
2. Open Play (in a Parlay Bet)
This meaning is common in US sports betting and refers to the structure of a parlay (also known as an accumulator).
An ‘open play’ or ‘open spot’ is a feature that allows you to place a multi-leg parlay without selecting all the teams at once.
You can leave one or more “spots” in your parlay open to add selections later that day or even on a different day.
How it’s Used in Betting
This gives you flexibility if you are confident about some of your bets but want to wait for more information (like injury news or betting lines) before finalizing your other picks.
- Example Bet: You create a 3-team parlay.
- Leg 1: You pick the Cowboys -7 (for Sunday’s game).
- Leg 2: You pick the Lakers -5 (for Sunday’s game).
- Leg 3: You leave this as an ‘open spot’ to be filled by a team playing in the Monday night game.
- What it means: You have locked in the first two legs. You can log in any time before the Monday game and add your third and final selection to complete the parlay.