Gary E. Griffin Shorewood, Ill. I have watched soccer on TV for several years and have officiated U12-U19 matches. I’ve heard the term “caps” (mostly on TV) and wonder what the meaning is? Mike Woitalla: A cap refers to a full international appearance. That is, a game a player plays with his national team against another national team. The origin stems from the England’s practice of awarding a cap — literally — to each player appearing for the national team. The cap was traditionally adorned with the date and opponent of the game. Therefore, in English-language soccer journalism you will see phrases such as, “He got his first cap against Mexico on Feb. 28,” meaning he made his national team debut. The “most capped” player on the team would denote the squad’s most experienced player. If Germany’s Lothar Matthaeus plays against Norway Nov. 14, he will tie retired Swedish goalkeeper Thomas Ravelli as the most capped player in history with 143 appearances. After that, it’s 140 for Saudi Arabia’s Majed Abdullah and 133 for Mexico’s Claudio Suarez. Suarez is only 30 years old, so he has a good chance of catching up with 38-year-old Matthaeus. The most capped U.S. player is Marcelo Balboa, with 127. (If you have a question for a Soccer America Magazine editor, click “Q&A with SA Editors” in the left column of the home page under “Interactive.”)