faltas

Faltas are the plural form of falta, a noun used in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking contexts to denote absence, lack, fault, or infraction. The exact meaning depends on the domain and language: in everyday usage it can refer to something that is missing, a shortcoming, or an obligation not met; in law or sport it often denotes a violation of rules.

In sports, particularly association football, a falta is an infraction of the rules committed by a player. Depending on the offense, the referee may award a direct or indirect free kick, and in some cases a penalty kick; players may also receive disciplinary sanctions such as cautions or red cards. The accumulated number of faltas is often recorded in match statistics as faltas or faltas cometidas.

In law and administration, falta can denote a minor offense or administrative violation, subject to penalties defined by the relevant jurisdiction. The concept exists in several legal traditions but is not uniformly defined across countries.

In everyday use, faltas describes absences from work or school, with distinctions such as faltas justificadas and faltas injustificadas, which affect attendance records and potential consequences from employers or educational institutions.

In linguistic or editorial contexts, faltas can refer to errors, including spelling mistakes (faltas de ortografía) or other lapses in accuracy. The term is thus polyfunctional and highly dependent on context.