40 Sport Trivia Questions for Kids
The easiest sport questions in the game, picked for younger players. Every one comes with the answer and a short explanation of why it is right.
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Easy Sport Questions and Answers
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How many downs does an American-football team have to gain 10 yards?
4
A team gets four downs to advance the ball 10 yards, and making it resets the count to first down. Fall short and possession normally changes hands, which is why fourth down is usually spent on a punt or a field-goal attempt. Canadian football allows only three downs, one reason its game leans so heavily on the pass.
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In association football, where may the goalkeeper handle the ball?
Anywhere inside their own penalty area
The goalkeeper's handling privilege stops at the edge of the penalty area. A step beyond it and touching the ball with the hands is an offence exactly as it is for any other player.
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How many players are on the field for each team in a full association-football side?
11
A full association-football side has 11 players, including a goalkeeper. Substitutes do not count toward the players on the field.
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Which sport made Usain Bolt globally famous?
Athletics
Usain Bolt became famous as a track-and-field sprinter.
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What score usually wins a badminton game under rally scoring?
21 points
Under rally scoring, a standard badminton game is normally won at 21 points.
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How many defensive players does a baseball team have on the field at once?
9
A baseball defence puts nine players out: a pitcher, a catcher, four infielders and three outfielders. Where a designated hitter is used, that player bats but takes no fielding position.
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In which sport did Jackie Robinson break the color barrier?
Baseball
Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947.
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How many innings are in a regulation Major League Baseball game, before any extra innings?
9
A regulation Major League game is scheduled for nine innings, each side batting once per inning. If the scores are level after the ninth, extra innings are played until one team leads at the end of a completed inning.
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How many strikes normally result in a strikeout in baseball?
3
A batter who receives three strikes is out, making a strikeout. A foul ball usually counts as a strike, but not when the batter already has two strikes unless it is caught.
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How high is a regulation basketball hoop from the floor?
10 feet
A regulation basketball rim is 10 feet above the floor. The height dates back to the original peach-basket setup used by James Naismith.
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How many players from one team are on the court at a time in standard basketball?
5
Each basketball team has five players on the court. The usual positions are point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center, although modern roles often overlap.
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In basketball, how many points is a successful shot from behind the arc worth?
3
A basket scored from behind the arc counts three points. Anything scored inside it is worth two, and a free throw is worth one.
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In baseball, what does a designated hitter do?
Bats in place of the pitcher without taking a fielding position
The designated hitter takes the pitcher's turn at the plate for the whole game and never picks up a glove, while the pitcher carries on pitching. The American League adopted the rule in 1973 and the National League followed permanently in 2022.
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Which sprinter set the Olympic 100 metres record of 9.63 seconds at London 2012?
Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt won the London 2012 final in 9.63 seconds, the fastest 100 metres ever run at an Olympic Games. His own world record of 9.58, set at the 2009 world championships in Berlin, was run outside the Olympics.
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Which sport made Muhammad Ali a household name worldwide?
Boxing
Muhammad Ali became one of boxing's most famous heavyweight champions.
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How many World Cups had Brazil won by the end of the 2022 tournament?
5
The wins came in 1958, 1962 and 1970, then 1994 and 2002, either side of a 24-year gap. Pele played in the first three, making him the only man to win the World Cup three times.
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What shape is the striking face of a cricket bat?
A flat blade
The striking face of a cricket bat is a flat blade, giving the batter a broad surface for controlled contact. The back is often shaped with a raised spine to add strength and power.
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How many balls are bowled in a standard cricket over?
6 legal deliveries
The Laws define a standard over as six legal deliveries.
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How many points is the inner bullseye worth on a standard dartboard?
50
The inner bull, or bullseye, is worth 50 points. The outer bull is worth 25, and the board's highest single-dart score is triple 20 for 60 points.
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How many events make up the athletics decathlon?
10
The decathlon combines 10 track-and-field events over two days. It includes sprints, jumps, throws, hurdles, and a 1,500-metre race.
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What does FIFA stand for?
Federation Internationale de Football Association
The name is French because the body was founded in Paris in 1904, and French remains one of its official languages.
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Along with foil and épée, which weapon is the third Olympic fencing discipline?
Sabre
Olympic fencing is contested with foil, épée and sabre. Sabre is the only one of the three where a cut with the edge scores as well as a hit with the point, and the target is everything above the waist, a leftover from cavalry sword fighting.
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How many players does each field-hockey team have on the pitch?
11
Field hockey is played with 11 players per side, including a goalkeeper. The game is played on a rectangular pitch with players using curved sticks to move the ball.
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In what year were the first modern Olympic Games held?
1896
The first modern Olympic Games opened in Athens in April 1896, with athletes from fourteen nations competing in the restored Panathenaic Stadium. Paris hosted the second Games four years later.
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In cricket, the wicketkeeper is the only fielder permitted to wear what?
Gloves and external leg pads
The Laws bar every other fielder from wearing gloves or external leg guards, and treat the keeper's gloves as part of their person when judging a catch. Helmets, sunglasses and spikes are open to anyone on the field.
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In netball, which two positions are the only ones allowed to shoot at goal?
Goal Shooter and Goal Attack
Only GS and GA may score, and only from inside the goal circle. Every netball position is confined to set areas of the court, marked by the letters on the players' bibs.
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In golf, a birdie is a hole finished at what score?
One under par
A birdie is one stroke under par, so three shots on a par four. Two under is an eagle and three under an albatross, while one over is a bogey. The bird names come from American slang around 1900, in which a 'bird' meant anything excellent.
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Who traditionally carries a golfer's clubs?
A caddie
The word traces back to French cadet, meaning the youngest boy in a family, which became the Scots caddie for someone who ran errands and odd jobs. The specific sense of golfer's assistant is recorded from 1851, and today's caddies also read greens and advise on club selection, not just carry the bag.
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How many holes are played in a standard round of golf?
18
A standard round consists of 18 holes, although some courses are built as nine-hole layouts. Players can play a nine-hole course twice for a full round.
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Which sport is Simone Biles famous for?
Gymnastics
Simone Biles is one of gymnastics' most celebrated athletes.
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What nickname was Michael Jordan known by?
His Airness
His Airness became a famous nickname for Michael Jordan.
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What material is a standard ice-hockey puck made from?
Vulcanized rubber
A regulation hockey puck is made from vulcanized rubber, which is tough and resilient. The puck is frozen before games to reduce bouncing and friction.
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How many periods are in a regulation ice-hockey game?
3
A regulation ice-hockey game has three periods. Each period is 20 minutes in professional rules, with intermissions between them.
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Which sport is Wayne Gretzky famous for?
Ice hockey
Wayne Gretzky is widely regarded as an ice hockey legend.
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How many gold medals did Jesse Owens win at the 1936 Berlin Olympics?
4 gold medals
Owens won four track-and-field golds in Berlin. His success directly challenged the racist propaganda surrounding the Games.
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What is the traditional uniform worn in judo called?
A gi
The judogi is a heavy cotton jacket, trousers and belt, woven thick enough to be gripped and thrown by without tearing. Taekwondo's lighter equivalent is the dobok.
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In American football, what does the punter do?
Kicks the ball downfield to hand possession to the opposition
The punter drops the ball and kicks it before it hits the ground, usually on fourth down, so the other team takes over as far from the punting side's end zone as possible. Punting and place-kicking are normally done by two different specialists.
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What is the standard distance of a marathon?
About 42 kilometres
A marathon is officially 42.195 kilometres (26.2 miles), a distance established after the 1908 London Olympic course was extended to finish in front of the royal box.
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Which athlete has won the most Olympic gold medals?
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps won 23 Olympic gold medals, more than any other athlete.
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In sport, what does MVP stand for?
Most valuable player
The award goes to the player judged to have contributed most to their team, which is not always the highest scorer.
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