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160 Sports Rules Trivia Questions, Answers, and Fun Facts

How much do you know about Sports Rules? This category is for trivia questions and answers related to Sports Rules (Sports). Each one is filled with fun facts and interesting information.
1 Apart from breaks for the First and Second World Wars, football's FA Cup Final in England has been held every year since 1872. Who, in 1985 became the first player to be issued with a red card in this match?
Answer: Kevin Moran

The 1985 FA Cup Final was contested between Manchester United and Everton, who had won the trophy the previous year. After a game of few chances, the score was still 0-0 after the 90 minutes, and so went to extra time, during the first half of which, neither team could find the net.
On the 110th minute, however the deadlock was broken when Norman Whiteside managed to curl the ball around the Everton pairing of defender, Pat Van Den Hauwe and goalkeeper, Neville Southall to score what would turn out to be the winning goal.
Ultimately though, although Manchester United won on the day, the match is best remembered for their defender, Kevin Moran setting an unwanted record of being the first player ever to be sent off in the game. His red card was shown after he brought down Everton's Peter Reid, in what was adjudged to be a professional foul, and despite his protestations, which included stopping the referee from walking away, he had to leave the pitch, becoming an unwanted first as well as becoming an opening question in a Fun Trivia quiz.
  From Quiz: Get Outta Here
2 How many points are scored in a perfect game of ten pin bowling?
Answer: 300

A perfect game involves bowling 12 strikes. The scoring system states that a strike will be scored as ten points plus the value of the next two bowls. If a strike is bowled in the final (tenth) frame, an additional two more bowls are allowed to add to the total points value of the tenth frame.
Grazio Castellano bowled the first live televised 300 game way back in 1953.
  From Quiz: Perfect Score. Sporting Perfection
3 In American football what is it called when you score a goal by kicking the ball over the crossbar and between the opponent's goal posts to score 3 points?
Answer: Field Goal

If a team is down by less than 3 points in overtime, a field goal is often the easiest and fastest way to win the game.
  From Quiz: It's All About the Score
4 Outside of the United States and Mexico, golf is governed by an organisation known as the R&A. What do these initials stand for?
Answer: Royal & Ancient

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, aka the Home of Golf, is based at St. Andrews in Scotland and has a history going back to 1754. The modern R&A has now been separated from the club through the creation of an independent corporate structure in 2004. It is still based at St. Andrews. As well as its governance role, the R&A is also responsible for organising the annual Open Championship in the UK.
  From Quiz: Who Makes the Rules?
5 A hat trick, three goals in soccer or three scores in many other sports. What sport originated this term?
Answer: Cricket

This originated in cricket, where player H H Stephenson took three wickets in three consecutive balls for the All-England XI in 1858. A collection was taken for his accomplishment and a hat purchased. In 1940s Toronto, a haberdasher gave a hat to any Maple Leaf player scoring three goals in an ice-hockey match and even today at ice hockey matches it is customary to throw hats on the ice to commemorate this feat. A hat trick in marbles is to hit all marbles on a single turn and in soccer it is to score three goals in a match.
  From Quiz: What Did That Come From?
6 How many people are allowed on the basketball court, per team, in a NBL/NBA game?
Answer: 5

1 Centre, 2 Guards and 2 forwards.
  From Quiz: How Many?
7 In volleyball, what is it called when you dive for the ball and keep it in play?
Answer: dig

A dig is especially exciting in 2 on 2 beach volleyball. The digger usually bounces right back up with sand all over them (and sometimes blood)to spike the ball over the net after their partner sets it.
  From Quiz: Sports Terminology
8 Which sport is played on a white surface?
Answer: Ice hockey

This surface is ice.
    Your options: [ Soccer ] [ Ice hockey ] [ Pinball ] [ Polo ]
  From Quiz: Sports Rule
9 Swimming: when doing an individual medley, which stroke is first?
Answer: Butterfly

In the sport of swimming, when performing an individual medley, the first stroke is the butterfly. The individual medley is a combination of four different swimming styles: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle. The order in which these strokes are performed in the individual medley is butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and finally freestyle. The butterfly stroke is known for its unique and challenging technique, where swimmers use a dolphin-like motion with both arms moving simultaneously. It requires a great deal of upper body strength and coordination. Fun fact: The butterfly stroke was not always a part of competitive swimming. It was introduced as a separate stroke in the 1930s and later became one of the four strokes used in the individual medley.
    Your options: [ Freestyle ] [ Backstroke ] [ Butterfly ] [ Breaststroke ]
  From Quiz: Sports Rules
10 In a 2019 NFL game between Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers, Mason Rudolph was struck in the head by his own helmet. Who was the the Browns player ejected from the game for this act?
Answer: Myles Garrett

With just eight seconds left in the game between the Browns and the Steelers, defensive end Garrett wrestled Steelers quarterback, Rudolph to the ground after he had completed a short pass. While on the ground, Rudolph pulled on Garrett's helmet, and on rising to their feet, it was Garrett who lost his cool. pulling Rudolph's helmet off completely, and then swinging it at him, striking him on the head with it during the ensuing brawl.
The melee also saw Steelers centre, Maurkice Pouncey and Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi ejected for their actions, but for his part, Garrett served the second longest suspension ever handed down by the NFL, from November 15th 2019 to February 12th 2020, as well as being hit with a fine of $45,623.
  From Quiz: Get Outta Here
11 Nadia Comãneci became the first female gymnast ever to score a perfect 10, she did so while performing on the uneven bars during the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Which country did she represent?
Answer: Romania

The electronic scoreboard wasn't set up for such a score, and her score appeared as 1.0, but the knowledgeable crowd knew what was going on and gave a standing ovation.
Nadia would go on to score six more perfect scores at the Montreal Olympics and walk away with 3 gold and 1 silver medal.
She defected to the US in 1989.
    Your options: [ Bulgaria ] [ East Gemany ] [ USSR ] [ Romania ]
  From Quiz: Perfect Score. Sporting Perfection
12 Sometimes the allotted time for a match isn't enough to determine a winner. In professional basketball, if the score is tied at the end of regulation play, the teams play an overtime period as a tie-breaker. How long is that period?
Answer: Five minutes

Where ties are not allowed and a winner must be decided, successive overtime tie-breakers are played until a clear winner is decided. As many as six overtime periods have been necessary to determine a winner in an NBA game. In exhibition games (non-professional or non-competitive play), the coaches and/or organizers are free to decide whether overtime is to be played or not.
  From Quiz: Stop, Take Some Time to Think
13 Presiding over a sporting governing body can sometimes bring perks. Which soccer supremo saw the game's World Cup trophy named after him?
Answer: Jules Rimet

Rimet was president of FIFA, soccer's international governing body between 1921 and 1954. He is credited with conceiving the first World Cup competition which was held in 1930. The Jules Rimet trophy was presented to Brazil in perpetuity after their third triumph in 1970. Sadly, it was stolen in 1983 and never seen again.

Drewry (1955-61), Rous (1961-74), and Havelange (1974-98) also served as presidents.
    Your options: [ Stanley Rous ] [ Arthur Drewry ] [ João Havelange ] [ Jules Rimet ]
  From Quiz: Who Makes the Rules?
14 In golf, the term 'dormie' is used when a player in match play is leading by the number of holes left to play. For example, three up with three to play is a dormie-three. Which language does this expression come from?
Answer: The origin is unknown

Although the USGA (United States Golf Association) asserts that it comes from the French word, dormir (to sleep), meaning that a player in that position can be relaxed enough to snooze, other sources suggest that it comes from lucky sightings of dormice or even has associations with Mary, Queen of Scots (a keen golfer). Whatever the origin, it would be wise not to sleep in this position, as Mark Calcaveccia found to his cost in the Ryder Cup in 1991. Dormie-four over Colin Montgomerie, he lost the last four holes and Monty halved the match, so being dormie is not an impregnable position.
    Your options: [ Gaelic ] [ French ] [ The origin is unknown ] [ Spanish ]
  From Quiz: What Did That Come From?
15 What does a game (score) of table tennis go to?
Answer: 11

Before it was 21, but officials changed it to 11 to speed up the game.
  From Quiz: How Many?
16 In soccer, what is it called when you flip over backwards and kick the ball that is over your head?
Answer: bicycle kick

In the 1980 movie "Victory", Pele made a perfect bicycle kick. A scissors kick is from the side. The other two are non-existent.
  From Quiz: Sports Terminology
17 Running: how long is a marathon?
Answer: 26.2 miles

A marathon is a long-distance running race with an official distance of 26.2 miles. The origin of the marathon can be traced back to ancient Greece, where a messenger named Pheidippides is said to have run from the city of Marathon to Athens to deliver news of a military victory. According to legend, Pheidippides collapsed and died after completing the run, which is why the marathon distance is now associated with endurance and physical exertion. Today, marathons are held all over the world, attracting thousands of participants and spectators. The race has become a symbol of human determination and the ultimate test of one's physical and mental strength.
  From Quiz: Sports Rules
18 In 2014, which rugby league star became the first player to be sent off in England's Super League Grand Final, after he punched Lance Hohaia in the face?
Answer: Ben Flower

Just two minutes into the 2014 Super League Grand Final, with Wigan on the attack, their prop, Ben Flower, dropped a pass near the try line. Flower vented his frustration by punching St. Helens scrum-half Lance Hohaia, in the face, knocking him out. As Hohaia lay motionless on the pitch, Flower straddled him and delivered another punch to his face.
Flower was rightly sent off for this attack, which was the cause of a mass brawl, and Wigan went on to lose the match by a score of 14-6, having to play the remaining 78 minutes of the game with 12 men.
For his attack, Flower was given a six month ban from the sport, while Hohaia retired from the game in April 2015 due to recurrent concussion symptoms, caused by the punches.
    Your options: [ Kevin Sinfield ] [ Ben Flower ] [ Kyle Amor ] [ Leilani Latu ]
  From Quiz: Get Outta Here
19 Torvill and Dean won the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics in ice dancing. For their interpretation of Bolero, they received perfect scores for artistic impression. How was much was a perfect score back in 1984?
Answer: 6

Torvill and Dean claimed the British, European, Olympic and World Championship titles through their careers. Turning professional after the 1984 Olympics, the pair returned to the Lillehammer Olympics ten years later and claimed the bronze medal.
Since the scoring scandals which engulfed figure skating at the 2002 Olympics the 6.0 scoring system has been replaced by the International Scoring Unioun scoring system.
  From Quiz: Perfect Score. Sporting Perfection
20 Just as the cricket game is finishing, Marcus arrives at the park with gear for a baseball game. As he sorts through the gym bag, though, he realizes that he forgot the bats! How is a baseball bat different from a cricket bat?
Answer: The baseball bat is rounder and narrower.

The business end of a cricket bat is a wide, wooden blade. The back face, pointing towards the batsman, has a ridge running down the vertical centerline; the front face, which strikes the ball, is flat. A handle is attached at the top. The overall look is quite different from that of a baseball bat, which is a single piece of wood (or, for amateurs, metal) in a round, barrel shape. The business end of the bat, where the batter hopes to connect with a pitched ball, is wider than the handle, but it's still much narrower than a cricket bat. At its widest, a baseball bat is not supposed to exceed 2.61 inches (6.63 cm) in diameter, whereas the blade of a cricket bat can be up to 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) wide. The two kinds of bat have similar length: 38 inches (96.5 cm) for a cricket bat, and 42 inches (107 cm) for a baseball bat.

In other words, Marcus can't simply borrow some bats from James and the other cricketers. He'll have to call another friend and hope he can bring a few!
  From Quiz: Needful Things
21 Hockey is a sport that has built-in penalty times to help players "stop and take some time to think!" The minor penalty in professional ice hockey lasts for _________ minutes.
Answer: two

During the time that a player is in the penalty box, his or her team must play short-handed until the penalty is over OR until the other team has scored a goal. The player can leave the box immediately as soon as the other team scores, even if the full penalty has not been served.
  From Quiz: Stop, Take Some Time to Think
22 An incompetent or inexperienced boxer is known as a 'palooka'. Which medium popularised this term?
Answer: Comic strip

Although the origin of the word is unknown, and may have its roots in the perjorative 'Polack', it was popularised in American Ham Fisher's comic strip, devised in 1921, that ran from 1930 for over half a century. The eponymous hero, Joe Palooka was, in the words of Ham Fisher, "...a big, good-natured prize fighter who didn't like to fight; a defender of little guys; a gentle knight." He was based on Pete Latzo, a world welterweight champion in the 1920s.
    Your options: [ Ballet ] [ Book ] [ Comic strip ] [ Popular song ]
  From Quiz: What Did That Come From?
23 How many clubs are you allowed in your bag at any one time in a PGA competition round of golf?
Answer: 14

There used to be no limit to clubs. Some people took over 30 clubs, while some people, like 1913 US Open winner Francis Ouimet, took less than 10 clubs.
  From Quiz: How Many?
24 In ten pin bowling, what is it called when you roll three strikes in a row?
Answer: turkey

A total turkey can be worth anywhere from 60 to 90 points depending on your next couple of frames. 12 strikes in a row is a perfect game of 300.
  From Quiz: Sports Terminology
25 In Rugby Union, when you move the ball past the end line and ground it, it is called a try. How many points is a try worth?
Answer: 5

The extra point kick is worth 2 points. A penalty kick is worth 3, and a drop kick worth 3 as well.
  From Quiz: Sports Scoring
26 How many spikes are the maximum you can have on a shoe in the Javelin?
Answer: 11

They must not surpass 12mm in length and 4mm in diameter.
  From Quiz: Sports Rules / Laws
27 Which sport is always played in the water?
Answer: Swimming

Regular polo is played on horseback, track is running.
    Your options: [ Polo ] [ Swimming ] [ Football ] [ Track ]
  From Quiz: Sports Rule
28 Which motor racing great, driving for McLaren Honda, was black flagged in his home grand prix in Brazil in 1988?
Answer: Ayrton Senna

In qualifying for the opening race of the 1988 season, held at the Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet, Senna in his first outing for McLaren Honda, put his car on pole, ahead on the Williams of Nigel Mansell in second and Senna's team mate, Alain Prost in third.
On race day, during the parade lap immediately prior to the race, Senna's gear selector broke and he was stuck in first gear for the entire lap and then as the race was about to start, Senna stalled his engine, causing the start to be abandoned.
Senna took this opportunity to switch to the spare McLaren, and start the race from the pit lane at the back of the grid, and began to pass other cars at an incredible rate, which meant that by lap 20, he was in second place behind team mate Prost.
On lap 27, Senna pitted, and dropped to sixth place, but shortly after his stop, his race was over when he was black flagged for switching to the spare car after the green flag following the parade lap.
    Your options: [ Rubens Barrichello ] [ Ayrton Senna ] [ Nelson Piquet ] [ Pastor Maldonado ]
  From Quiz: Get Outta Here
29 27 up, 27 down refers to a perfect game in which sport?
Answer: Baseball

To pitch the perfect game a pitcher (or combination of pitchers) must not allow any batter to make it to first base, in a full nine innings match, be it via a hit or walk. Even if the pitcher is on fire he can still be undone by fielding errors.
    Your options: [ Basketball ] [ Curling ] [ Tennis ] [ Baseball ]
  From Quiz: Perfect Score. Sporting Perfection
30 Dave and Anita are unpacking their duffel bag for a game of croquet. Here are the smooth and colorful croquet balls, and there are the wooden croquet mallets - but there's nothing else in the bag. What else do they need for their game?
Answer: Hoops or wickets

In croquet, a player hits a ball with a two-headed mallet in an effort to propel it underneath a small arch pressed into the grass. The arch may be called a hoop or (especially in the United States) a wicket, and need not actually be curved in shape; its top is usually somewhere a little above ankle height. In general, there's a particular order in which players should run their balls through the hoops (and perhaps around a stake or two), although the specific layout and rules depend on where you are and what variant you're playing. It's going to be tough to play any type of croquet without wickets, but perhaps Anita and Dave can at least get in some practice.

Bases or bags are used in baseball; nets are used in a variety of sports including volleyball and tennis; and tees are featured in golf and a children's baseball variant called t-ball.
  From Quiz: Needful Things
31 The bases are loaded and the batter up is hit by a pitch. What happens next?
Answer: The team at bat scores 1 run

When the pitcher hits the batter he automatically gets a walk to first base. If the bases are loaded (a player on every base) the player on 3rd base automatically scores one run.
  From Quiz: It's All About the Score
32 How high above the ground is the centre of the target in an archery competition?
Answer: 130 cm

The bullseye must be 130cm (51.2in) from the ground. Different size targets are used for different competitions. The target is 122cm (48in) in diameter for the 60m, 70m and 90m men's competitions. An 80cm (31.5in) target is used for 30m, 40m and 50m men's competitions (with one exception, the Standard Bow round).
Thanks to the International Archery Federation/Federation Internationale de Tir A L'Arc (FITA) website for the information.
  From Quiz: Rules Level The Playing Field
33 Which fish gave Charlton Athletic Football Club their nickname?
Answer: Haddock

Charlton is known as 'the Addicks'. Although some believe it comes from the south London pronounciation of 'addicts' or 'athletic', the more likely theory is that it came from a local fishmonger, Arthur Bryan, who rewarded the team with haddock ('addick). As far back as 1908, cartoons call the team 'The Haddocks'.
    Your options: [ Flounder ] [ Shark ] [ Haddock ] [ Barracuda ]
  From Quiz: What Did That Come From?
34 How many people are allowed on one team on the pitch, at any one time in a professional soccer game?
Answer: 11

There are many different combinations that coaches use, like 4-3-3, or 4-2-4. You will notice that these only add up to 10. This is because the Goalkeeper isn't counted.
  From Quiz: How Many?
35 In 9 ball pool, what is it called when you hit the cue ball into a pocket?
Answer: scratch

After you scratch or miss your target ball, your opponent gets "ball in hand". They get to put the cue ball anywhere on the table to help the make their next shot. With the right English, they may even be able to run out the table after a ball in hand.
  From Quiz: Sports Terminology
36 In platform diving, what is considered to be a perfect score?
Answer: 10

Degree of difficulty and execution are key when diving.
  From Quiz: Sports Scoring
37 In the Pole Vault, what is the minimum height the bar can be raised after a successful vault?
Answer: 5 cm

After completion of each round, the bar must be raised by the minimum of 5cm. The exact height must be announced to the judges before jumping commences. Measurements are taken to the upper edge of the bar.
  From Quiz: Sports Rules / Laws
38 Golf: what would par be on a hole that is 390 yards long?
Answer: 4

On a hole that is 390 yards long in golf, par would be 4. In golf, par is the predetermined number of strokes that a skilled golfer should require to complete a hole. It is based on the length and difficulty of the hole, with longer and more challenging holes having a higher par. Par serves as a benchmark for golfers to measure their performance, with scores below par considered good and scores above par indicating room for improvement. Interestingly, par can vary depending on the type of golf course, as different courses may have different lengths and levels of difficulty.
  From Quiz: Sports Rules
39 Which sport introduced a "sending off law" into the rules of the game in 2017, despite having been played internationally since 1844 without any such rule?
Answer: Cricket

For the first time ever in the history of the sport, cricket umpires had the power to show a red card from September 2017. It was stressed, when the new law was unveiled that the red card would only be used in cases of extreme ill discipline, such as "threatening an umpire, physically assaulting another player, umpire, official or spectator, or any other act of violence on the field of play.", and the law was mainly aimed at curbing the rise of unacceptable behaviour in club cricket rather than at international level.
Maybe it's just me, but I find it almost unbelievable that any sport managed to go over 170 years without any means of ejecting a player from a game.
    Your options: [ Field Hockey ] [ Cricket ] [ Water Polo ] [ Polo ]
  From Quiz: Get Outta Here
40 An Olympic archer stands 70 metres away from the target to hit a 'bullseye' 12cm in diameter. How many points are scored for shooting a perfect arrow?
Answer: 10

The inner ring is coloured gold and is itself divided in two, the inner ring scores the same 10 points as the outer but is used to determine 'tie-breaks'. Archery was introduced as an Olympic sort in 1900.
  From Quiz: Perfect Score. Sporting Perfection
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