Sports Americans Don't Play Well Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. You need a long attention span to play this sport as one game can go on for five days, although there are shorter versions as well. This is a summer game so perhaps the traditional white clothing is worn in the longer games to keep out the heat. Sit back and enjoy the gentle thwack of leather on willow.

Answer: Cricket

Cricket began in England in the 16th century and was traditionally played with a leather ball and a bat made from willow. The expansion of the British Empire saw cricket played in many of Britain's colonies including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, and the West Indies. Cricket was popular in the United States in the 18th century but was supplanted by baseball. If the British had won the War of Independence, things may have been different.

2. This sport is played with an oval ball and is a full contact sport, but unlike American football, the players don't wear body armour. There are 15 players per side in the main form of the game and the players play 40-minute halves. Unlike American football, this game would never run to three hours because of interminable time outs. In the smaller version, there are 7 players per side with seven minute halves making for a much faster game.

Answer: Rugby Union

Tradition has it that rugby began when one William Webb Ellis, a pupil at Rugby School in England, picked up the ball during a game of football and ran with it. Despite its English origins, the most successful teams in modern times are New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa, with these Southern hemisphere teams having won five of the six Rugby World Cups.

3. This game is mainly played by women, and at a professional level is played indoors on a wooden court with a hoop at each end. There are seven players per side and each player has a specified area of the court in which they are allowed to move. When a player has the ball, they may not walk or run with it, and must pass it within 3 seconds of receiving it.

Answer: Netball

Netball was actually invented by an American, Clara Gregory Baer in 1895. The game was originally created as a genteel version of basketball which involved no unladylike behaviours such as running or physical contact, and was originally called "women's basketball". Today, netball is played predominantly in Commonwealth countries with Australia and New Zealand being the strongest teams at the World Championships. Netball today is an athletic and physical sport that would no doubt shock the sensibilities of the early players.

4. This game is played on a green and is played with very heavy balls. The players must be very fond of their balls because they have named the smallest one. It is either called 'Jack' or 'Kitty', presumably depending on its gender. Most players of this game are a lot older than sports people in most other sports.

Answer: Lawn bowls

A form of lawn bowls began in England in the 14th century and today is very popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth countries. World Championships are held every four years. It is a very popular game amongst retired people, although the players of competitive bowls tend to be younger. Because of the advanced age of most of the players, folklore has it that lawn bowls has the highest death rate of any sport.

5. This fast paced game is played with sticks and a very hard ball. Originally played on grass, most games today are played on artificial turf. Teams must try and score goals in the opposing team's net, and the goalie wears so much padding they waddle when they walk.

Answer: Field hockey

Field hockey is known simply as 'hockey' in the countries where it is widely played. Both men and women play hockey, and the biggest international tournaments are the Olympic Games and the Hockey World Cup. Prominent hockey playing nations include India, Pakistan, the Netherlands, Germany, China, and Australia.

6. This full contact game played with an oval ball, but with only 13 players per side. This game is very strong in parts of England and Australia. It has strong working class roots and is considered by some to be the toughest, most physically demanding team sport in the world. The players are not encased in armour like American footballers and play 40 minutes halves.

Answer: Rugby League

Rugby League developed from Rugby Union, and was the result of a division between the wealthy private school players of rugby in the southern parts of England, and their working class counterparts in the northern parts. While the rich could afford to play the game on an amateur basis, the blue collar workers could not afford to take time off work without being compensated.

The breakaway Northern Rugby Football Union was formed in England in 1895, and a similar breakaway group formed in Australia a few years later.

The two games diverged in their rules and have become quite distinct although professional players do crossover between the codes.

7. This game is played with mixed teams of four men and four women, but you can only guard someone of the same gender as yourself. To score, you have to throw your ball through the opposing team's basket. The balls used are similar in size to footballs. The game was invented by a Dutch schoolteacher.

Answer: Korfball

Korfball was invented by Nico Broekhuysen who wanted a game which both boys and girls could play together without disadvantage. The rules of the game mean that physical strength does not give a player an advantage. Blocking, tackling, and holding players is not allowed, and a player cannot kick or punch the ball.

The game is very popular in the Netherlands and Belgium, and is now played in more than 50 countries across the world.

8. This game is played with elephants, mallets, and a ball. Two people ride each elephant, one to steer and one to hit the ball.

Answer: Elephant polo

Elephant polo is played in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and India, although the teams playing the circuit come from other countries as well. Each team has three elephants on the field at a time, and they play two seven-minute chukkas, or halves. It is rumoured that elephant polo was thought up by two British polo players after a few too many vodkas in a Swiss bar in 1982.

9. This game is played with an oval ball, but unlike most other games, this one is also played on an oval shaped field. There are 18 players on each team and it is a very physical contact sport, characterised by a lot of high jumping and fast movement. Goals are scored by kicking the ball between posts.

Answer: Australian Rules Football

Australian Rules Football, or Aussie Rules for short, was developed in Australia in the 1800s. It is believed that the catalyst for the development of the game was a sport to keep cricketers fit during the winter, which may explain the oval playing fields, as cricket pitches are usually oval.

It is a very popular game in Australia, especially in the state of Victoria. Not only do the players not wear any armour when playing, but they don't even wear sleeves.

10. The players in this sport don't even work up a sweat, and you may find them in smoke filled rooms. The equipment you need to play consists of a table, a cue and 22 balls; 15 red, 1 white, and 6 of different colours.

Answer: Snooker

Snooker was invented in India as a variation of billiards by British Army officers in the 19th century. The popularity of the game declined in the 1950s and 1960s, but was rescued by colour television. The BBC decided the game with its different coloured balls was the prefect way to promote colour television, and commissioned a snooker tournament called 'Pot Black' which they broadcast.

It was a great success and the game became a mainstream sport in the UK, Ireland, and much of the Commonwealth.

Source: Author Apteryx65

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Tired of stumbling over questions about baseball and American football? Make yourself feel better by identifying the sports that Americans don't play well!

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