Sports and Games Terminology Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ten Pin Bowling

When a bowler throws three strikes in a row, it is called a turkey. The term comes from the early days of bowling. Bowling establishments, in order to promote business, would give an actual turkey away to anyone who could roll three strikes in a row.

Answer: Pool and Billiards

Putting 'English' on the ball is when a cue ball is struck on either side of its vertical axis, giving it "side spin". English in billiards may also occur when a ball collides with another or with a rail. British players were some of the first pool players to develop the shot, so when others started using the shot, they started referring to it as an 'English' shot.

Answer: Baseball

There are at least 11 different ways a pitcher can commit a balk. One is when a pitcher begins to make the motions typically associated with delivering a pitch but ceases during its delivery. Another is when the pitcher is pitching from the "set" position, the pitcher does not come to a complete stop with his hands together in front of him.

Answer: American Football

The flea-flicker is a trick play where the quarter-back hands the ball off to a running-back. The running-back runs parallel to the line of scrimmage, stops, and throws the ball back to the quarter-back, and then the quarter-back throws to a receiver down field. It is designed to make a defense think that the play is a running play instead of a pass.

Answer: Golf

An albatross is made when a golfer puts the ball in the cup in three strokes less than the par set for the hole. The score is also called a double eagle. A hole in one on a par four can also be called an albatross.

Answer: Surfing

Hanging ten is when a surfer manages to get all ten of his toes to hang off the front tip of his board without falling. Because of weight distribution, hanging ten is usually accomplished using a long board. The extra weight and mass of the back side of the board acts as a counterbalance, which allows the maneuver to be possible.

Answer: American Football

A Hail Mary play is when the quarter-back sends all of his receivers to one section of the end zone and then throws the ball from a great distance to that section hoping that of one of his receivers can catch it. It is usually a desperation play that occurs at seconds before half-time or seconds before the end of the game when there are no other reasonable options.

When the pass is caught at the end of the game, it usually scores the winning touch-down because there is usually no time left on the clock for the opposing team to score.

Answer: Ice Hockey

A hat-trick is when a player scores three goals in one game. The term started when a Toronto haberdasher named Sam Taft promoted his hats by giving one away to any player who could score three goals in a game. Today, when a player scores a hat trick, the fans toss their hats onto the ice. The hats are then collected and given to charities.

Answer: Basketball

A triple-double is the accumulation of a double-digit number total in three of the five categories in a basketball game. The categories are points scored, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. So if you score say, 22 points, have 16 rebounds, and 10 steals in one game, it is a triple-double.

In the 1961-62 NBA season, Oscar Robinson managed to average a triple-double for the entire season.

Answer: Tennis

In tennis, deuce is reached when both players have 40 points (tied 40 all). Scoring the next point would give that person the 'advantage' or 'Ad'. If the person with the advantage scores the next point, they win the game. If the person with the advantage loses the next point, the score returns to deuce.

A player must win two consecutive points from deuce to win or the score will keep returning to deuce.

Answer: Ten Pin Bowling

A Dutch 200 score is achieved when a bowler throws alternating strikes and spares through one game of ten frames. In league play, because of the rarity of rolling a Dutch 200, a person can be awarded a special patch for the accomplishment. The actual term 'Dutch 200' is supposedly derived from the term 'Dutch Treat' where two people split the cost of a date.

Answer: Ice Hockey

Slashing occurs when a player swings his hockey stick at an opposing player and hits him, or swings at an opposing player's stick and breaks it. The severity of the slash determines the amount of time the offender has to stay in the penalty box. The normal penalty for a slash is two minutes. If a slash causes bleeding it can result in a five minute penalty.

Answer: Baseball

A stolen base most often occurs when a base-runner advances from first to second base while the pitcher is pitching the ball to home plate and the ball does not touch the batter's bat. The base-runner leaves for another base during the delivery and hopes to make it to the other base before the catcher can throw the ball to the player covering that base.

The defending player must tag the base-runner with the ball before he reaches the base in order for the base-runner to be called out. There are a great many ways to steal a base. Bases can also be stolen due to errors in defensive play, such as overthrowing a base.

Answer: American Football

In American football, the team on offense has four downs or tries to advance the ball ten yards. If they acquire the ten yards, then they receive another set of four downs to continue. The problem is that if the offensive team does not make the ten yards in four downs, they lose control of the ball and the other team takes over. To avoid giving up the ball and giving the opposition a short field to work with, the offense can punt the ball on fourth down to make sure the other team has a longer distance to go in order to score. So, run three plays, and then punt the ball away: 'Three-and-out'.

Answer: Basketball

A swish occurs when the basketball passes through the hoop without touching the rim. It can also be called 'all net' or 'nothing but net'. The word 'swish' is an onomatopoeia. When the basketball passes through the net, it makes a 'swish' sound.