Which Sport?

See also Trophies.

Played on a gridiron		American Football
Has a 'scrimmage' at the start of every 'down'
The objective is to carry the ball into the opponents' 'end zone'
The Lowsman Trophy is presented to the player who earns the unofficial title of Mr. Irrelevant, each season, in
John Wilson writes and broadcasts on, and was voted in 2004 the greatest ever exponent of		Angling
Toxophily is another name for		Archery
York rounds, Hereford rounds, St. George rounds, Albion rounds, Windsor rounds, Western rounds, American rounds, National rounds, Warwick rounds, Portsmouth rounds, Worcester rounds, Bristol rounds: different forms of competition in
Clout (or clout shooting) is a form of
Competitors use tab, bracer, chest guard
'Lady Paramount' is a title given to a female official (typically one who gives the prizes) in
Back Pocket, Forward Pocket, Half Back, Half Forward, Rover, Ruck Rover, Ruckman (the last 3 being Followers): positions in		Aussie Rules football
6 points for a goal, 1 for a behind		Aussie Rules football
Developed from the traditional game Battledore and Shuttlecock, when soldiers of Britain's Indian army in Poona added a competitive element by introducing a net; originally called Poona, renamed after the Gloucestershire home of the Duke of Beaufort		Badminton
Rudi Hartono (Indonesian – 1980 men's singles world champion), Gillian Gilks (World Games mixed doubles gold, 1981, with Thomas Kihlström of Sweden), Mike Tredgett and Nora Perry (World Games mixed doubles silver, 1981), Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms (Olympic mixed doubles silver, Athens 2004) are associated with		Badminton
Played in England at least as early as 1744; prohibited in the environs of the town meeting house at Pittsfield, Massachusetts in 1791; codified by Alexander Cartwright's 'Knickerbocker Rules' of 1842 (which outlawed throwing the ball at a runner to put him out, thus facilitating the use of a smaller, harder ball). The once widely–accepted story that it was first played at Doubleday Field, Cooperstown, New York in 1839 has been proved false		Baseball
Played in or on a ballpark, on a diamond
Knuckler, outcurve and fireman are terms used in
The world's most widely played indoor sport; devised in 1891 at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts (now Springfield College) by James Naismith (born Canada 1861); became an Olympic sport for men in 1936 and for women in 1976; described in Encyclopaedia Britannica as "the only major sport strictly of US origin"		Basketball
Wilt Chamberlain (1936–99) is considered one of the greatest ever players – scoring a record 100 points in a game, in 1962 – in
Starts with a tip–off
Travelling is an offence in
Steve Redgrave competed for Britain at rowing and (in the world championships, but apparently not the Olympics)		Bobsleigh
Started in 1976 at Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys; world championships first held there in 1985, annually since 1994		Bog snorkelling
W. G. Grace captained England at cricket and ... ; David Bryant (1931–2020) was a leading competitor, from the mid–1960s to the mid–1990s, in		Bowls
Forehand and backhand draw (also known respectively as 'finger peg' and 'thumb peg'), upshot, block shot and 'yard on' shot are terms used in		Bowls
Known as 'the noble art', or 'the sweet science'		Boxing
Women's sport played in Ireland – similar to hurling		Camogie
Canadian Pairs is an event in; Eskimo Roll is a technique in		Canoeing
Governed by FIDE (Federation Internationale des Echecs)		Chess
Julius Caesar (born Godalming, Surrey, 1830) represented England in the 1850s at		Cricket
William Webb Ellis won a Blue for Oxford University, at		Cricket
Billiards was originally modelled on		Croquet
Headquarters are at the Hurlingham Club, London
One side has red and yellow balls, the other black and blue
Sport that was first played at the All England club (at Wimbledon – founded in 1868), which still appears in its official title
Known as "the Roaring Game"		Curling
Playing surface is known as the sheet, and measures 146 to 150 feet (45 to 46 m) long by 14.5 to 16.5 feet (4.4 to 5.0 m) wide
The playing surface is known as the Sheet, and the target area as the House
A bonspiel is a tournament in
Granites (a.k.a. stones) are used in
The inwick and the outwick are shots in
Takes place in a Velodrome; the Keirin and Madison are events in		Cycling
UCI is the world governing body of
Sprinters deliberately go slowly for most of the race, in
Dave Brailsford – later to become Director of Sport at INEOS Group, making him Director of Football Operations at Manchester United FC from 2023 – made his name as a successful coach of British teams and individuals in
The Iditarod: annual race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska (promoted as a commemoration of the run to deliver serum, to combat the threat of an epidemic of diphtheria – to which the local Inuit children had no immunity – in 1925)		Dog sleds
William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle (1592–1676) was a pioneer in the art of manège, which evolved into		Dressage
Most important game played annually on St. Andrew's Day (30th November)		Eton Wall Game
Sports that take place on a piste: skiing, boules or petanque (sometimes), and		Fencing
The plastron and the lamé are pieces of equipment used in		Fencing
Loop, toe loop, flip, Lutz, Salchow and Axel are terms used in		Figure skating
Type of indoor football – traced back to Uruguay 1930 – first world championships 1989, administered jointly by FIFA and its own association (AMF); name comes from the Portuguese for 'room football'		Futsal
Introduced to England by James I (in 1608?), and to the USA by John Reid and the Appletree Gang (1888)		Golf
Stableford and Skins are scoring systems used (occasionally) in
Overlapping and interlocking are alternative grips in
Described by Winston Churchill as "a game conceived by the devil, and played with implements entirely unsuited to the purpose", and (more famously) by Mark Twain as "a good walk spoiled"
Babe Zaharias, Louise Suggs and Patty Berg were the post–war 'big 3' in women's
First event (an unsuccessful experiment) was staged at Hendon, North London, 1876; emerged in the USA in the 1920s (following the invention of the artificial hare in 1912); first meeting in Britain was held at Belle Vue, Manchester in 1926		Greyhound racing
Hall Green Stadium (Birmingham, scheduled for demolition in 2016), Perry Barr Stadium (Birmingham), Belle Vue Stadium (Manchester) and Wimbledon Stadium are venues for		Greyhound racing
Kip, crossgrasp, pike: terms used in		Gymnastics
Sulky: used in		Harness racing
Starts with a bully–off; long and short corners, penalty corners and 15–metre (formerly 16–yard) hits are awarded in		Hockey
The Kookaburras are the Australian national team in
Octopush is an underwater form of
Goalposts as in rugby, with a net below the bar. Three points for a goal (below the bar), one for above the bar; scores are shown "goals–points" – e.g. "2–15" means two goals and 15 points (total 21)		Hurling
Canada's official national winter sport, since 1994 (National Sports of Canada Act)		Ice Hockey
The Art Ross Trophy is awarded annually to the highest scorer in (USA/Canada national league)
Coventry Blaze, Manchester Storm, Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers are leading English clubs in
Starts with a face–off
Flying camel, Axel, Lutz, Salkow: seen in		Ice skating
Form of pelota, popular with gamblers in Florida; said to be the world's fastest ball sport (but see Jason Zuback in Golf)		Jai alai
Name means "the gentle way"		Judo
Ippon, waza–ari and yuko are ways of scoring in		Judo
Japanese art of swordplay, using a bamboo stave (shinai)		Kendo
Mixed sport (4 men, 4 women on each team), invented in 1902 by Dutch school teacher Nico Broekhuysen, based on a Swedish game called ringboll; similar to basketball or netball, with a netless ring 3.5 metres (11' 6") high; an Olympic sport in 1920 (Antwerp)		Korfball
Belgium and the Netherlands have contested every World Championships final (11, from 1978 up to and including 2019) and every one of the first eight World Games finals (1978 to 2013); the Netherlands have won every one, except the 1991 World Championships		Korfball
Canada's official national summer sport, since 1994 (National Sports of Canada Act); first played by native Americans, who knew it as baaga'adowe, or baggataway; governed by the FIL, which was formed in 2008 when its previously separate men's and women's governing bodies merged; an Olympic sport in 1904 and 1908, and an Olympic demonstration sport in 1928 and 1932		Lacrosse
The Iroquois Nationals are the only team of Native Americans sanctioned to compete in any sport internationally, and are ranked among the top five in		Lacrosse
Held annually since 1929 (with some breaks) and described as Northern Ireland's biggest annual sporting event – attracting over 150,000 visitors from all over the world – the North West 200 is an event in		Motor cycling
First played in 1901 at Bergman Osterberg Physical Training College, Dartford, Kent		Netball
Governed (in England) by AENA
Fast5 is a shortened version of
World Cups have been held every four years since 1963; Australia or New Zealand has won every tournament (10 wins and 3 wins respectively, up to 2015), not counting 1979 when they shared it with the hosts Trinidad & Tobago
New Zealand are represented by the Silver Ferns, South Africa by the Proteas, Jamaica by the Sunshine Girls
Celtic Dragons, Hertfordshire Mavericks, Loughborough Lightning, Manchester Thunder, Surrey Storm, Team Bath, Team Northumbria and Yorkshire Jets are leading British teams in
Tracey Neville – sister of Gary and Phil (& daughter of Neville!) represented England at
In 2016, by winning her 129th cap, Jade Clarke became England's most-capped player of all time in
Combines cross–country and map–reading; name invented by Major Ernst Killander for an event in Stockholm in 1918		Orienteering
Sport or activity, closely related to freerunning: defined by its official world governing body, the WFPF, as "the act of moving from point 'a' to point 'b' using the obstacles in your path to increase your efficiency"; name is derived from a French word that can be translated as 'the way through' or 'the path'		Parkour
The tic–tac, the kong vault and the gap jump are moves used in		Parkour
National game of the Basque region: name is Basque for 'ball'; an Olympic sport in 1900 (when only France and Spain entered – Spain won; also an Olympic demonstration sport in 1924, 1968 and 1992		Pelota
Played on a fronton		Pelota
Originated in Persia; name comes from a Tibetan word for a ball; first played in Britain 1869; largest field of any team sport (i.e. not including golf)		Polo
Hurlingham Club, London, devised the rules for
Guards Club (based at Smith's Lawn, Windsor Great Park), the Royal Berkshire, Cowdray Park (West Sussex) and Cirencester Park (Gloucestershire) are the UK's most prestigious clubs for
Shares its name with a brand of confectionery, a car, and a style of shirt
A combination of squash and handball: invented in 1952 in Greenwich, Connecticut by professional tennis player Joe Sobek		Racquetball
Similar to real tennis; Olympic sport 1908, Britain swept the medals board in doubles		Racquets
Known in France as courte–paume (a reference to the older game of jeu de paume)		Real tennis
Played on a doubly asymmetric court, featuring a dedans, a tambour and four penthouses
Britain's Penny Lumley, Charlotte Cornwallis and Claire Fahey (née Vigrass) have between them won 13 of the last 14 women's world championships (1989–2015); Australia's Robert Fahey was men's world champion from 1994 to 2016 (winning his 12th consecutive world championship in 2014)
Gabby Yorath represented Wales in the 1990 Commonwealth Games (Auckland) – finishing 8th – at		Rhythmic gymnastics
Variation of croquet: an Olympic sport in 1904, when all competitors represented the USA		Roque
Official state sport of Wyoming		Rodeo
Thames Tradesman, Notts County and Leander are leading clubs in		Rowing
All Olympic (and World Championship) events are over a straight 2km course
You might be said to have "won by a canvas", in
Founded at the George Hotel, Huddersfield, 29 August 1895		Rugby League
Subject of the 1963 film This Sporting Life
Roy Kinnear's father played
The Man of Steel Award – awarded annually since 1977 – honours the outstanding player in
Scottish sport similar to hurling		Shinty
Governed in Britain by the BSJA		Show Jumping
Verticals (a.k.a. uprightes), oxers (a.k.a. spreads), hogsbacks and fans are all things that you might encounter in		Show Jumping
360 Varial, Ollie, Nollie and Frontside Air are terms used in		Skateboarding
Nordic and Alpine are varieties of; Telemark and Christy are movements in		Skiing
Famous for reducing Bradley Walsh to hysterics on The Chase, Germany's Fanny Chmelar was (until her retirement in 2013) an otherwise obscure competitor in		Skiing
People achieve the fastest speeds, without mechanical assistance, in		Skiing (downhill)
The Four Hills Tournament is an annual event (held since 1953) in		Ski–jumping
Sport based on basketball but using trampolines – originated in the USA in 2001		Slamball
Invented around 1875 by British army officers in India; Lt. Col. Sir Neville Chamberlain is credited as the inventor, after he claimed as much in 1938; given a name that was (at the time) army slang for a new recruit		Snooker
Clive Everton, Jack Karnehm and Ted Lowe are (or were) three of the best–known commentators on
The spider and the swan are items of equipment used in
Competitors change lanes every lap (on the back straight)		Speed skating
Said to have originated at Harrow School; governed in Britain by the SRA		Squash (racquets)
Uses the smallest ball (1.56 to 1.59 inches, 39.5 to 40.5 mm)
Balls are colour–coded, ranging from yellow (slow) for hot conditions and expert players, to blue (fast) for cold conditions or beginners
The court has a tin, a front line and a half court line
The referee carries a small dagger, to indicate that he is prepared to take his own life if he makes a wrong decision		Sumo
Official state sport of California		Surfing
Hang five, hang ten, layback, Quasimodo, switchfoot, and wipe out are terms used in		Surfing
Cook Strait Race and Atlantic City Marathon		Swimming
Wigan Wasps is a community–based club, whose aim is to help people to achieve their goals in		Swimming
FINA is the international governing body of		Swimming (etc.)
Kip, walkabout and fishtail are terms used in		Synchronised swimming
First marketed in 1891 by John Jaques, a game manufacturer based in London, as 'Gossima'		Table Tennis
Penhold, shakehand and Seemiller (after an American champion of the 1970s and 80s) are grips used in
Uses the lightest ball (2.7 grammes, or 0.095 ounces); also the second smallest, after squash (diameter increased from 38 mm to 40 mm after the 2000 Olympics)
Fred Perry was Britain's first world champion (1929) at
Jill Parker represented England a record 413 times, 1967–83, in
Apart from Lawn Tennis, Ann Jones represented Britain at
Name originates from either a French word that can be translated as "take", or a town on the Nile		Tennis
Stanley Matthews Jr. (Stanley John Matthews) was a British Junior champion (the only three–time winner of this title), and represented Great Britain in
John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons 2009–19, was once the top–ranked British junior, and is a qualified coach, in
Devonshire Park, Eastbourne, is an important centre for
Sphairistike (1873) was an early version of		Lawn Tennis
Developed by George Nissen (USA); first championships 1948; Olympic sport from 2000		Trampolining
Adolph, barani, miller, randolph (randy), rudolph (rudy), fliffus, triffus and quadriffus are terms used in		Trampolining
Chrissie Wellington (born Bury St. Edmonds, 1977) was four times world champion (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 – she missed the 2010 race through illness) in		Triathlon
Winning contestants move backwards, losers forwards		Tug o'war
Sitting, leaning, climbing, locking, propping and rowing are some of the many types of infringement in		Tug o'war
Invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan, who called it Mintonette		Volleyball
Ralph Hippolyte – born in Haiti, raised in the USA – became English team coach (in the 1990s) in
Spike, dump, dig, block, float, pass, penetration and wipe are terms used in
One team wears blue caps, the other team white, goalkeepers red		Water Polo
First World Championships held at the Cafe Monico, London, on 28 May 1891		Weightlifting
Vassily Alexeyev (USSR) broke 80 world records in		Weightlifting
Freestyle and Greco–Roman are the two international forms of; there is also a traditional Lancashire style known as 'Catch–as–catch–can'		Wrestling
Can be characterised as 'heels' (bad guys) against 'faces' (good guys)
Boston crab, Nelson and flying mare are holds or moves in
Beats, reaches and runs are terms used in		Yachting
Entered the Concise Oxford English Dictionary in 2001, defined as "a sport in which a participant is secured inside an inner capsule in a large, transparent ball which is then rolled along the ground or down hills"; said to have originated in New Zealand in 1994		Zorbing

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Which Sport?