Sports Facts for Kids
Fun facts from the world of sports
The football penalty spot is placed exactly 11 yards (approximately 10 metres) from the goal line. The penalty kick was introduced to the Laws of the Game in 1891.
Gaelic football is a uniquely Irish sport that combines elements of football and rugby. Players can carry the ball in their hands for no more than four steps before they must bounce or kick it.
The long jump world record of 8.95 metres was set by Mike Powell of the USA at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, breaking the previous record that had stood since Bob Beamon's legendary jump in 1968.
A standard NBA basketball court measures 28.65 metres long and 15.24 metres wide. The baskets are always positioned exactly 3.05 metres above the floor — the height James Naismith chose when he hung the original peach baskets.
Ski jumpers hold their skis in a wide V-shape during flight because Swedish jumper Jan Boklöv discovered in 1985 that it creates more lift and allows much longer jumps. Before that, skis were held parallel.
The corner kick was introduced to football in 1872. Before this, if a defender put the ball behind their own goal line, the attacking team was awarded a free kick from a fixed position rather than a corner.
American cyclist Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005 but was stripped of all his titles in 2012 after admitting to systematic doping throughout his career.
In alpine ski racing, downhill skiers can reach speeds of over 160 km/h. The sport requires extreme physical conditioning, as racers experience gravitational forces greater than those felt by fighter jet pilots in turns.
Team handball is one of the most popular sports in Germany and Scandinavia, though it is relatively unknown in Britain. Players must throw the ball into the opposing goal using their hands, and matches are very fast-paced.
Women were not allowed to run in the Olympic marathon until 1984. Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon officially in 1967 — a race official tried to physically remove her from the course.