Sports Facts for Kids
Fun facts from the world of sports
In rugby union, a scrum involves eight players from each side binding together and pushing against each other to contest possession of the ball. Scrums are awarded for certain infringements and require great strength.
Lacrosse is the oldest team sport in North America, having been played by Native American peoples for at least 1,000 years. Original games could involve thousands of players and last for days.
Golf courses have 18 holes because of a historic decision at the St Andrews golf course in Scotland. In 1858, members voted to combine its original 22 holes into 18 by merging some shorter holes, and the format became the global standard.
In tennis, 'love' means zero. The term likely comes from the French word 'l'oeuf', meaning 'the egg', because an egg looks like a zero. The egg-to-love connection is similar to 'duck' in cricket meaning zero.
The pole vault is considered one of the most technically complex athletic events. Athletes sprint, plant a flexible pole, and use it to vault over a bar that can be set at over six metres — higher than a double-decker bus.
Swimming goggles were banned from Olympic competition until 1976. Before this, swimmers competed with their eyes open in chlorinated water. Their introduction led to an immediate wave of world record improvements.
The longest throw-in in professional football history was recorded at around 46 metres. English player Rory Delap was famous for his extraordinarily long throw-ins, which were used as a powerful attacking weapon.
The five Olympic rings — blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white background — were designed in 1912 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin. At the time, at least one of these colours appeared on the flag of every nation.
Cliff diving has a professional World Series in which athletes dive from platforms up to 28 metres high — the equivalent of a nine-storey building — and enter the water at speeds of up to 90 km/h.
When a cricket batter is dismissed without scoring any runs, it is called a 'duck'. The name comes from the phrase 'duck's egg', because a zero on a scoreboard looks like an egg. A golden duck is out on the very first ball.