Many sports have a basic scoring system such as soccer. Score a goal, your team gets a point. For every sport with a simple scoring system there are many more that require knowledge of rules and scoring plays before becoming a participant or even a spectator. Most people have an understanding of basic rules for the major sporting events in the U.S. that we see on television constantly such as football, basketball and baseball. Rules and scoring plays seem to be evolving in some sports, but the general scoring plays remain the same. For instance, there has been a three-point line in basketball since the original pre-NBA days of the American Basketball Association, yet it has moved in and out a couple of times over the years but it remains worth 3 points on the scoreboard.
Sports such as cricket, which are popular sports outside the U.S., have a more complex scoring system for those unfamiliar with the sport. Simply watching a cricket match on television and watching the scoreboard light up without understanding the game can make for a frustrating viewing experience. In the U.S. where youth grow up playing the main sports which we have college and professional leagues for, scoring plays become second nature. But how much do you actually know about scoring plays and their respective sports? Can you tell the difference between and eagle and an albatross? If you're a sports fanatic, kick off this quiz and see what you can score!
How many points does an NFL team receive for a safety?
2
If a defensive player tackles an offensive player with the ball in their own end zone, this results in a safety and 2 points. The scoring team then kicks off to the opposing team.
How many shots on goal does each hockey team receive if the game goes to an overtime shootout?
5
The overtime shootout is a best of 5 shots on goal. If both teams are tied after 5 shots, then it is sudden death and the first team to score when the opposing team fails to score wins.
In basketball, the most amount of points a player could get on a single possession is what?
4
If a player makes a 3-point shot and is also fouled on the play, that player gets an additional free throw attempt. If made, this would result in 4 points for that possession.
How many points is a football team awarded for a touchdown?
6
A player that crosses the goal line into the end zone receives 6 points. The team then has the option to try for a single extra point kick or a two-point try from the 2-yard line in NFL football.
How many points are awarded per serve in a match of volleyball?
1
For each possession in volleyball and per serve, a single point is awarded to the team which keeps the ball in play. The team that wins the point is then the team that serves.
In darts, how many points are awarded for striking the inner red area of the bullseye?
50
On a dartboard, the center bullseye area is divided into two parts. The outer area is typically a green color, this is worth 25 points while the smaller inner red area is worth 50 points.
How many runs does a baseball team get when a player is on second base and the batter hits a ground rule double?
1
A ball that bounces in play and then leaves the field of play (bounces into the stands) results in an automatic double for the batter. The runner is allowed to advance 2 bases, resulting in a single run from second base.
In order to score any points in the sport of curling you must do which of these?
Have at least one stone in the house
The player with a stone closest to the middle will receive points according to the scoring circle it lands in. The player with the next closest stone will get points according to their placement in the scoring circle. If only one stone is in the house, that player will get the points.
If a bowler rolls a perfect game, how many points are awarded?
300
A perfect game in bowling is striking on all 10 frames plus strikes on the two bonus frames for striking on the 10th frame. The result is a perfect score of 300.
Which of these sports does not include a scoring system that uses a single point goal?
Ultimate Frisbee
Ultimate Frisbee uses a similar scoring system to football, with two end zones on either end of the field reached by a team to score. There is no extra point try.
Which of these court sports plays games to 11 and the winner of the match wins the best 3 out of 5 games?
Squash
The court game of squash is played similar to tennis with a point per rally with a game being played to 11. The team with the best games out of five wins the match.
If a player calls a let in this sport, the game can be stopped without penalty of points to replay a rally.
Badminton
When playing badminton, a player may call a let to stop a rally without penalty. If an outside disturbance occurs such as something entering the court, the player may then call a let and restart a rally.
In which sport can a team score a point with a kill?
Volleyball
In volleyball, a player who attacks the ball across the net with such pace that the opposing team cannot return it is known as a kill. If a player happens to return that kill try, it is called a dig.
Which sport does a team score when its balls are closest to the pallino?
Bocce
In the game of bocce, a smaller ball is put into the court which players must then try to get close to by throwing their balls into the court. The smaller ball is called the pallino, or in Italian, bullet.
An athlete has just completed the javelin throw and has one event left in the competition. Which sport are they competing in?
Decathlon
The penultimate event for the Olympic decathlon is the Javelin throw, followed by the 1500-meter race. The decathlon is comprised of 10 events with an aggregate score deciding the winner.
Which scoring play in football is so rare it has never happened in the NFL, only in college?
1-point safety
The rarest scoring play in football is the 1-point safety. This occurs when a team is trying an extra point kick. If the point is blocked then recovered by the defense and the player backs into their own end zone where they are tackled, the result is 1 point for a safety. It has never happened in an NFL game to date.
If a player is potting, which sport are they playing?
Snooker
Snooker uses a scoring term called potting. This involves potting a red ball and then nominating another color ball for the next shot. Snooker uses balls and cues similar to billiards.
If an athlete wins a race using a scull, which sport are they competing in?
Rowing
In the sport of rowing, a boat without a coxswain (a person who sits in the boat to facilitate steering) is known as a scull. These boats can be single, double or quadruple according to how many athletes are in each boat.
Which sport has no point system but an athlete can win a match by throwing their opponent out of the ring?
Sumo wrestling
In sumo wrestling, athletes are not competing for a score, it's a win or lose match. A wrestler can win by throwing or pushing an opponent out of the ring. A sumo match typically lasts less than a minute.
An athlete who is consistently close to the K line might be successful in which of these sports?
Ski jumping
In ski jumping, an established line down the landing ramp called a K line is used to measure distance. Jumpers who don't get close to the K line are deducted points on each jump.
Professional bull riders try to stay on the bull for a maximum of 8 seconds. Riders are scored if they fall off the bull before the 8 seconds are up. A perfect ride, or score of 50, can only be achieved if a rider holds on for the entire 8 seconds.
If your biscuit scores a point, which sport are you playing?
Shuffleboard
The equipment in the sport of shuffleboard includes a long stick called a tang or a cue that is used to propel a puck, known as a biscuit, toward the scoring end of the board.
Players in baseball can get two outs in one play if a player on base is tagged out and the batter is also called out. It's rare, but a triple play is also possible.
In which of the following sports does an athlete try to knock out an opponent?
Boxing
A boxer can win a match by knocking out their opponent. This is a knockdown and failure of the boxer to regain their feet and composure as determined by a referee within ten seconds.
If you just scored an albatross, which sport are you playing?
Golf
A player who gets the ball in the cup in 3 strokes under par has just scored an albatross. This is rare in golf but happens when a player knocks it in from the fairway, usually.
Which sport has a scoring system known as the spectacular seven?
Jai Alai
The most commonly used scoring system in the sport of Jai Alai is called the spectacular seven. This is a series of games played to seven points per player or team.