Match the Jargon to the Sport

A curveball is a type of pitch in the sport of baseball. Curveballs will move through the air depending on the amount of spin put on them by the pitcher, making it difficult for the batter to hit.

Rugby Union sees teams of 15 players competing for victory over two halves of 40 minutes each. The highest point-scoring event in the game is called a try. It is worth five points.

The offside rule in soccer simply means that an attacking player cannot be beyond the last defender when a ball is passed to him. Although it is simply, it's the interpretation by lines persons that often leads to controversy.

The sport of skateboarding has produced some incredible athletes over the years. Think of Tony Hawk, for instance. These skateboarders push the boundaries, inventing new tricks often. An example of a skateboarding trick is a "360 toe flip."

Perhaps the most important player on the field, a "quarterback" runs the offensive game for an American Football team. Effectively, he is the on-field general and calls all the plays when his team is on attack.

Springboard diving has many dive types, one of which is the "Back 2-and-a-half somersaults in the tuck position." In fact, dives can come from six different dive types. They are forward, backward, reverse, inward, twisting and armstand. Withing those dive types, there are four body positions as well!

A "wide" in cricket happens when a bowler bowls the ball too far on either side of the batsman for him to reach it. Because he can't, the bowling side is penalized one penalty run and the ball needs to be bowled again.

Yes, wrestling is filled with many different moves, but the "crotch lift" sees someone try to lift their opponent by grappling them near their crotch area and throwing them over. Pass, thanks!

Care to try a "fluffus"? To perform one, you need to bounce on a trampoline and then manage a double somersault with a twist! Sounds tricky, that is for sure. Be sure you have something soft to land on off the trampoline, just in case.

The "Fosbury Flop" is a method of approaching the high jump. It was named after Dick Fosbury, who won the gold medal at the 1968 Olympics using this technique. Before, most high jump athletes used a number of other methods to clear the pole, including the "Western Roll." Today, the Fosbury Flop is the only way to do it if you want to compete with the best.

A "worldie" happens when a player scores a goal in soccer. But it's not just any goal. It is a world class goal. For instance, a 35-yard shot from outside the box might be classed as a "worldie". It simply means world class.

In sailing, you would definitely find the captain at the "helm" of the ship. And generally, he would have the steering wheel in his hand while barking orders to the crew. In competition sailing, though, the captain doesn't usually go down with the ship!

No a "bagel" is not something players eat during the course of their matchup. It simply means a player has routed their opponent. For instance, in a women's matchup, someone winning 6-0, 6-0 has a "bagel," with the 0 making the shape of the pastry.

A "birdie" is when a golfer shoots one under par for a hole. For instance, if a hole is a par three, the golfer would have completed it in only two shots and therefore scored a "birdie".

In ice hockey, the playing area is often called a "barn". A "barn burner" is therefore a high-scoring game.

It's not a terrible place, really. In motor racing, all the various team garages are found in "the pits." During a race, a driver might bring his car into "the pits" to change tires or refuel.

Well it might be a spoon for giants, but the slang word for a lacrosse stick is a "spoon." It certainly does look like an oversized piece of cutlery.

There are many ways to play a ball in soccer. On the times it flies in the air toward a player, he might choose to "head" it to another team member or even at the goal. This simply means that instead of using his feet, he uses his head.

If someone serves an "ace" in tennis, they have won a point by making a service which their opponent could not hit, let alone return. You can only score an "ace" in your service game.

"Fore!" is never a good thing in golf. If you hear that as a spectator, make sure you duck. It means a golfer has hit the ball off line and it is sailing into the crowd! (Note: If you're ordering hot dogs at a golf match, stick to three or five.)

Volleyball is a great team game. When someone "spikes" the ball, they are hitting it as hard as they can into the opposition area, usually with a downward motion. This makes it difficult to return.

Beezer is indeed a term from boxing. But what does it mean? Well, a "beezer" is a boxer's nose, a frequent target for his opponent. If you can break your adversary's "beezer" he will have trouble breathing properly ... and be in a lot of pain!

In cricket, batsmen score runs by hitting the ball into gaps in the field and running between the wickets. They can also score runs by hitting the ball to the boundary rope (a four) or in the air over the boundary rope (a six).

In professional basketball, a free throw is not often missed. And that is why the free throw line is known as the charity stripe. It's like giving away points for free!

If a player is struck on the hand by a ball in the sport of soccer, the referee will give a free-kick for a "handball." If this happens inside the penalty area, a penalty will be given.

It's a strange term, but "bonked" or "bonk" just means that someone doing a triathlon has run out of steam. It's no surprise, really! Who wants to swim, run and cycle in the same race!

In the sport of pool, a "bank shot" is when a player has made use of a side cushion to hit the cue ball into their target ball and then hopefully in the pocket. This can also refer to when the cue ball hits the object ball, then the object ball goes off a cushion.

Batter up! When a batter readies to face a pitcher in baseball, he is standing over the plate. If the pitcher wants to strike out the batter, he'll have to keep his pitches more or less over the plate (depending on the umpire's strike zone).

Tennis has a very unique scoring system that starts in multiples of 15 and then goes to 10; for instance, 15-all, 30-all and then 40-all. 40-all is never said as 40-all. It is simply called "deuce".

When a player performs a "nutmeg" in soccer, he has cleverly kicked the ball through the open legs of his opponent, run past him and gathered the ball again. To be nutmegged is the ultimate humiliation on a soccer pitch.

Mountain biking can be a very tough sport. And dangerous ... especially when going downhill fast. It's best to look out for medium sized rocks, known as "death cookies," that might throw you from your bike!

A "touchdown" is the major scoring play in American football. It can be achieved in a number of ways but just needs a player to work their way into the end zone with the ball or to receive the ball there. It is worth six points.

The sport of aerobatics sees pilots performing a series of maneuvers for which they are scored according to difficulty level, efficiency and other criteria. One of these maneuvers, a "loop," sees the pilot pull up and continue to pull back on this flight stick until the aircraft has completed a full circle.

Punch drunk is a term from the sport of boxing. It is given to a boxer who has taken far too many hits and is staggering around the ring, not really knowing where he is. For this reason, they are said to be "punch drunk."

Yes, a grand slam is certainly a phrase that comes from baseball. And what does it mean? It is a 4-run home run, a longball struck when the bases were loaded. This is a rare occurrence, and very often changes the momentum in a game dramatically.