Sports Terms and Measurements: Grounds, Players and PYQs
Exam notes on sports terminology and measurements: which term belongs to which game, ground and court sizes, team strength, match duration and equipment weights.
By GK24 Editorial Team· Published · 4 min read
Two small questions come from this chapter in almost every General Knowledge paper: one asks which game a term belongs to, and the other asks a measurement, a team size or the length of a match. Both are pure memory questions with no reasoning behind them, so a student who has revised the tables below gains marks that a stronger candidate loses. This note groups the terms game by game and then collects the numbers a paper setter can ask.
Terms and the game they belong to
| Game | Terms asked in papers |
|---|---|
| Cricket | Googly, Yorker, Maiden over, Duck, Silly point, Leg before wicket, Follow on |
| Football | Offside trap, Dribble, Corner kick, Penalty shootout, Hat-trick, Throw in |
| Hockey | Bully, Short corner, Penalty stroke, Astroturf, Scoop, Dribble |
| Basketball | Pivoting, Dunk, Free throw, Hold ball, Rebound, Travelling |
| Golf | Albatross, Eagle, Birdie, Bogey, Bunker, Tee, Caddie, Putting |
| Tennis | Love, Deuce, Advantage, Ace, Let, Volley, Smash, Grand Slam |
| Badminton | Smash, Drop shot, Lob, Deuce, Shuttlecock, Service court |
| Boxing | Jab, Hook, Uppercut, Knockout, Punch, Round |
| Wrestling | Half nelson, Pin fall, Hold, Scissor grip |
| Chess | Checkmate, Stalemate, Gambit, Castling, En passant |
| Kabaddi | Raider, Anti, Lona, Bonus line, Cant |
| Polo | Chukker, Mallet, Bunker of play |
Golf scoring, the trap in the term questions
Golf gives the largest family of look-alike terms, and exams exploit it. Par is the number of strokes a good player is expected to take on a hole. One stroke under par is a birdie, two under is an eagle and three under is an albatross, also called a double eagle. One stroke over par is a bogey and two over is a double bogey. A hole in one is called an ace. Because these words sound like bird names, a student who has not fixed the order loses the mark, so remember the ladder in rising size: birdie, eagle, albatross.
Playing areas, nets and heights
| Game | Measurement to remember |
|---|---|
| Cricket | Pitch 22 yards, about 20.12 metres, between the two sets of stumps |
| Football | Goal 7.32 metres wide and 2.44 metres high; field 100 to 110 metres long |
| Hockey | Field 91.4 metres by 55 metres; goal 3.66 metres wide |
| Basketball | Court 28 metres by 15 metres; ring 3.05 metres above the floor |
| Volleyball | Court 18 metres by 9 metres; net 2.43 metres for men, 2.24 for women |
| Badminton | Court 13.4 metres long; net 1.524 metres high at the centre |
| Table tennis | Table 2.74 metres by 1.525 metres, 76 centimetres high; net 15.25 centimetres |
| Tennis | Court 23.77 metres long; 8.23 metres wide for singles |
| Swimming | Olympic pool 50 metres long |
Team strength and the length of a match
- Eleven players a side in cricket, football and hockey.
- Five in basketball, six in volleyball, seven in kabaddi, water polo, handball and netball.
- Nine in baseball and softball, four in polo, fifteen in rugby union.
- A football match runs ninety minutes in two halves of forty-five, and a hockey match sixty minutes in four quarters of fifteen.
- A basketball game under international rules runs forty minutes in four quarters of ten.
Equipment and event measurements
A cricket ball weighs between 155.9 and 163 grams, and the bat may not be longer than 38 inches or wider than 4.25 inches. A shuttlecock weighs about 4.74 to 5.50 grams, and a table tennis ball is 40 millimetres across and weighs 2.7 grams. A golf hole is 4.25 inches, that is 108 millimetres, in diameter, and a full round is eighteen holes. In athletics the men's shot and the men's hammer both weigh 7.26 kilograms, the men's discus weighs 2 kilograms and the men's javelin 800 grams; the women's implements are lighter. A marathon is run over 42.195 kilometres, and the Olympic recurve archery target stands at 70 metres. Fix these figures as pairs, because papers usually change one number in the options and leave the rest correct.
How to revise this chapter
Learn the terms in the direction the paper asks: from the term to the game, not from the game to a list. Write each term on one line with its game, and test only the odd ones, such as bully for hockey, chukker for polo, half nelson for wrestling and albatross for golf. For the measurements, learn the pitch, the basket height, the net heights and the team sizes first, because those four groups cover most of the questions actually set.
Exam Point of View
Two question types repeat. The first gives a term and asks the game: offside trap, pivoting, albatross, bully, chukker, half nelson, googly, lona. Fix the odd ones, because the common terms such as smash, deuce and dribble belong to more than one game and are therefore rarely asked alone. The second asks a number: the length of a cricket pitch, the height of a basketball ring, the net height in volleyball or badminton, the size of a table tennis table, the team strength in water polo or kabaddi, or the duration of a hockey match. The trap is a nearby figure in the options, such as 3.05 metres against 3.5 metres, or 22 yards against 22 metres. Olympic and athletics weights, especially 7.26 kilograms for the shot put, and the marathon distance of 42.195 kilometres are also regular one-mark questions.
Important Facts
| Cricket pitch length | 22 yards, about 20.12 metres, between the stumps |
|---|---|
| Cricket ball weight | 155.9 to 163 grams |
| Football goal size | 7.32 metres wide, 2.44 metres high |
| Hockey field | 91.4 metres by 55 metres |
| Basketball ring height | 3.05 metres above the floor |
| Basketball court | 28 metres by 15 metres |
| Volleyball net height | 2.43 metres for men, 2.24 metres for women |
| Badminton net at centre | 1.524 metres |
| Table tennis table | 2.74 metres by 1.525 metres, 76 centimetres high |
| Table tennis ball | 40 millimetres across, 2.7 grams |
| Golf hole diameter | 4.25 inches, that is 108 millimetres |
| Marathon distance | 42.195 kilometres |
| Men's shot put weight | 7.26 kilograms |
| Players in a kabaddi team on court | Seven |
| Hockey match duration | 60 minutes, four quarters of 15 minutes |
Practice MCQs on this topic
The term offside trap is used in -
- A.Football
- B.Badminton
- C.Tennis
- D.Table Tennis
Show answer
An offside trap is a defensive tactic in which the defenders move up the field together at the right moment so that an attacking player is left beyond the last defender when the ball is played forward, and the referee then gives offside.
Read the full explanation →The term 'Albatross' is used in which of the following sport?
- A.Golf
- B.Polo
- C.Fencing
- D.Rugby
Show answer
In golf an albatross, also called a double eagle, means holing out in three strokes fewer than the par of that hole, which is among the rarest feats in the game.
Read the full explanation →Pivoting is related to which of the following sports?
- A.Hockey
- B.Volleyball
- C.Badminton
- D.Basketball
Show answer
Pivoting is the legal turn in which a player holding the ball keeps one foot fixed on the floor, the pivot foot, and steps around with the other foot; it lets a player face the basket or protect the ball without being called for travelling.
Read the full explanation →What is the distance between the two sets of stumps on a cricket pitch?
- A.20 yards
- B.22 yards
- C.24 yards
- D.22 metres
Show answer
The Laws of Cricket fix the pitch at 22 yards between the two bowling creases, that is between the two sets of stumps, which works out to about 20.12 metres; the pitch is 10 feet wide.
Read the full explanation →The height of a basketball ring from the floor is:
- A.2.44 metres
- B.3.05 metres
- C.3.5 metres
- D.2.43 metres
Show answer
The ring, or basket, is fixed with its upper edge 3.05 metres above the floor, that is exactly 10 feet, and the measurement has not changed since the game was invented by James Naismith in 1891.
Read the full explanation →How many players of a team are on the court at one time in water polo?
- A.Five
- B.Six
- C.Seven
- D.Nine
Show answer
A water polo team plays with seven players in the pool, six field players and one goalkeeper, with substitutes on the bench.
Read the full explanation →The term 'Chukker' is associated with which sport?
- A.Polo
- B.Boxing
- C.Wrestling
- D.Archery
Show answer
A chukker is one period of play in polo, and a match is made up of several chukkers with breaks between them so that the ponies can be changed.
Read the full explanation →The height of a badminton net at the centre of the court is:
- A.1.524 metres
- B.1.55 metres
- C.2.24 metres
- D.1.07 metres
Show answer
The correct answer is A, 1.524 metres, that is five feet at the centre of the court, with the net standing slightly higher, 1.55 metres, at the posts.
Read the full explanation →What is the diameter of a table tennis ball?
- A.38 millimetres
- B.40 millimetres
- C.42 millimetres
- D.45 millimetres
Show answer
A table tennis ball is 40 millimetres across and weighs 2.7 grams, and it is made of plastic with a matt white or orange surface.
Read the full explanation →The standard distance of a marathon race is:
- A.40.000 kilometres
- B.41.195 kilometres
- C.42.195 kilometres
- D.45.195 kilometres
Show answer
The distance was fixed after the London Olympic Games of 1908, where the course was lengthened to finish in front of the royal box, and it has been the standard ever since.
Read the full explanation →The term 'Bully' was used to restart play in which of the following games?
- A.Hockey
- B.Kabaddi
- C.Volleyball
- D.Baseball
Show answer
In field hockey a bully was the method of restarting play after certain stoppages: one player of each side stood facing the other over the ball and they tapped sticks and ground alternately before playing it.
Read the full explanation →The dimensions of a volleyball court are:
- A.18 metres by 9 metres
- B.28 metres by 15 metres
- C.13.4 metres by 6.1 metres
- D.23.77 metres by 8.23 metres
Show answer
A volleyball court is a rectangle 18 metres long and 9 metres wide, divided into two square halves of 9 metres by 9 metres by the centre line, above which the net is fixed at 2.43 metres for men and 2.24 metres for women.
Read the full explanation →Frequently Asked Questions
Which sport uses the term albatross?
Golf. An albatross, also called a double eagle, means completing a hole in three strokes fewer than par. The related terms are birdie for one under par, eagle for two under, bogey for one over par and ace for a hole in one.
What is the length of a cricket pitch?
The pitch measures 22 yards, about 20.12 metres, from one set of stumps to the other. The pitch is 10 feet wide, and each set of three stumps stands 28 inches above the ground.
In which game is the term bully used?
Hockey. A bully was the old method of restarting play, in which two opposing players tapped sticks over the ball. Hockey also gives short corner, penalty stroke, scoop and astroturf to exam papers.
What is the height of a basketball ring?
The ring, or basket, is fixed 3.05 metres, that is 10 feet, above the floor. The court under international rules measures 28 metres by 15 metres and each team has five players on court.
How many players are there in a kabaddi team?
Seven players of a side are on the court at one time, from a squad of twelve. Water polo, handball and netball also field seven players, so the four are often asked together.
Which term means pivoting and where is it used?
Pivoting is used in basketball. It is the legal movement in which a player holding the ball keeps one foot fixed on the floor and turns on it with the other foot, so that the move is not counted as travelling.
What is the distance of a marathon race?
A marathon is run over 42.195 kilometres, that is 26 miles and 385 yards. A half marathon is therefore 21.0975 kilometres, and the shorter road races asked in papers are the 10 kilometre and 5 kilometre events.
Sources
- Laws of Cricket, Law 6: The Pitch, and Law 5: The Ball — Marylebone Cricket Club
- Laws of the Game, Law 1: The Field of Play — FIFA
- Official Basketball Rules, Rule 2: Playing Court and Equipment — FIBA
- Health and Physical Education, Classes XI and XII — NCERT
