Sports terminology is an important part of the general awareness section of competitive exams. It refers to the words that are exclusively used in a particular sport or athletics including equipment, postures, methods, and rules. Every sport has its own unique vocabulary that is used in the field.
Candidates appearing for exams such as UPSC, SSC, Bank, RRB, IBPS or any other government exams surely encounter at least one question related to sports terminology. Hence, it is important to be familiar with the most common sports terms. [Static GK]
List of Sports Terminology
| Sports | Terminology |
|---|---|
| Archery | Target, Bull’s Eye, Muzzle, Shooting, Skit Shooting, Plug etc. |
| Sports Term of Athletics | Relay, Track, Lane, Photo Finish, Hurdles, Shot Put, Discus Throw, Hammer Throw, High Jump, Triple Jump Cross Country, etc. |
| Badminton | Double fault, Fore hand, Back Hand, Smash, Hit, Drop, Net, Love, End, Let, Foot Fault, Shuttlecock, Service court etc. |
| Baseball | Pitcher, Strike, Diamond, Bunting, Home Run, Put Out, Ant rubber, Pinch, Pullout, Short Stop, Pinching, Base runner, Perfect game, Throw, etc. |
| Basketball | Blocking, Dribbling, Free Throw, Held Ball, Holding, Jump Ball, Multiple Throws, Pivot, Common foul, under head, technical foul, Overhead, Hook Pass, Goal Tending etc. |
| Bridge | Auction, Bid, Chicane, Cut, Declarer, Doubleton, Dummy, Finesse, Little Slam, Notrumps, Over-trick, Revoke, rubber, Ruff, Shuffle, Suit, Vulnerable, Master Point, Trump, Grand slam, Perfect deals etc. |
| Billiards & Snooker | Queue, Jigger, Break Pot, Inlock, Hazard, Cans, Cue, Scratch, Pull, Hit, Object Ball, Scoring, In luck, In off, Bolting, Hazard, Long, Cushion billiards, Break shot, etc |
| Boxing | Blow, Belt, Bout, Knock Down, Heating, Villo, Punch, Jab, Huck, Upper Cut, Welter Weight, Babit Punch, Jab, Lying On, Seconds out, Weight In, Win by Knock-out, Knock out, Ring Stoppage, Round, Kidney punch, Timing, Footwork, Accidental Butt, Bleeder, Bolo Punch, Brawler, Break, Buckle, Canvas, Card, Caught Cold, Clinch, Corkscrew Cornerman, Counterpunch, Cross, Cutman, Dive, Eight Count, Glass Jaw, Haymaker, Liver Shot, Low Blow, Mauler, Neutral Corner, Plodder, Ring Generalship, Roughhousing, Southpaw, Spar, Stablemate, Technical Knockout, Walkout Bout, Whiskers |
| Boat Rowing | Hull, Bow, Bucket, Cow, Ergometer, Feather, Paddle, Regatta, Decks, Vents, Gunwales, Keel, Ribs, Rigger, Oarlock etc. |
| Chess | Gambit, Stalemate, Pawn, Checkmate, Bishop, FIDE, Castle, Cheek, Pieces, Files, Sielllian Defence, Capture, En Passant, Grand Master, King, Knight, Queen, Rook, Under Promoting, Move, Resign, International Master, Kings Indian Defence, etc. |
| Cycling | Sprint, Time trial, Trackrace, Point race, Bunny Hop, Chain etc. |
| Cricket | Ashes, Banana, Bat, Ball, China Man, LBW, Hat Trick, Duck, Gully, Strock, Cover, Hit Wicket, Googly, Popping, Crease, Follow On, Duck, Stone Walling, Cover Drive, Crease, Doosra, Duckworth-Lewis Rule, Fine Leg, Full Toss, Leg-break, Leg-bye, Maiden Over, No Ball, Square Leg, Straight Drive, Stumped, Thirdman, Yorker, Run, Pitch, Bails, Pavilion, Gloves, Wicket Keeper, Over, , Followon, Rubber, Spin, Ashes, Catch, Bowled, Stump out, Runout, Not out, Wide ball, Dead ball, Maiden over, Overthrow, Bye, Late cut, Hook, Glance, Shot, Pull, Sixer, Follow Through, Turn, Bouncer, Round the wicket, Over the wicket, Seamer, Boundry line, Slip, Runner, Cover, Gully, Long on, Silly point, Midwicket, Mid-on, Forward short leg, Deep/mid-wicket, etc. |
| Football | Full Back, Half Back, Free Kick, Hat trick, Sweeper, throwing, Handball, FIFA, Header, Dummy, Dribble, Advantage Clause, Blind Side, Centre Forward, Corner Kick, Dead Ball, Goal kick, Golden Goal, Penalty Kick, Penalty Shootout, Red Card, Offside, Move, Foul, Left out, Right out, Stopper, Defender, Side back, Pass, Baseline, Rebound, Comer back, etc. |
| Golf | Pull Hall, The Green, Bunker, Par, Lie, Bogey, Caddie, PGA Tour & masters open, United States open, Tee, Best-ball Foursome, Dormy, Fairway, Fourball, Foursome, Greed Holes, Links, Niblic, Put, Rough, Stymied, Threesome, Ace, albatross, double eagle, all square, approach putt, apron, ball mark, ballooning, beach, birdie, blind shot, bogey, bunker, caddy, chip, Claw grip, condor, dogleg, dub, flag, Mulligan, off the deck, peg, sand trap, tee shot etc. |
| Gymnastics | A-bars, Ariel, Blocks, Cone of Swing, Dish, Flairs, Giants, Inlocate, Kip, Planche, Tariff, Tumble, Virtuosity, Wrap, Parellel bar, Horizontal bar, Push up, Floor exercise, Uneven bar, Sit up etc. |
| Hockey | Stick, Penalty Strock, Scoop, Undercutting, Bully, Centre Forward, Push In, Side Line, Half Bally, Advantage, Back-stick, Cary, Corner, Dribble, Flick, Free-hit, Goal Line, Green Card, Halfway Line, Hat-trick, Off-side, Red Car, Roll -in, Short Corner, Sixteen-yard hit, Square Pass, Tackle, Tie-breaker, Zonal Marking, Penalty Corner, Cut, Astroturf, Sudden death, left in, Left out, Carried, Striking circle, etc. |
| Horse Riding | Jockey, Punt, Steeplechase, Thorough Bred, Three day Event, Dresses, Show jumping, Faults etc. |
| Judo | Cocoa, White, Blue, Green Belt, Ashi-waza, chui, Dan, Dojo, Gyaku, Hajime, Ippon, Jigotai, Kaeshiwaza, Koka, Makikomi, Nage-waza, O-goshi, Randori, Scarf, Tani-Otoshi, Uchi-komvi, Waki-gatame, Yoshi, Yuko etc. |
| Kho-Kho | Chasers, Active Chaser, Runners, Diving, Taking a direction, To recede, Tapping, Trapping, Dupe turn, Late Kho, Giving Kho, Fake Kho etc. |
| Polo | Bunker, Chukker, Mallet, Polo-Bunker etc. |
| Shooting | Target, Bulls Eye, Muzzle, Trench Shooting, Shooting, Skill Shooting, Skit Shooting, Plug, Bag, Marksmanship, Rapidfire Pistol, Standard rifle, Free pistol, Air rifle, Range etc. |
| Skiing | Tobogganing |
| Swimming | FINA, Butterfly, Breast Strock, Spring Board, Twist, Front Crawl, Freestyle, Back stroke, Lane, Pool etc. |
| Table Tennis | Chinese Grip, Foil, Back Spin, Counter Bitting, Falt Hit, Anti Loop, Backspin, Chop, Loop, Penhold Grip, Push, Twiddle, Foil, End line, Late control, Block stroke, Service, Penholder grip, Back spin, Centre line, Half Court, Side spin, Swing stroke, Push Stroke, Rally, Let, Reverse, Top Spin, Drop shot, Lob, Chopped return, Counter hitting, Volley, Late service, Drive spin, Half volley, Backhand,etc. |
| Lawn Tennis | Ace, Backhand Stroke, Deuce, Deep Volley, Double Fault, Fault, Ground Stroke, Half Volley, Let, Love, Slice, Smash, Volley, Service, Grand Slam, Advantage, Game Point, Break point, Smash, Shot, Grass Court, Drop shot, Netplay, Baseline, Chip Shot etc. |
| Volleyball | Ace, Base-line, Blocking, Doubling, Foot Fault, Heave, Holding, Jump Set, Lob Pass, Love All, Point, Quick Smash, Scouting, Service, Spike, Tactical Ball, Volley, Windmill Service, Booster, Deuce, Smash, Sidearm, Panetration, Antennae, Attack hit, Back zone players, Dribbling, Libero, Front Zone players, Rotation, Net fault, Forearm pass, Hook serve, Set up etc |
| Weightlifting | Jerk, Snatch, Bounce, Complex, Double Knee Bend, Drive Position, Dynamic Start, Eccentric, Hang, First Pull, Hook Grip, Power Position, Scoop, Second Pull, Split, Starting Position, Straps, Warm-up Couplet, Third Pull, Technique Primer etc. |
| Wrestling | Free style, Point, Half Nelson, Rebuts, Hold sager, Heave, etc |
| Water Polo | 2 meter line, 4 meter line, Goal line, Caps, Personal, Fault, Ball under etc |
Test Your Sports Terminology Knowledge (MCQ)
- What is the term for a situation in football when a player deliberately handles the ball with their hand or arm?
a) Tackle
b) Offside
c) Penalty
d) Handball
Answer: d) Handball
- In basketball, what is the term for a shot attempt in which the ball is thrown downward with one or both hands?
a) Slam dunk
b) Free throw
c) Layup
d) Rebound
Answer: a) Slam dunk
- What is the term for the act of hitting the tennis ball before it bounces on the player’s side of the court?
a) Ace
b) Volley
c) Smash
d) Lob
Answer: b) Volley
- In cricket, what is the term for getting three batsmen out with three consecutive deliveries?
a) Hat-trick
b) Sixer
c) Yorker
d) Googly
Answer: a) Hat-trick
- What is the term for a score of 7 points in American football?
a) Touchdown
b) Field goal
c) Extra point
d) Safety
Answer: a) Touchdown
- In golf, what is the term for completing a hole with one stroke under par?
a) Par
b) Bogey
c) Birdie
d) Eagle
Answer: c) Birdie
- What is the term for a full 360-degree spin in figure skating?
a) Jump
b) Flip
c) Lutz
d) Axel
Answer: d) Axel
- In rugby, what is the term for scoring a try and successfully converting it into points?
a) Ruck
b) Maul
c) Scrum
d) Conversion
Answer: d) Conversion
- What is the term for a technique in swimming where the swimmer’s body is fully submerged underwater before resurfacing?
a) Freestyle
b) Backstroke
c) Breaststroke
d) Butterfly
Answer: d) Butterfly
- In boxing, what is the term for a match that ends before the scheduled rounds due to one boxer being unable to continue?
a) Draw
b) Knockout
c) Technical knockout
d) Decision
Answer: b) Knockout