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Fun with Sports Words

Words in baseball, football, basketball, golf and others

Sports have given us a lot of colorful language—like home run, punt, hat trick, and double dribble. But some times the terminology gets a little silly.

Baseball

If you miss the ball, why is it a strike?

How come all the players aren't called catchers?

Why don't they eject a player for fouling the ball?

Why is a ball that is a strike also not a ball?

How come innings are made up of outs?

Why doesn't the short stop stop short of making the play?

Isn't it strange that the opposite of out is safe, but a walk is not the opposite of a run?


American Football

Shouldn't the player who throws the ball be called a throwback ?

If you toss the ball backwards, why is it a lateral ?

In a trade, is a fullback worth two halfbacks or four quarterbacks?

Is football coaching a sideline career?

Why don't football teams practice safety first?

How come after a touchdown, the player never touches down?

Why do they call it football when the foot rarely touches the ball?




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Other sports

Wouldn‘t it be reasonable to say that cheerleaders are athletic supporters ?

In basketball, why are the players constantly throwing up ?

In basketball, do you have to be tall to be good at basket making ?

Why is a boxing ring square?

In boxing, how come during every round, the boxers square off ?

Doesn't playing golf get you teed off ?

If you swing your golf club at several golf carts, wouldn't you make a hole-in-one ?

How come when you skate on thin ice, you usually end up in hot water ?

Is there gutter talk in a bowling alley?

Can fat people go skinny dipping ?

What do they keep in a pole vault ?

Isn't polo mostly horseplay ?

Why do hunters call their prey game even though the animals didn't volunteer?

Do some hunters rely on their blind spot to find game?

Besides a hockey puck, what other kinds of pucks are there?

Why would anyone name a sport squash ?

In auto racing, don't drivers get tired during pit stops?