Sports trivia: 80 questions and answers for adults and kids

The short answer: this sports trivia list has 80 questions and answers in seven rounds.

• Rounds: football, basketball, baseball, soccer and the Olympics
• Plus a mixed round and an easy kids' round
• Answers in bold right after each question
• Hosting: teams of three to five, one point per answer
• Next step: Plan it with the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99).

This sports trivia list has 80 questions and answers in seven rounds: football, basketball, baseball, soccer, the Olympics, a mixed round for hockey, tennis and golf, plus an easy kids' round. Read them aloud at a game night, a tailgate or a holiday party. Every answer is in bold right after its question, so the host can keep score without a separate key.

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How to run a sports trivia night

Tiebreaker idea: "How many consecutive games did Cal Ripken Jr. play?" The answer is 2,632.

Football trivia questions

1. What year was the first Super Bowl played? 1967
2. Which team won the first Super Bowl? The Green Bay Packers, 35 to 10 over the Kansas City Chiefs
3. What is the Super Bowl trophy called? The Vince Lombardi Trophy
4. How many points is a touchdown worth? Six
5. How many points is a field goal worth? Three
6. How many points does a safety give the defense? Two
7. How many players does each team have on the field? Eleven
8. How long is a football field from goal line to goal line? 100 yards
9. Which two teams share the record for most Super Bowl wins? The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, six each
10. Which Super Bowl was the only one written without Roman numerals? Super Bowl 50
11. Which NFL team has hosted a Thanksgiving Day game nearly every year since 1934? The Detroit Lions
12. What is it called when a defender catches a pass meant for the offense? An interception

The Britannica Super Bowl history confirms the first game was played January 15, 1967, in Los Angeles. I'm Detroit-born, so question 11 had to make the list.

Basketball trivia questions

1. Who invented basketball? James Naismith
2. In what year was basketball invented? 1891
3. In which city was the first game played? Springfield, Massachusetts
4. What did the first game use as hoops? Peach baskets
5. How many players per team are on the court at once? Five
6. How high is a regulation basketball hoop? 10 feet
7. How many points is a free throw worth? One
8. In what year did the league take the name National Basketball Association? 1949
9. Who scored 100 points in a single NBA game in 1962? Wilt Chamberlain
10. What jersey number did Michael Jordan make famous with the Chicago Bulls? 23
11. In what year did the WNBA play its first season? 1997
12. Who passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 2023 to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer? LeBron James

Britannica's basketball history notes that the first game was played December 21, 1891, and Naismith was born in Canada.

Baseball trivia questions

1. How many innings are in a standard Major League game? Nine
2. How far apart are the bases? 90 feet
3. Who broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947? Jackie Robinson
4. Which team did Jackie Robinson play for? The Brooklyn Dodgers
5. Which team has won the most World Series titles? The New York Yankees
6. In what year was the first modern World Series played? 1903
7. Which player was nicknamed the Sultan of Swat? Babe Ruth
8. Who holds the career home run record with 762? Barry Bonds
9. What is it called when a pitcher allows no one to reach base in a full game? A perfect game
10. What is the tall left field wall at Fenway Park called? The Green Monster
11. Whose record of 2,632 straight games played still stands? Cal Ripken Jr.
12. How many strikes make an out? Three

Soccer trivia questions

1. How often is the men's World Cup held? Every four years
2. Which country hosted and won the first World Cup in 1930? Uruguay
3. Which country won the men's World Cup five times between 1958 and 2002? Brazil
4. How many players does each team have on the field? Eleven
5. How long is a professional match, not counting stoppage time? 90 minutes
6. What is it called when one player scores three goals in a game? A hat trick
7. Which three countries co-hosted the 2026 men's World Cup? The United States, Canada and Mexico
8. Which player can use their hands inside the penalty area? The goalkeeper
9. What color card sends a player off the field? Red
10. How many Women's World Cup titles did the U.S. win in 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019? Four

Olympics trivia questions

1. Where were the first modern Olympic Games held in 1896? Athens, Greece
2. How many rings are on the Olympic flag? Five
3. What colors are the Olympic rings? Blue, yellow, black, green and red
4. Who has won the most Olympic medals, with 28? Michael Phelps
5. Which American won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Games? Jesse Owens
6. Which city hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics? Los Angeles
7. How long is a marathon? 26.2 miles
8. Which winter sport slides stones across ice toward a target called the house? Curling
9. In which sport would you compete on a pommel horse? Gymnastics
10. How often are the Summer Olympics usually held? Every four years

Britannica's Olympic Games history covers how the modern Games began in Athens.

Mixed round: hockey, tennis, golf and more

1. What trophy goes to the NHL champion? The Stanley Cup
2. Which hockey player wore number 99 and was called The Great One? Wayne Gretzky
3. How many players does each hockey team have on the ice, including the goalie? Six
4. In tennis, what does "love" mean? Zero
5. Which tennis Grand Slam is played on grass? Wimbledon
6. Name the four tennis Grand Slams. Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open
7. In golf, what is one stroke under par called? A birdie
8. Which golf tournament gives its winner a green jacket? The Masters
9. How many holes are in a standard round of golf? 18
10. Which horse race is called the Run for the Roses? The Kentucky Derby
11. What is a perfect score in bowling? 300
12. What was Muhammad Ali's birth name? Cassius Clay

Easy sports trivia for kids

1. Which sport uses a puck? Hockey
2. What shape is a football? An oval
3. How many bases are on a baseball field, counting home plate? Four
4. Which sport uses a shuttlecock? Badminton
5. What is it called when a player pushes the ball down through the hoop? A dunk
6. In which sport can only the goalie use their hands? Soccer
7. How many players from one basketball team are on the court at once? Five
8. What color is a tennis ball usually? Yellow
9. What is it called when you knock down all 10 bowling pins with one ball? A strike
10. In which sport do you score a touchdown? Football
11. Where does a baseball player run first after a hit? First base
12. What do you swing to hit the ball in golf? A club

More game night ideas

Running a holiday party instead? Try our Christmas trivia, Thanksgiving trivia or Thanksgiving games. For warm-ups between rounds, pull a few would you rather questions or Christmas party games.

Plan the party, not just the questions

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• Printable Budget Planner ($5.99): twelve undated pages to set a party budget and track it.

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For a kids' table that wants a different challenge, mix in a few riddles for kids.

More game-night rounds: Bible trivia questions and music trivia, both with answers.