SPORTS I RESOURCE CENTRE
🧩 Sports Brain Teasers
Original challenge cards for classroom corners, wet breaks and change-of-activity moments — reveal the answer, discuss the why, then move. Every card is Sports I original.
20 cards · 10 challenge types · KS1 to KS3
Serve & Volley Mystery
Rackets, a net and a small yellow ball. A rally can last two seconds or two minutes, and in this sport 'love' means nothing at all. What sport am I describing?
Hands Off!
Two teams of six. No player may catch, hold or throw the ball. It must be struck, set or spiked over a high net. What is it?
Tick-Tock
I have two hands but never clap, a face but never smile, and I always tell you when the race is over. What am I?
Bigger and Bigger
Diggers make me, long jumpers land in me, and every time you take away from me I get bigger. What am I?
Feathered Flier
I have a rubber base and a feather or plastic skirt. I fall more slowly than anything else in the games trolley. What am I?
Every Game Has Me
I weigh about 430 grams and I'm round. Without me, no invasion game in school could start. Feet, sticks or hands may move me — the rules decide. What am I?
Scrambled Sport
Unscramble these letters: G-L-A-M-N-Y-C-S-I-T. Hint: this sport has jumps, rolls, balances and shapes.
Scrambled Sport 2
Unscramble these letters: Y-E-H-K-C-O. Hint: a stick, a ball, and a net at both ends of the pitch.
The Only One Allowed
I wear a different shirt from everyone else. I'm the only player on my team allowed to use my hands — but only inside my own box. Who am I?
I Decide Every Race
I never run, I never win a medal, yet every result depends on my eyes and my thumb. Who am I?
Two Minutes to Save the Match
Your team is losing 2–1. You win a corner with the last kick of the match — and your coach sends the goalkeeper up too. Why would a coach do that, and what is the risk?
Run or Reset?
Your netball team is 1 goal down with 30 seconds left. You've been awarded a free pass just outside the circle. Should your team play quick and direct, or reset and restart patiently? Defend your answer.
Cold Hands Shooting
A teacher writes this plan: 'Run two laps of the field, sprint 100 metres flat out, then begin shooting practice.' What's missing, and what could go wrong?
Head Down
A basketball player dribbles with their head down the whole way up the court. What's the mistake, and what does the team lose?
The Class Average
Your class scored 24, 18, 27 and 31 points in four relay heats. What is the average score? To reach an average of exactly 26 after five heats, what must the fifth heat score?
Under Two Twenty
A 4×200m relay team runs split times of 32s, 35s, 31s and 34s. What is their total time — and how many seconds are they inside a target of 2 minutes 20 seconds?
Long, High, Triple
I can be long, I can be high, and I can even be triple. Every playground game has me hiding inside it. What am I?
Straight as a Pencil
Every gymnast learns me first. I am tall, straight and still, like a pencil made of muscle. What am I?
Cross the River
Two lines 5 metres apart are a river. Your team of 8 has three hoops and must get everyone across without touching the water. Set your rules, choose your plan, and cross. Then improve your time.
Bench Swap
Stand your whole team on one bench and swap ends without anyone touching the floor. How will you communicate, who moves first, and what is your plan for the tricky middle — where everyone meets?
First 20 original cards — the set grows to 50+, with new types added weekly. Part of the expanded Sports I Resource Library from UK PE Group.
Sports Brain Teasers — Teacher Pack
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Guess the Sport · KS2
Serve & Volley Mystery
Rackets, a net and a small yellow ball. A rally can last two seconds or two minutes, and in this sport 'love' means nothing at all. What sport am I describing?
Answer: Tennis. — Tennis is played with rackets over a net, rallies vary hugely in length, and 'love' is the tennis word for zero points.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Guess the Sport · KS2
Hands Off!
Two teams of six. No player may catch, hold or throw the ball. It must be struck, set or spiked over a high net. What is it?
Answer: Volleyball. — Volleyball allows only hits (bump, set, spike) — catching or throwing the ball is a fault.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Sports Riddle · KS1
Tick-Tock
I have two hands but never clap, a face but never smile, and I always tell you when the race is over. What am I?
Answer: A stopwatch (or a clock). — Clocks and stopwatches have 'hands' and a 'face' — and a stopwatch decides exactly when a race ends.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Sports Riddle · KS1
Bigger and Bigger
Diggers make me, long jumpers land in me, and every time you take away from me I get bigger. What am I?
Answer: A hole — like the long-jump sand pit. — A hole gets larger the more material is removed from it, and the long-jump pit is the school-sport example pupils know.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Equipment Puzzle · KS1
Feathered Flier
I have a rubber base and a feather or plastic skirt. I fall more slowly than anything else in the games trolley. What am I?
Answer: A shuttlecock. — The shuttlecock's feather skirt creates air resistance (drag), which slows its fall — that is why badminton rallies work.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Equipment Puzzle · KS2
Every Game Has Me
I weigh about 430 grams and I'm round. Without me, no invasion game in school could start. Feet, sticks or hands may move me — the rules decide. What am I?
Answer: A ball. — Every invasion game (football, hockey, basketball, netball, handball) is built around a ball of roughly that weight.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Word Scramble · KS1
Scrambled Sport
Unscramble these letters: G-L-A-M-N-Y-C-S-I-T. Hint: this sport has jumps, rolls, balances and shapes.
Answer: GYMNASTICS. — The ten letters rearrange to spell gymnastics — the sport of balances, rolls, jumps and travelling shapes.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Word Scramble · KS2
Scrambled Sport 2
Unscramble these letters: Y-E-H-K-C-O. Hint: a stick, a ball, and a net at both ends of the pitch.
Answer: HOCKEY. — The six letters rearrange to spell hockey — played with a stick, a ball and goals at each end.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Who Am I? · KS1
The Only One Allowed
I wear a different shirt from everyone else. I'm the only player on my team allowed to use my hands — but only inside my own box. Who am I?
Answer: A goalkeeper. — Goalkeepers wear a distinct shirt and are the only players allowed to handle the ball, and only inside their own penalty area.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Who Am I? · KS2
I Decide Every Race
I never run, I never win a medal, yet every result depends on my eyes and my thumb. Who am I?
Answer: A timekeeper (race official). — Timekeepers stand beside the track, never race, and their stopwatch decides finishing times and places.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Tactical Puzzle · KS3
Two Minutes to Save the Match
Your team is losing 2–1. You win a corner with the last kick of the match — and your coach sends the goalkeeper up too. Why would a coach do that, and what is the risk?
Answer: The goalkeeper becomes an extra attacker for the header at the set piece. — With nothing left to protect in the final seconds, a tall goalkeeper adds aerial threat — but if the ball is cleared, an empty goal could concede a third. The coach accepts that risk because losing 3–1 and losing 2–1 cost the same.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Tactical Puzzle · KS3
Run or Reset?
Your netball team is 1 goal down with 30 seconds left. You've been awarded a free pass just outside the circle. Should your team play quick and direct, or reset and restart patiently? Defend your answer.
Answer: Quick and direct — attack the circle edge immediately. — With 30 seconds left there is no time to patiently build play; a fast pass to the circle edge and one shot attempt (with rebound cover) gives the best chance. Resetting wastes the clock.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Spot the Mistake · KS2
Cold Hands Shooting
A teacher writes this plan: 'Run two laps of the field, sprint 100 metres flat out, then begin shooting practice.' What's missing, and what could go wrong?
Answer: There is no progressive warm-up between the laps and the flat-out sprint. — The plan jumps from easy jogging straight to maximum effort. Missing dynamic mobility and a gradual build-up means cold muscles are asked to sprint — raising injury risk — and cold, tense hands shoot badly. Fix: add dynamic stretches and build the sprint from 50% to 100%.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Spot the Mistake · KS2
Head Down
A basketball player dribbles with their head down the whole way up the court. What's the mistake, and what does the team lose?
Answer: Dribbling without vision. — Head-down dribbling means the player cannot see open team-mates or defending players. The team loses passing opportunities, easy baskets and possession — defenders can steal from a player who can't see them. Fix: eyes-up dribbling practice with a partner holding up fingers to call out.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Sports Maths · KS3
The Class Average
Your class scored 24, 18, 27 and 31 points in four relay heats. What is the average score? To reach an average of exactly 26 after five heats, what must the fifth heat score?
Answer: Average = 25. The fifth heat must score 30. — 24 + 18 + 27 + 31 = 100, and 100 ÷ 4 = 25. Five heats averaging 26 need a total of 130, so the fifth heat must score 130 − 100 = 30.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Sports Maths · KS2
Under Two Twenty
A 4×200m relay team runs split times of 32s, 35s, 31s and 34s. What is their total time — and how many seconds are they inside a target of 2 minutes 20 seconds?
Answer: Total 132 seconds (2:12) — 8 seconds inside the target. — 32 + 35 + 31 + 34 = 132 seconds = 2 minutes 12 seconds. The target of 140 seconds minus 132 leaves an 8-second margin.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Movement Riddle · KS1
Long, High, Triple
I can be long, I can be high, and I can even be triple. Every playground game has me hiding inside it. What am I?
Answer: A jump. — Long jump, high jump and triple jump are athletics events — and jumping is hidden inside skipping games, hopscotch and leapfrog.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Movement Riddle · EYFS/KS1
Straight as a Pencil
Every gymnast learns me first. I am tall, straight and still, like a pencil made of muscle. What am I?
Answer: The straight (stretch) shape. — The straight shape — body tall, arms extended, toes pointed — is the foundation gymnastics shape before tuck, star and pike.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Team Challenge · KS2
Cross the River
Two lines 5 metres apart are a river. Your team of 8 has three hoops and must get everyone across without touching the water. Set your rules, choose your plan, and cross. Then improve your time.
Answer: There is no single answer — the challenge is the plan and the cooperation. — Successful teams usually pass the rear hoop forward hand-to-hand while it holds a team-mate's weight, and agree roles before starting. The learning is in the planning talk, the shared rules and the second-attempt improvement.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk
Team Challenge · KS2/KS3
Bench Swap
Stand your whole team on one bench and swap ends without anyone touching the floor. How will you communicate, who moves first, and what is your plan for the tricky middle — where everyone meets?
Answer: There is no single answer — the challenge is the negotiation. — The 'tricky middle' forces real cooperation: teams that succeed agree a system (e.g. one side crouches, the other steps past, or a rotation order) before anyone moves. The learning is communication under pressure and planning before action.
Designed by UK PE Group Ltd | www.ukpegroup.org.uk