Every sport, one playing field
There's a sport for everyone, and this puzzle gathers a whole stadium of them. You'll be hunting for the heavyweights — FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, SOCCER and BASEBALL — racket and club sports like TENNIS and GOLF, and the ones that only get their moment every four years, from ARCHERY to FENCING.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh line-up from the list, so the fixture changes every time you play — a gentle warm-up on Easy, and a proper endurance event once the diagonals and backwards words appear on Hard. One round you're chasing CRICKET across the middle; the next a backwards MARATHON is hiding in the corner, going the distance.
From the back garden to the world stage
Whether you're a die-hard fan or just enjoy a kickabout, there's something here you'll recognise. Team games like RUGBY, HOCKEY and VOLLEYBALL sit beside solo pursuits like SWIMMING, CYCLING and SURFING, and quieter, skilful sports like BOWLING, SAILING and KARATE round out the field. It's a fun warm-up for sports lovers and a great vocabulary builder for younger players.
Games as old as history
People have always loved a contest. Footraces and WRESTLING were staples of the ancient Greek Olympic Games nearly 3,000 years ago, and many sports we play today were written down as proper rules in the 1800s — SOCCER, RUGBY, TENNIS and BASKETBALL all got their modern rulebooks within a few decades of each other. The modern Olympics, revived in 1896, now gathers thousands of athletes from across the world every four years, which is why so many of the sports in this grid share that one giant stage.
Sport is also full of brilliant 'why is it like that?' facts. A MARATHON is 26.2 miles because of the distance a Greek messenger supposedly ran from the town of Marathon to Athens; GOLF balls have dimples because a scuffed, dented ball actually flies further than a smooth one; and the longest TENNIS match ever lasted over eleven hours across three days. Sprinkling a few of those into a PE lesson or sports-day quiz turns hunting for words into a chat about where the games we love came from.
Pick a sport or build your own
Want to go deeper? Each sub-topic below zooms in — football, basketball, soccer, baseball and the Olympics, plus many more — each with its own puzzle and printable pack. Or use Make Your Own to feature the sports, teams or players you're covering and download a pack for the whole class or sports day.
Frequently asked questions
Which sports are hidden in the grid?
Everything from stadium giants like football, basketball and soccer to racket and club sports such as tennis and golf, plus four-yearly favourites from archery to fencing. The sub-topics drill into football, basketball, soccer, baseball and the Olympics.
Are Olympic sports included?
Plenty — swimming, cycling, fencing, archery and more all show up, and there's a dedicated Olympics sub-topic if you want a whole grid of them.
Can I use it for a PE lesson or sports day?
Definitely. Download a printable pack for the whole class, or use Make Your Own to feature the sports and teams you're covering.