This football trivia for kids quiz has 50 free questions with answers and starts with the American game: how many points a touchdown is worth, what a down is, why the ball is a pigskin, where the huddle came from, plus the Super Bowl, the Lombardi Trophy and the stars kids know from Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce to Lamar Jackson and Saquon Barkley. Then it switches codes for a soccer round: goalkeepers, penalties, hat-tricks, the World Cup, Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Haaland and the US women. Every question is answerable by kids aged about 7 to 12 who watch some football, and none of it is scary or grown-up. It works for a tailgate, a team bus, a classroom Friday or a family Super Bowl party. Every answer has been checked against Wikipedia's article on the player, team or rule, and each question shows its source once you have answered.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01How many players does each team have on the field in American football?
Eleven
Walter Camp, the 'Father of American Football', set the eleven-player rule in the 1880s.
Q 02How many points is a touchdown worth?
Six
After a touchdown the team can add an extra point by kicking, or two points by running or passing it in.
Q 03How many points does a team get for kicking a field goal?
Three
The ball has to go between the uprights and over the crossbar.
Q 04How many downs does a team get to move the ball ten yards?
Four
If they make it, they get a fresh set of four; if not, they usually punt.
Q 05A 'safety', when a ball carrier is tackled in his own end zone, is worth how many points?
Two
It happens when a ball carrier is tackled in his own end zone.
Q 06Where did the football huddle come from?
A deaf school hiding its signs
Paul Hubbard at Gallaudet University started it in 1894 so other deaf teams could not read his signs.
Q 07Why is a football sometimes called a 'pigskin'?
Early balls used a pig's bladder inside
The bladder went inside a leather cover; modern balls are cowhide.
Q 08What is the prize given to the winner of the NFL championship called?
The Vince Lombardi Trophy
Lombardi coached the Packers to wins in the first two Super Bowls; the design was first sketched on a napkin at lunch.
Q 09Which Kansas City Chiefs star led the team to three Super Bowl wins between 2020 and 2024?
Patrick Mahomes
He wears number 15 and played college ball at Texas Tech.
Q 10What position did Travis Kelce play for the Kansas City Chiefs?
Tight end
He set the record for the most 1,000-yard seasons by a tight end.
Q 11Where do the Kansas City Chiefs play their home games?
Arrowhead Stadium
The team started life in 1960 as the Dallas Texans before moving to Kansas City.
Q 12How many Super Bowls did Tom Brady win?
Seven
He was drafted 199th overall in 2000, which is why he is called the biggest draft steal ever.
Q 13Which NFL team, based in Wisconsin, is the only one owned by its community rather than a rich owner?
Green Bay Packers
They were founded in 1919 and have won more championships than any other NFL team.
Q 21The Heisman Trophy is given every year to the best player in what?
College football
It has been awarded since 1935; the statue shows a player doing a stiff-arm.
Q 22The Super Bowl's huge halftime show is a famous tradition. What is a 'halftime'?
The break in the middle
The Super Bowl show costs millions to stage and features top musicians.
Q 23Which running back ran for more than 2,000 yards for Philadelphia in 2024?
Saquon Barkley
He started his career with the New York Giants after setting records at Penn State.
Q 14What is the name of the famous stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, nicknamed the Frozen Tundra?
Lambeau Field
It opened in 1957 and is the oldest NFL stadium still in use; fans call it the Frozen Tundra.
Q 15Which team plays its home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas?
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys joined the NFL in 1960 and are often called 'America's Team'.
Q 16Which team plays at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia?
Eagles
The Eagles were founded in 1933 to replace the bankrupt Frankford Yellow Jackets.
Q 17Which 2016 Heisman winner at Louisville later set the NFL career rushing record for a QB?
Lamar Jackson
He had been named NFL Most Valuable Player twice with the Baltimore Ravens by the end of 2024.
Q 18Which team picked Josh Allen seventh overall in the 2018 NFL draft?
Buffalo Bills
He was picked seventh in the 2018 draft after playing college ball at Wyoming.
Q 19What is the Puppy Bowl, shown on TV every February?
Puppies playing a pretend game
It has run on Animal Planet since 2005, and all the puppies come from shelters.
Q 20The Madden NFL video games are named after what kind of person?
A coach and TV announcer
John Madden coached the Raiders; the games have sold more than 150 million copies.
Q 24Which receiver drafted by the Vikings in 2020 is famous for the 'Griddy' touchdown dance?
Justin Jefferson
He played at LSU and was drafted in the first round in 2020.
Q 25In soccer, how many players does each team have on the field?
Eleven
The rules, called the Laws of the Game, have been in place since 1863.
Q 26In soccer, which player is allowed to use their hands?
The goalkeeper
Only inside their own penalty area, and never on a ball a teammate has kicked to them on purpose.
Q 27How long is a normal soccer match?
90 minutes
Two halves of 45 minutes each, plus any stoppage time the referee adds.
Q 28How far from the goal is the penalty spot in soccer?
12 yards
That is 11 metres, and only the goalkeeper can try to stop the shot.
Q 29What is it called when one player scores three goals in a game?
A hat-trick
The phrase actually started in cricket in 1858, when a bowler was given a hat as a prize.
Q 30How often is the men's FIFA World Cup held?
Every four years
It started in 1930 and has only been skipped in 1942 and 1946 because of the Second World War.