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March 14, 2008
Q. For an odd sports fact, do the world's teams tend to field an odd or even number of players? But please don't ask why.
A. Generally the best-known team sports field an odd number of players such as 11 for cricket, 11 for field hockey, 13 for rugby league and 15 for rugby union, say Rob Eastaway and John Haigh in “How to Take a Penalty: The Hidden Mathematics of Sport.” Odd too are the three major American sports of basketball with 5, baseball 9, football 11. Many of the world's smaller sports also fit, as 15 for hurling and Gaelic football (down from 21 in the early days), 11 for bandy and speedball, 7 for netball, water polo, kabaddi and handball. Of course, exceptions do occur: There have to be an even number of oars in a boat or it would tend to go around in circles (though the presence of a cox ensures the number becomes odd again); polo uses 4 on a team, volleyball and ice hockey 6.
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