Perfectly timed sports photos capture the hilarious and unexpected moments in sports that make us laugh out loud. Whether it's a player making a funny face, a referee caught in an awkward position, or a fan reacting in a comical way, these photos remind us that sports can be both competitive and entertaining.
These photos also highlight the importance of timing in sports photography, as capturing these moments requires being in the right place at the right time with a camera at the ready. In this gallery, you'll see a collection of the funniest and most perfectly timed sports photos that will make you smile and appreciate the lighter side of sports.
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As far as this wrestler's career goes, this was not the best moment.
When he comes up for air mid-tackle, he makes direct eye contact with the photographer. My first thought upon reading this expression is, “Help me!"
Focus Rafa Focus
What is the name of the ball girl standing next to Rafael Nadal?
Fernanda Maia Carelli. Let's stay focused and keep scrolling, because it only gets better.
Face Full of Ice
There's nothing like a rock solid sheet of ice to break a fall.
A heavy fall forced Czech pairs champions Olga Prokuronova and Karel Stefl to quit midway through their free skate.
Gentlemen, Be Subtle
When Maria Sharapova is leading, it's impossible to look away.
It's evident that men can't keep themselves in check when it comes to women's sports.
Pure Shock
This pain can't be described by anyone who hasn't experienced it.
I almost think this is intentional. I would like some ice. This man needs a sub immediately.
Concentration
A gymnast's amusing concentration expressions often make humorous photographs while displaying their impressive skills.
Despite performing gravity-defying tricks, their faces aren't as graceful as their bodies.
Adding Another Hole
As bulls attack their victims, they tend to rake their horns upwards.
Those who mess with them run the serious risk of getting their horns stuck in delicate places.
Wave Pool
Our childhoods were filled with cannon-balling straight into the water.
Such a face must be subject to gravitational pull. This photo was perfectly timed during one of her many calculated flips.
Cyclist Support
This woman's support for the cyclists was greatly appreciated.
I'm not sure if he was high-fiving or slapping her butt specifically. Seeing his face, I assume he did what he wanted.
Personal Foul
I know exactly what you're thinking, you've got a dirty mind.
A football play can end in many not so glamorous positions, as shown here.
Mascot Fun
Being the school mascot comes with many perks — Exhibit A.
There aren't many teams with mascots, but those that do often try to energize their fans with their playful personalities.
Bunt Blunder
The truth is, it happens to everyone who plays baseball, even professionals.
During the 4th inning of this particular game, Rickie Weeks of the Milwaukee Brewers received an unexpected surprise.
Rated-R
To see the entire picture, you have to look at both photos.
An overzealous fan ran onto the soccer field. Her wardrobe choice is the real distraction.
Riding Dirty
Despite appearing to be photo-shopped, this photo is actually real.
The first person to surf a wave on a motorbike was Robbie Maddison.
Back Pain
A picture is worth a thousand words, as the popular saying goes.
Figure skating requires more flexibility than any other sport except gymnastics. Michelle Kwan's flexibility can be seen in this bent over backward pose.
Pong Pro
The ping pong player is clearly in the zone.
It looks more like a fish out of water than a ping pong player from the outside. We can learn a lot about concentration from this player.
Double D
When Simona Halep was 19, she wanted to have her breasts reduced.
After winning multiple junior titles, Halep reached the final of the junior French Open. According to the 5-foot-5-inch Romanian tennis star, it is her 34DD bust that hinders her.
Broken Jaw
Poor fella had no idea what was about to happen to him.
I see all the terrified faces of the adults, but have you noticed the toddler to the left of the flying bat? Can you tell me what her dad is doing?
BRASIL
Brazilian track and field athlete Lucimara Silvestre competes in the heptathlon.
A Brazilian woman is known for having one of the best... personalities.
Butt Punt
Despite the Dolphins' butt punt disaster, there was beauty in it.
Football has given fans so many things. This includes both the Butt Fumble and the Butt Interception. On Sunday, the Butt Punt joined the party in Miami.
Headache
Her worst headache ever was captured just seconds before it struck.
Her goal was to take a carefully crafted selfie at a baseball game, but she was about to learn that selfies can be more dangerous than they seem.
Mooning
It was the wrong time for this track athlete to adjust her bottoms.
It was a face full for the guy in the back. It seems like he's being a good sport about it.
Tap Out
At first glance, it might seem like a new form of headbutting.
The wrestler in blue is the victim of another optical illusion. This photo perfectly captures our dislike of wrestling.
Girl Power
If this is how it looks like to hit like a girl, we will skip getting hit.
In the UFC, both fighters are beaten up, but only one is rewarded. It appears that one woman is giving the other a chiropractic adjustment.
Cleared
In case you're wondering, this is pole vaulting, an Olympic sport.
No one knows who this is, nor do we know what Olympics it is. She works out, that's what we know.
Skull Crush
Skull crusher has been nicknamed for obvious reasons.
As his foot strikes his opponent's back, we can see a ripple effect as it wipes the smile from his opponent's face.
Interesting Choice
If attracting attention is one of its goals, this uniform is a smashing success.
The Colombia women's cycling team kit is an absolute disaster in my opinion, even though I'm no fashion expert.
Bull-ied
Cowboys are the only people who have the guts to ride an angry bull.
It appears that the bull is pleased to watch the rider fall headfirst. Such a cowboy deserves to have this gem framed and hung.
Skid Marks
As you anticipate pain, your body fills with adrenaline.
Falling off your motorcycle during a race is awful in and of itself. The icing on the cake is getting run over at the same time.
Snuck Out
At some point in our lives, we've all been there.
Embarrassingly for the young gymnist, this image will be immortalized forever on the internet due to a photographer's flawless timing.
Action Shot
Olympic diving is more intense than canonballing from a public pool diving board.
Platforms that are 10 meters high are used for high diving. In metric terms, this is about 10 yards or 30 feet.
Poll Vault Perfection
Many of you are probably familiar with Allison Stokke.
Alison Stokke, a young poll vaulter, attracted attention wherever she went. From this one photo, she became a nationwide obsession and gained a multitude of fans.
Heroic Father
This photo of Hero Dad is probably familiar to you.
In a viral photo, Shaun Cunningham saved his oblivious son. Now that he is older, we imagine he watches baseball games more closely.
Perfect Paige
With over 1,500,000 followers, Paige Spiranac is taking over social media.
She has been featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and Golf Digest. Besides a great swing, Spiranac also has some game, winning a pro tournament on the Cactus Tour.
Rock Bottom'd
Seeing fans run onto the field during a game is obnoxious.
Anything goes on the field. Body slams, tackles, and clotheslines. The safety of the players is of utmost importance. Except for revenue.
Livvy Dunne
After TikTok fame led to commercial deals, Olivia Dunne became a millionaire at age 18.
College sports are enthralled by Olivia Dunne. Due to her social media fame, the rising gymnast star from LSU became a millionaire at 18.
Matrix
Capturing the swimmer just before he emerges from the water.
A perfectly timed photo like this is hard to find. How does it make the water appear so thick?
Elegance
In Sochi, Russia, Stefania Berton and Ondrej Hotarek compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics.
In keeping with their Italian roots, the skater is spinning pizza dough over his head and preparing a delicious pizza.
Live Feed
She didn't expect the live feed to capture her adjusting after her dive.
Celine Van Duijn is an excellent Dutch diver who has won several diving championships. While her diving skills have been praised, her wardrobe malfunction has gained more notoriety.
Stud-100
In their bronze medal ceremony, US rowers show rather too much pride.
Without being too obvious, it's easy to see why this photo went viral on the internet.
Synchronized
There are few sports where timed photography is as good as synchronized swimming.
In the synchro team free routine final at the European swimming championships in Eindhoven, the Spanish team competes in a non-photogenic manner.
Traumatizing T-Bag
The guy on the bottom must have been traumatized by this experience.
Getting pinned sucks, but getting a face-full while getting pinned is worst case scenario.
Cold Out
Brrrrrr, it's cold out here.
After her dive, Italian diver Tania Cagnotto grabbed all the attention. It must have been freezing in the pool.
Puffer Fish
Shot put isn't the most popular sport, but it's quite impressive.
In order to make this expression, he must be straining every muscle in his body (and face). I almost think he looks like a puffer fish.
Down Boy, Down!
In the moments before chaos erupts, time appears to stand still.
There is no way this woman has ridden a horse many times. Or maybe she has, and today the horse won't cooperate. It makes for a funny photo either way.
Center Court
Their expressions are classic.
At Wimbledon, MaliVai Washington and Richard Krajicek smile as a streaker runs across Center Court.
Claim To Fame
Before a race, Emilia Pikkarainen warms up in the pool which grabbed this photographer's attention.
While she's not a world-class swimmer at this point, she does hold Finnish records in 50-meter butterfly, 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly, and 200-meter individual medley.
Open Wide
I see it, stand still for a second.
I have no idea what's going on and I don't want to speculate. This is the sort of behavior that deserves a red card.
Clean Jerk
Marwa Jlassi, a Tunisian women's weightlifter, is lifting over 90kg (about 200 pounds).
Whether it's her meticulous posture or her mighty game face, you can tell she's not playing around.
Bromance
Kids have the same look when mom walks in on them playing in their room after bedtime.
These two players, despite playing for opposite teams, seem like best buddies who play every day at the neighborhood court.
Surfs Up
The professional surfer Claire Bevilacqua hails from Perth, Western Australia.
In West Australia, she grew up surfing some of the best and most challenging waves in the world.
Swan Dive
Bullfighting is an extremely dangerous sport, there is no doubt about that.
When you consider the strength and volatility of bulls, being in their presence requires special agility. That's why this image of a man jumping straight at a bull is so intriguing.
Ooooof
If someone stuck their foot up your butt, you would feel the same way.
Though I'm not familiar with synchoronized swimming technicalities, I'd presume something went awry. Nevertheless, we hope she will forgive her teammate.
Look In The Mirror
A wakeboarder looked at himself in the mirror.
His coolness is evident as he balances parallel to the water. Having photographers around to take pictures like these is great.
Hair, Everywhere
Long hair can be both a blessing and a curse.
For this weightlifter, it's definitely the former. She illustrates why it is so important to keep your hair back during competition. Would you like your hair wrapped around a 200lb barbell?
Diving Hazards
The risk of hitting your face on the board is always present when performing high difficulty dives.
I can hear my mom saying, "Don't backflip off the diving board, you'll break your neck." I hope she walked away just with a headache.
Diggin'
LeBron James with the pick of the day.
If you're an NBA superstar, it's almost inevitable for an awkward moment. Continuously rolling cameras are likely to capture something regrettable throughout a career.
Seducing
It's like I'm falling in love with you and I don't know what to do.
I can feel my heart being torn out as I write this description of Hungarian swimmer, Zsuzsanna "Zsu" Jakabos.
Bopped
A rugby player's nose bop isn't always pleasant.
Although rugby isn't for the pain-sensitive, we guess this player was dreaming of helmets as the rugby ball smashed his nose.
Water Break
Long distance runners should cool down during their run.
Jodie Duff cools herself during one of her races in this perfectly timed photo.
Floating Helmet
A floating head separates the quarterback from the offensive line.
If you look closely, you can see a helmetless No. 62 blocking big No. 97. Losing one's helmet mid-play ends the play. As per NCAA rules, the player who lost their helmet must sit out the next play.
Chest Bump
In almost every beach in the world, you can find beach volleyball being played.
The game doesn't match the popularity of football or basketball, but it still is a crowd-pleaser.
Wandering Eyes
Fans were curious about Joe Rogan's behavior after seeing this photo.
Miesha Tate was going through the usual routine of getting weighed. Cameras caught Rogan looking away. The usually affable Rogan responded on Twitter writing, “I’m thinking ‘Do NOT get caught on camera staring at her butt... AGAIN'"
Boneless
Gymnasts are born without bones.
Either that or they remove them when they learn to run and flip. That's why she is capable of what she does.
Bulls In the Sea
Crowds taunt bulls into the sea as they chase them into the sea in Spain.
Festivalgoers have been holding up flags and other items to cause the bulls to charge head first into the sea during 'Bous a la mar' (Bulls in the sea).
Headless
Let your mind wander wherever it wants.
Despite appearing to float, she has a head attached to her body. There is no doubt that she has incredible backbending skills, and her photographer is not far behind.
Bench Warmer
I'm warming up the bench before my team takes the field.
Big No. 46, I have a proposition for you. Why don't we put on some pads and play football instead of baseball?
C'mon George
Beach volleyball has become the new favorite sport of former President Bush.
Despite reading that Bush's favorite sport was baseball, it appears that he is now a huge beach volleyball fan.
Superman!
He seems to be having a blast out on the water.
It's unclear if he's performing this stunt on purpose or if he gassed the throttle by accident and is hanging on for dear life. Nevertheless, an amazing photo.
Water Rescue
While competing, this champion swimmer fainted underwater. Coach jumped in to save her.
Andrea Fuentes, a four-time Olympic gold medal-winning Spanish swimmer, is seen pulling Anita Alvarez from the water in a photograph.
Chestnut Protection
Johnny loved playing soccer with his friends more than anything else.
A kick to the chestnuts ended his dreams of becoming a soccer player forever.
Defensive Tactic
Let me handle that for you while we're both here.
Either he's helping a friend, or he's got a brilliant defense tactic. Considering no one is watching him at the net, he thought this was the perfect time to do it.
Screwed
It was at this very moment, he knew he was screwed.
We're not sure how rough the landing was, but without a front tire we know it wasn't clean.
Poor Phil
On the final hole, Phil Mickelson came close to making birdie.
On the final hole of the Ford Championship at Doral, Phil Mickelson was trying to catch Tiger Woods. It was priceless to see his expression after his ball lipped out on the last hole.
Broken Glove?
Didn't he know you're supposed to catch the ball with your glove?
His Phillies hat gives me the impression that he's a professional. How did he make the big leagues if he catches the ball with his face?
Swarm of Bees
It sort of looks like a swarm of bees.
It's just a long jumper getting familiar with the sand pit after a jump. Long jumping is one of the oldest track and field and Olympic sports.
I'd Cry Too
You don't try on the uniform before you go on the Olympic stage?
There is no denying that most uniforms aren't the most flattering, but come on! These uniforms have all the wrong seams and cuts.
Who Invited The Shark?
We agreed not to allow sharks in the pool, didn't we?
The surfer's epic ride is as impressive as this perfectly timed photo. Hope he doesn't meet any new friends on the way down. Otherwise, we would have a whole different kind of photo.
Unflattering
Gravitational law dictates that what goes up must come down.
The photographer captured this rather unflattering moment when the ball crunched his face. We hope the points he earned compensated for the face smack and unappealing photo he will forever be associated with.
Coming In Hot
The look on this gymnast's face says it all.
It's almost as if she woke up in mid-air and realized she needed to land. She probably just hopes to land safely.
Ripple Effect
What would your face look like if you were punched by a professional boxer?
Here it is, folks. Here's a slow-motion image showing what happened. It doesn't look good.
Faces of Emotion
This photo has too many faces and emotions.
I hope no one was injured despite the fact that we do not know what happened in the end.
Going Overboard
He flung his jockey off his back, as if to say, "I've had enough."
Take a look at this horse's eye! Anyone betting on this horse to win the race is in for a disappointment.
Candid
This girl looked over her shoulder just in time during this soccer game.
The way she posed and looked made it seem almost planned. Honestly, who knows? Could have been.
Ouch
I find this move inadmissible, regardless of wrestling's technical rules.
It appeared that the Canadian competitor was unaware of this, and kept his grip tight. I wonder if this photo received any penalty points.
Double Take
It's hard not to look twice at a photo like this.
She seems to have lost her head when it comes to rhythmic gymnastics. She did it so elegantly, we don't mind the headless monster image.
Perfect Header
This photographer captured a perfectly timed soccer header.
It appears to have a lot of sweat spraying off of it.
Avoid Hitting Yourself
This photo is highly unlikely due to the strength of a baseball bat.
Nevertheless, if it is weak and is hit by a strong ball, this could happen.
Spanked
You'll never want to play cricket again after seeing this photo.
The thought of being spanked with a cricket bat keeps us away, even though we're pretty sure he doesn't get slapped.
Mashed
Before Paige Spiranac smashes her drive down the middle of the fairway.
Sometimes life is unfair. Paige has been blessed with a pure, perfect golf swing in addition to smoking hot looks.
The GOAT
During the third round of play at the Masters, Tiger Woods tees off on the 18th hole.
In winning the tournament, Woods became the first man to win four consecutive major golf championships.