Sports terminology — 'Popping crease' belongs to which game? Identify the sport in which the term 'popping crease' is officially used and marked on the playing area.

Introduction / Context:
Many sports use specialized lines and markings. The term 'popping crease' is an essential piece of terminology for one bat-and-ball game, and recognizing it is a staple of sports GK.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The phrase 'popping crease' appears in only one sport’s laws.
• We must map the term to the correct sport.

Concept / Approach:
In cricket, the popping crease is a line drawn at each end of the pitch in front of the stumps. It determines whether a batter is safe in their ground and whether a bowler has overstepped (no-ball, with reference also to the front foot).

Step-by-Step Solution:
Recall that cricket has multiple creases: bowling crease, popping crease, and return crease.The popping crease marks the batter’s ground and is central to run-out and stumping decisions.No equivalent term exists in swimming, water polo, or lawn tennis.Therefore, select 'Cricket'.

Verification / Alternative check:
The Laws of Cricket explicitly define the popping crease and its measurements, confirming the association.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Swimming / Water polo / Lawn tennis / Rugby: These sports use lanes, fields, courts, and try lines, but not a 'popping crease'.

Common Pitfalls:
Mixing up cricket’s different creases or assuming that 'crease' could refer to a tennis baseline or another sport’s line. 'Popping crease' is cricket-specific.

Final Answer:
Cricket