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Sports are played all around the world, but not all countries play the same sport

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America has a very strong sport culture around their popular sport. Always with a large crowd and vibrant atmosphere.

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Football is the main sport in the UK. There's a strong love for football and many get involved and support.

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Asia has some amazing sports men with amazing talents. They have an amazing volleyball team that wins many competitions

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https://www.topendsports.com/sport/list/index.htm

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-most-popular-sports-in-the-world.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sports

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Here is our alphabetical list of over 800+ sports played around the world. In addition to individual sports, the list includes some names of sports groups, styles and codes. There is undoubtedly more sports than are listed here, there are many regional sports, modified rules and new sports being developed every day (see new sports).

The core of this list is the 200+ recognized sports with national or international federations. There is also a comprehensive list of team sports that are played around the world.

You can find even more sports described in the section about unusual sports, and there are plenty of sports that are no longer played, which we have listed as extinct sports.

How to get on this list? See What is a sport? If there is a sport not listed or incorrect, please make a comment below. I have made a list of questionable sports, those that may or may not warrant inclusion on this list.

Below is a list of just the names of all the sports we are aware of with a very brief summary of each sport. Follow the links for a more detailed description of the sport. If you are on a desktop, you can try clicking CTRL-F on the keyboard and search just this page.

Complete Sports List

3D Archery - a form of archery in which the goal is to strike targets in the shape of animals at unknown distances.

3x3 Basketball - a variation of basketball played on a half-court with just three players on each team.

3x3 Ice Hockey - a variation of ice hockey played on a half rink with just three players on each team.

7-a-side football - Association football for players with cerebral palsy.

Abseiling - an adventure sport where the participants descend a steep formation using a rope. (not really a sport).

Acrobatic Gymnastics - team of gymnasts work together to perform acrobatic moves in combination with dance moves.

Acroski - athletes on snow skis perform various choreographed routines (once called Ski Ballet).

Adventure Racing - an event combining two or more endurance disciplines, such as Orienteering, Cross-Country Running, Mountain Biking, Paddling and Climbing. It is also called Expedition Racing.

Aerials - a freestyle skiing discipline in which athletes ski along a take-off ramp, then perform various in-air tricks.

Aerobatics - sport aerobatics involves aircraft maneuvers such as rolls, loops, stall turns (hammerheads), and tailslides.

Aesthetic Group Gymnastics - a team sport where a large group of gymnasts perform coordinated continuous movements.

Aerobic Gymnastics - another name for Sport Aerobics.

Aeromodeling - activity using remotely controlled flying model aircraft (not really a sport).

Aeronautical Pentathlon - despite the name, the sport has 6 events: shooting, fencing, orienteering, basketball skills, obstacle course and swimming.

AFL Wheelchair - a wheelchair version of the football code from Australia, played between two teams of five players.

AFLX - a new version of Australian Football played on a rectangular field with seven players on each team, created to showcase some of the most thrilling elements of the sport to attract new fans.

Aggressive Inline Skating - Aggressive inline skating is a form of inline skating executed on specially designed inline skates with a focus on grinding and spins.

Aikido - Shodokan Aikido (also called Sport Aikido) is a Japanese martial art which typically involve throws, joint locks, and pins, designed to redirect an attacker's energy and neutralize their attack.

Air Badminton - an outdoor version of badminton using a heavier shuttle that flies better in the wind.

Air Hockey - played on an air-hockey table, participants try to hit a puck elevated on a cushion of air into the opponent's goal.

Air Racing - a sport involving flying airplanes over a fixed course low to the ground.

All-Terrain Boarding - another name for Mountainboarding.

Alpine Skiing - commonly known as Downhill Skiing, involves racing down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. There are alpine skiing competitions in disciplines such as slalom, giant slalom, super giant slalom, and downhill.

Alpinism - the sport of mountain climbing.

American Football - a team sport played on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. Each team attempts to advance an oval ball down the field into the end zone by running or passing it. It is also known in some parts of the world (outside of the US) as Gridiron. In the US it is referred to simply as football. Variations include Arena Football, 6-Man Football.

American Handball - players use their hands to hit a small rubber ball against a wall. There are three versions (four-wall handball, three-wall handball and one-wall handball) that can each be played by either two, three or four players. It can be compared to squash without rackets. It is very different from the Olympic sport of (Team) Handball.

Amputee Football - a version of Association Football for players with lower extremity amputations.

Angling - often used to refer to fishing, it is the principal method of sport fishing.

Aquabike - a variation of Triathlon, with no running leg. Athletes swim followed by cycling.

Aquajogging - water running competitions, athletes race in the water while maintaining an upright position.

Aquathlon (1) - an underwater sport where two competitors wearing masks and fins wrestle underwater in an attempt to remove a ribbon from each other's ankle band. It is also known as Underwater Wrestling.

Aquathlon (2) - a continuous race involving swimming followed by running. It is usually over a shorter distance than the similar Biathle.

Archery - competitive archery involves shooting arrows at a target for accuracy from a set distance or distances. The main forms of archery are Target Archery and Field Archery, and others include Clout Archery, 3D archery, Crossbow Archery, Flight Archery, and Ski Archery.

Arena Football - a variety of American Football (Gridiron), played indoors on a smaller field resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game.

Arena Polo - a minified version of polo that is played on horseback on a field much smaller in size and enclosed by walls on all sides.

Arena Rugby - a variation of Rugby Union, played indoors on a smaller field resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game.

Arm Wrestling - a type of Wrestling where each participant place one elbow on a surface while gripping the other participant's hand. The aim is to pin the other's arm onto the surface.

Arnis - the national martial art sport of the Philippines which emphasizes weapon-based fighting.

Artistic Billiards - a Carom Billiards discipline in which players score points for performing 76 preset shots of varying difficulty. It is sometimes called fantasy billiards.

Artistic Cycling - a form of competitive indoor cycling in which athletes perform tricks for points on specialized, fixed-gear bikes in a format similar to ballet or gymnastics.

Artistic Gymnastics - an Olympic sport where gymnasts perform short routines on different apparatus, such as the Vault, Floor (men and women), Pommel Horse, Rings, Parallel Bars, High Bar (men), and Uneven Bars, Balance Beam (women).

Artistic Pool - a trick shot competition on a pocket billiards table in which players score points for performing 56 preset shots of varying difficulty.

Artistic Roller Skating - is a sport that consists of a number of events (Figures, Dance, Freestyle and Precision Teams) usually accomplished on quad skates, though sometimes inline skates are used.

Association Croquet - an advanced game of Croquet played at the international level involving four balls teamed in pairs, with both balls going through every hoop for one pair to win.

Athletics - commonly known as Track and Field, though it is an umbrella sport, which in addition to Track and Field it also comprises Cross Country Running, Road Running and Racewalking.

Australian Football - a fast-paced football code from Australia, played between two teams of eighteen players on a large oval field. Six points are scored by kicking the ball between two tall goalposts, or one point for passing the ball on either side of these. Alternative names are Australian Football, Aussie Rules, AFL, Australian Rules Football.

Australian Handball - players use their hands to hit a ball against one or two walls. It's similar to squash, though played without a racquet.

Auto Race - a Japanese motorcycle speedway competition which is held on tarmac tracks, predominantly a gambling sport.

Auto Racing - a sport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. There are numerous different categories including Formula 1, Touring Car, Rally Cars, Drag Racing, Stock Car Racing, Vintage Racing. Also known as Car Racing, Motor Racing or Automobile Racing.

Autocross - a type of Auto Racing in which drivers navigate one at a time through a defined course on either a sealed or an unsealed surface in the shortest time. See also the motorcycle version, Motorcycle Gymkhana.

Autograss - a type of Auto Racing on natural surfaces such as grass or mud, usually held on quarter-mile oval tracks.

Autospeedway - a motorsport similar to motorcycle speedway, but with cars.

Axe Throwing - competitors throw axes at a circular target.

B Sports

Backstroke - a swimming stroke performed on the back with the arms lifted alternately out of the water in a backward circular motion and the legs extended and kicking.

Badminton - an indoor game with rackets in which a shuttlecock is hit back and forth across a net.

Balance Beam - a female Olympic Games gymnastics event in which a gymnast balances on a narrow horizontal bar raised off the floor, while performing exercises.

Balkline - a Carom Billiards discipline. A point is scored each time a player's cue ball makes contact with both object balls on a single stroke. It is played on a pocketless table that is divided by balklines on the cloth marking playing regions. Its precursor was a game called Straight Rail.

Ball Badminton - a racket game native to India, played with a yellow ball made of wool, with similarities to Badminton.

Ball Hockey - a variation of Ice Hockey, a lot like Street Hockey, in which the game is played on foot on a non-ice surface, and a ball is used instead of a hockey puck.

Ballooning - competitive hot air ballooning is a test of accuracy, not speed. The aim is to fly as close as possible to a target and drop a weighted marker.

Bandy - a team sport played on ice using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal, a precursor to ice hockey. A variation is Rink Bandy.

Banger Racing - racing event which is done on a dirt track using scrap cars.

Banzai Skydiving - a form of skydiving in which the diver throws their parachute out the airplane door, waits and then jumps after it.

Barefoot Skiing - involves skiing barefoot on water without the use of water skis.

Bare-knuckle boxing - two individuals participate to fight against each other without using boxing gloves or any other type of padding on their hands. Also called Fisticuffs.

Barrel Racing - a rodeo event where participants and horses complete a clover-leaf pattern around barrels.

Baseball - a bat and ball game in which the aim is to hit the ball and score runs by running around four bases.

Baseball5 - five-on-five, five-inning street version of the game of Baseball/Softball that can be played anywhere

BASE Jumping - involves parachuting from a structure or cliff, with competitions based on landing accuracy.

Basketball - players attempt to shoot the ball through the hoop on the opponent's court, moving the ball by throwing and dribbling.

Basque Pelota - a variety of court sports that involve hitting a ball against a wall using the hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket. Other forms include Pala Corta, Rubber-paleta, Paleta-Leather, Xare, Cesta Punta, Frontenis, Hand-Pelota, Valencian Pilota, Valencian Frontó. Jai Alai is a variety of Basque Pelota.

Basse - a bag ball game from Norway in which the ball is kept from landing in the player's area, using any part of the body except the hands.

Bat-and-Trap - an old English bat and ball game, in which a ball is projected into the air out of a trap using a bat, and then hit between posts 21 feet away.

Baton Twirling - a metal rod called a baton, is manipulated, while simultaneously making coordinated dance moves.

Bavarian Curling - another name for Ice Stock Sport.

Beach Basketball - a version of basketball played on sand with two teams of three players.

Beach Flags - a surf lifesaving sport in which competitors race in the sand to collect a flag.

Beach Golf - a simplified version of golf played on sand with a polyurethane foam ball.

Beach Handball - a variation of Team Handball, played on sand instead of indoors. This sport is sometimes called Sandball.

Beach Netball - netball played in the sand on a half court.

Beach Polo - polo on horseback though played on a sand field with sideboards so the ball is always in play.

Beach Rugby - a version of rugby union played on sand.

Beach Sambo - a modified version of sambo played on the sand, with bouts lasting three minutes, without penalties and mat wrestling.

Beach Soccer - similar to association football but played on a beach or sand.

Beach Sprint Rowing - rowing race in the open water also involving a beach sprint.

Beach Tennis - a sport which has elements from tennis and volleyball, and played on the beach.

Beach Volleyball - a version of Volleyball played on sand with teams of two players, in which a ball is hit by hand over a high net, the aim being to score points by making the ball reach the ground on the opponent's side of the court.

Beach Water Polo - an open water version of Water Polo played on a smaller field with four players per team.

Beach Woodball - a version of woodball played on sand that involves using a mallet to pass a ball through gates.

Beach Wrestling - a standing up position style of wrestling conducted on beach sand.

Beeni Wrestling - also called Asian arm wrestling, involves two competitors attempting to break free from their competitor's hold.

Behcup - similar to putting in golf, though the balls are hit into a small goal and not into a hole.

Beikou Tarkbei (also called Daur Hockey) - a team sport unique to the Daur ethnic group in Inner Mongolia, that has a lot of similarities to field hockey.

Belt Wrestling - the aim is to knock down the opponent by grappling with their belt.

Benchpress - the barbell bench press is one of three lifts in the sport of powerlifting. Participants lie on their back holding the weight on both hands, push it upwards, and then lower the weight again to the chest level.

Benchrest Shooting - a shooting sport where the participant shoots with a rifle at the bench.

Biathle - consist of swimming and running as part of a single race. It is usually over a shorter distance than the similar Aquathlon.

Biathlon - a combination of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.

Biathlon Orienteering - a combination of the navigation sport of orienteering with rifle shooting.

Bicycle Motocross (BMX) - races on BMX bicycles.

Bicycle Polo - similar to polo, though played on bicycles instead of horses.

Big Wave Surfing - experienced surfers paddle into or are towed onto waves that are at least 20 feet high.

Bikejoring - a single dog or a team of harnessed dogs pull along a rider on a bike.

Billiards - billiards is the historical umbrella term for a range of cue sports, though in some countries it refers to the specific game of English Billiards.

Biribol - an aquatic version of volleyball developed in Brazil.

Blind Cricket - a modified version of cricket for blind athletes with a larger ball with bells inside..

Blind Football - 5-a-side Association football for athletes with a visual impairment.

Boardercross - snowboarders race each other on a downhill winding course. Also called Snowboard Cross.

Bobsleigh - winter sport on a sled making timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, ice tracks.

Bocce - is part of the boules sport family, similar to bowls and pétanque a ball is thrown as close as possible to a smaller 'jack'.

Boccia - a ball sport similar to bocce, bowls, and pétanque for athletes with physical disabilities.

Bodyboarding - a water sport in which the surfer stands or lays on a short board in the surf.

Bodybuilding - participants show their developed muscular build through poses, and are judged based on muscularity, conditioning, and symmetry.

Bodyflight - an acrobatic sport involving skydiving or a vertical tunnel to perform maneuvers while in the air.

Bolas Criollas - a traditional Venezuelan team sport like bocce and pétanque in which players throw a set of balls as close as possible to the small target ball.

Boli Khela - a form of wrestling that is practiced in Bangladesh and India.

Boomerang Throwing - competitions involving throwing and catching boomerangs.

Borden Ball - see Handball.

Bossaball - played on an inflatable court with trampolines on each side of the net.

Boßeln - a sport similar to the field style of Klootschieten played in Germany.

Bouldering - a type of sport rock climbing in which competitors attempt to climb a series of fixed routes of increasing difficulty.

Boules - a collective name for a wide range of sports in which the objective is to throw or roll heavy balls as close as possible to a small target ball.

Bowling - a general term of a large range of sports in which the player rolls a ball to knock down objects. The most common variation is Tenpin Bowling.

Bowls - commonly refers to Lawn Bowls. For other types of bowls sports, see Bowling.

Box lacrosse - a version of lacrosse that is played in a smaller indoor arena (box), with six players in each team.

Boxing - a combat sport in which two players throw punches at each other.

Brännboll - a Scandinavian game that has similarities to rounders, but with no pitcher.

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu- a combat sport from Brazil based on ground fighting and submission holds, developed from judo and jujutsu.

Breakdancing - an athletic style of street dance.

Breaststroke - one of the major swimming strokes, performed with the swimmer with his chest forward and facing towards to bottom of the pool.

Bridge - a card game that is played by four players, playing in two competing partnerships. Players score points based on the number of tricks achieved.

British Baseball - a bat-and-ball game played in Wales and England similar to rounders.

Broomball - a game like ice hockey played with a broom.

Bull Fighting - involves one or more bulls that are being fought in a bullring.

Bull Riding - a Rodeo Sport, that involves a rider getting on a large bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal attempts to buck them off.

Bunnock - a kind of skittles game that is played with bones (commonly known as "Game of Bones").

Butterfly stroke - one of the major swimming stroke styles, swum on the breast, with both arms moving simultaneously, accompanied by a "dolphin kick".

Buzkashi - a Central Asian sport like polo in which riders on horses attempt to drag a goat carcass toward the goal. There is a variant known as kokpar which is quite similar.

C Sports

Caber Toss - a traditional Scottish sport in which the competition revolves around tossing forward a large tapered pole called a caber.

Cageball - a type of indoor football (soccer) played on a small rectangular field surrounded by high walls.

Calisthenics - a competitive team sport in which athletes perform elements of rhythmic gymnastics and ballet.

Calva - a traditional Spanish sport in which you throw a piece of metal to knock down bull's horn-shaped piece of wood.

Camel Racing - racing camels with a jockey like in horse racing.

Cammag - a sport similar to shinty or hurling from the Isle of Man.

Camogie - the female version of hurling played in Ireland.

Campdrafting - a sport from Australia where a rider on horseback attempts to cut out a cattle from its herd and drive it into a pen.

Canadian Football - a type of gridiron football that is played in Canada.

Candlepin Bowling - a type of bowling like tenpin bowling using candlepins and smaller balls.

Caneball - another name for the Myanmar (Burmese) traditional sport of Chinlone.

Canicross - a variant of cross country running in which runners have to complete the course accompanied by their dogs.

Canne de Combat - a French martial art in which opponents battle each other inside a ring with a cane in one hand. A type of Stick-Fighting.

Canoeing - paddle sport in which the rider kneels or sits facing forward in a canoe.

Canoe Freestyle - a whitewater sport in which athletes on kayaks or canoes perform various moves in a fixed place called the playspot. Also known as Playboating.

Canoe Marathon - athletes paddle a kayak or canoe over a long distance, often with out-of-water sections.

Canoe Polo - players in kayaks attempt to score by throwing or hitting a ball through a goal suspended two meters above the water.

Canoe Sprint - sprint canoe racing on flat water over distances from 200m to 5000m.

Capoeira - a form of martial art from Brazil which has a combination of aspects of dance moves, acrobatics, movements and music.

Canopy Piloting - a parachute skydiver performs aerial feats above a small body of water. Also called Pond Swooping.

Capture The Flag - the aim is to get the other team's flag which is located at their base.

Car Ice Racing - cars race across a strip of frozen water.

Carriage Driving - sports in which horses or ponies are hitched to a wagon, carriage, cart or sleigh by means of a harness.

Carom Billiards - A cue sport played on a felt-covered table with cues and billiard balls, in which the object is to score points by caroming your cue ball off both the opponent's cue ball and the object ball(s) with a single shot. There is a large range of disciplines including Artistic Billiards, Three-Cushion Billiards, Five-Pin Billiards, Balkline, Straight Rail, Cushion Caroms, Four-Ball.

Casting - fishing without fish, the objective is to test the accuracy and distance of a cast.

Catchball - an easier version of volleyball in which players catch and throw the ball rather than hit it with their hands.

Cestoball - an Argentinian female sport similar to netball.

Chase Tag - like the playground game of tag, a chaser has 20 seconds to tag an evader as they race around an obstacle course.

Cheerleading - a dubious sport in which groups of cheerleaders do routines that are subjectively assessed.

Chess - a strategy board game played by two players on a checkered gameboard with 64 squares arranged in an 8×8 grid.

Chess boxing - a combination of chess and boxing.

Chilean Rodeo - two riders on horseback try to stop a calf.

Chinese Handball - a form of American handball which is popular in the streets of NY, similar to Wallball.

Chinlone - the traditional sport of Burma or Myanmar, a team sport combined with dance (also known as Caneball).

Chuckwagon Racing - a chuckwagon is pulled by four thoroughbred horses around a track.

Circle Rules Football - played on a circular field with one central goal in which teams score in opposing directions using a yoga ball.

Clay Pigeon Shooting - shooters try to shoot flying targets like clay pigeons or clay targets.

Clean and Jerk - one of the events Olympic weight lifting competition.

Clout Archery - a form of Archery, similar to Target Archery, except you aim at a flag among a group of concentric circular scoring zones from long range.

Club Throw - a track and field disabled sports event, the objective is to throw a wooden club as far as possible.

Coastal (Offshore) Rowing - a type of rowing performed on open water, requiring wider and more robust boats than those used on rivers and lakes.

Collegiate Wrestling - a wrestling style practiced exclusively in the United States at a collegiate level.

Combined Driving - a driver on a carriage pulled by horses takes part in three events: dressage, marathon and cones.

Competitive Eating - involves participants competing on who can consume the most food in a short period of time.

Corkball - a sport derived from baseball with a smaller ball that can be played on a much smaller field (often referred to as mini-baseball).

Cornhole - a bag toss game, in which you throw a small soft bag towards an angled board with a hole at the far end.

Cowboy Action Shooting - involves shooting targets with a variety of guns that were typical of the late 19th century.

Cowboy Mounted Shooting - involves shooting at targets while riding a horse.

Cowboy Polo - similar to regular Polo, though riders compete with western saddles, usually in a smaller arena and with an inflatable rubber medicine ball.

Court Tennis - another name for Real Tennis.

Crab Soccer or Crab Football - football with players supporting themselves on their hands and their feet, face up, which makes them look like crabs.

Crazy Golf - a common name for Minigolf.

Croquet - players hit balls along the ground through hoops using a wooden mallet.

Crossbow Archery - an archery discipline in which a crossbow is used instead of a regular bow.

Cross-Country Equestrian - horse riders are required to jump over 30 to 40 obstacles within a fixed time, incurring penalties for exceeding the allocated time or if a horse refuses to clear an obstacle.

Cross-Country Skiing - races over snow-covered terrain using skis.

Cross-Country Mountain Biking - off-road cycling races over rough terrain.

Cross-Country Rally - another name for Rally Raid, an extended form of off-road rally racing.

Cross-Country Running - distance running races over natural terrain.

Crossnet - a cross between volleyball and 4-square, played with a four-way net.

Cross Triathlon - a variation of the traditional triathlon, with a swim stage, mountain-biking stage and a trail-running stage.

Crossfit - a strength and conditioning program involving short but high-intensity workouts comprised of functional exercises. Not really a sport, but they do organize fitness competitions such as the CrossFit Games.

Crossminton - badminton played with no net adapted to make it suitable for playing outdoors (formerly called Speed Badminton or Speedminton).

Cue Sports (Billiards) - a general term for a large range of indoor sports played on a felt top table, with or without pockets. Examples include Pocket Billiards (Pool) and .

Cup Stacking - see the sport of Sport Stacking.

Curling - players slide stones on a sheet of ice towards the target area.

Cushion Caroms - a cue sport and Carom Billiards discipline, played on a pocketless table with two white balls and a red ball. The aim is to carom off of both object balls with at least one rail being struck before the hit on the second object ball.

Cutting - an American western style sport of the equestrian discipline in which the objective for a rider on a horseback is to separate a few cows from its herd and prevent them from returning.

Cycling - there is a large range of sports involving riding a bicycle.

Cycle Ball - the gameplay is similar to that of association football, but is played with each player riding a bicycle.

Cycle Polo - see Bicycle Polo.

Cycle Speedway - replicating motor speedway using bicycles.

Cycling Time Trial - a bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock.

Cyclo-Cross - a type of bicycle racing, a winter sport performed over various terrain.

Czech Handball - a ball game created in the Czech Republic with similarities with Team Handball.

D Sports

Dancesport - Dancesport is the competitive form of Ballroom and Latin Dancing, in which contestants perform dances before judges.

Dandi Biyo - a game from Nepal played with two sticks; the long stick is used to strike the shorter one in the air.

Danish Longball - a bat and ball game developed in Denmark, like a hybrid of baseball and cricket.

Dartchery - a combination of darts and archery, using bows and arrows typically used for archery, but the target is a dartboard.

Darts - a throwing game in which small missiles are thrown at a target, which is called a dartboard.

Daur Hockey - another name for Beikou Tarkbei - an old Chinese sport similar to field hockey.

Deadlifting - a powerlifting event where participants lift a loaded barbell off the ground to the hips, and then lower it back to the ground.

Deaf Basketball - basketball that is played by deaf people. Players use sign language to communicate with each other including the refs.

Decathlon - track and field event comprising 10 events held over two days.

Demolition Derby - involves drivers hammering their vehicles against each other.

Digor - a sport from Bhutan in which a pair of spherical flat stones are hurled at two targets fixed in the ground 20 meters apart.

Disc Dog - dog frisbee competitions of distance catching and choreographed freestyle catching.

Disc Golf - golf using a frisbee disc, the objective is to traverse a course from start to end with the fewest number of throws.

Disc Sports - various sports or games played using flying discs (frisbees).

Discus - track and field event where athletes attempt to throw a heavy disc object far as they can.

Diving - an aquatic sport where athletes dive into the water from a raised launch pad, while performing acrobatic movements.

Dodgeball - two teams throw balls at each other while trying to avoid the balls.

Dog Agility - dogs have to navigate through a course that has various types of obstacles under the direction of a handler. (not a sport).

Dog Racing - greyhounds chase a lure around a track.

Dog Sledding - teams of dogs pull a sled with the driver.

Dog Sports - general term for sporting activities that involve dogs (which are mostly not even sports).

Downhill Skiing - participants slide down a snow-covered hill using skis with fixed bindings.

Downhill Mountain Biking - biking sport that is held on steep and rough terrain.

Drag boat racing - drag racing that is held on the water with boats.

Drag racing - automobiles or motorcycles race down a straight track.

Dragon Boat Racing - a paddling sport using a traditional Chinese long boat with up to 20 paddlers.

Dressage - an equestrian sport in which riders and horses perform from memory a series of predetermined events.

Drifting - car drivers take corners at speed and the back wheels slide out, and are judged according to the speed, angle, showmanship and line taken through a corner.

Drone Racing - competitors race with specially built multi-rotor drones around a natural or specifically designed course (not a sport).

Drunken Boxing (or Drunkard's Boxing or Zui Quan). It is a concept in traditional Chinese martial arts.

Duathlon - similar to triathlon, running first, then cycling, then running again.

Duckpin bowling - a type of 10-pin bowling, though with smaller balls.

Dumog - a Filipino style of wrestling while standing upright.

E Sports

Ecuavoley - a variant of volleyball though the net is higher and played with three players, invented and played in Ecuador.

Eight-Ball - a cue sport, which is one of the most popular variants of pool, using 15 colored balls numbered from 1 to 15.

Eight-man Football - a mini version of American Football played by high schools with smaller enrollments.

Ekiden - long-distance relay running typically held on roads.

Elephant Polo - a form of Polo, played on the back of elephants instead of on horseback.

Endurance Racing - a motorsport where teams of two or four race for long distances, that tests their physical endurance and the durability of their vehicles.

Endurance Riding - an equestrian discipline, where riders and horses compete in races over very long distances.

Endurance Running - track and field running races over distances of 3kms and greater.

Enduro - a motorcycle sport with the main objective to traverse a series of checkpoints, arriving exactly at a predetermined time. The courses are usually run over thickly wooded terrain, sometimes with large obstacles.

Endurocross - hybrid sport combining elements from Supercross, Enduro, and Trials (also called indoor enduro).

English Billiards - sometimes just called Billiards, requires two cue balls and a red object ball. The game features both cannons (caroms) and the pocketing of balls as objects of play, scoring points for each of these. See Cue Sports.

Equestrian - competitions testing horse riding skills.

Equestrian Vaulting - a gymnastics and dance discipline completed on horseback.

e-Sports (gaming) - competitive form of playing computer games (gaming).

Esports (mixed-reality) - athletes compete against each other remotely via virtual reality platforms..

Eton Fives - a handball sport derived from the English sport Fives.

European (Team) Handball - another name for the sport of Handball.

Eventing - riders compete in three types of races, dressage, cross-country and show jumping, in a single competition.

Expedition racing - an endurance event combining two or more disciplines. More commonly called Adventure Racing.

Extreme Canoe Slalom - a fast-paced kakayaking sport in which four athletes race each other on a whitewater course through up and downstream gates whilst also completing an eskimo roll.

F Sports

Fast Pitch Softball - the competitive form of softball, where the pitcher's arm rotates 360 degrees around the shoulder until the ball is released from the hand.

Fast5 - a variation of netball, formerly known as Fastnet, with only 5 players per team.

Fell Running - running races done off-road and mostly uphill.

Fencing - competitors face each other and attempt to touch each other with the tip of a thin sword.

Field Archery - a form of Archery that involves shooting at targets of varying distance, often in rough terrain.

Field Handball - the original version of Handball, played outdoors on a larger field and with more players. It is also known as Outdoor Handball or Grass Handball.

Field Hockey - played outdoors on turf, players hit a hard round ball through goals using sticks with curved ends.

Field Lacrosse - a full-contact outdoor men's version of lacrosse.

Field Target - an outdoor air gun discipline.

Fierljeppen - contestants using a long pole, vault across a canal. Also called Canal Jumping.

Finnish Skittles - opposing players take turns to knock down their opponent's skittles.

Finswimming - an underwater swimming sport where athletes race against each other while wearing breathing apparatus.

Fishing - usually a recreational activity, though when in competition it can be a sport. See Sport Fishing.

Fistball - an outdoor team sport similar to volleyball.

Fisticuffs - another name for bare-knuckle boxing.

Five-a-Side Football - each team fields five players on a smaller pitch, with smaller goals and a reduced game duration.

Five-pin bowling - a bowling variant from Canada with smaller balls and only 5 pins.

Five-Pin Billiards - a Carom Billiards discipline popular in Italy and Argentina, in which points are gained by using one's cue ball to cause the opponent's cue ball to knock over pins.

Fives - an English sport in which a ball is propelled against the walls in a specially designed court by using a bare or gloved hand.

Flag Football - similar to American football but instead of tackling players the defensive team have to remove a flag from the ball carrier.

Flight Archery - a form of archery in which the aim is to shoot the arrow as far as possible.

Floor (Gymnastics) - gymnasts perform a tumbling and dance routine on a floor space.

Floor Hockey - refers to a collection of indoor hockey sports that were derived from various hockey codes, played on dry, flat floor surfaces such as a gymnasium or basketball court.

Floorball - a type of floor hockey sport played indoors, popular in Nordic countries.

Flyboarding - an extreme water sport in which athletes perform tricks while wearing a water jetpack attached to a jet ski.

Footbag Net - players have to kick a footbag over a 5ft high net.

Football - Around the world, Football mostly refers to Association Football, also known as Soccer in some places. In the USA, Football refers to American Football (Gridiron). In Australia, Football refers to Australian Rules Football.

Football Tennis - also known as futnet, played by kicking a ball over a low net, with a bounce allowed.

Footgolf - a mix of golf and football, where players use football skills to kick a ball into holes.

Footpool - novelty version of billiards using an oversized table and soccer balls.

Footvolley - like beach volleyball though you can only use your feet.

Formula Racing - motor racing using open-wheeled single-seat vehicles.

Four Square - schoolyard ball game played in a quadrant.

Four-Ball - a Carom Billiards discipline, played on a pocketless table with four balls (2 red, 2 white), where a point is scored when a player caroms on any two other balls, and two points are scored when the player caroms on each of the three other balls. A variant played in Asia is called Yotsudama.

Frame Running - a track and field racing sport for disabled athletes, in which they run while holding a specially designed tricycle. Previously called Racerunning.

Freediving - underwater diving sport which relies on the diver's ability to hold their breath.

Freerunning - a version of parkour that adds acrobatic moves that are purely aesthetic, also known as tricking.

Freestyle BMX - stunt riding sport using BMX bikes.

Freestyle Flying Disc - creative, acrobatic, and athletic maneuvers with a flying disc.

Freestyle Footbag - performing various tricks with a footbag.

Freestyle Football - athletes compete to perform various tricks using a football.

Freestyle Motocross - competition based upon points for acrobatic ability on an MX bike over jumps. See also Motocross.

Freestyle Skateboarding - performing tricks with a skateboard while flat ground skateboarding.

Freestyle Skiing - different forms of freestyle skiing including Aerial skiing, Mogul skiing, Ski ballet, Ski cross, Half-pipe skiing, Slopestyle skiing.

Freestyle Slalom Skating - involves performing tricks around a straight line of equally spaced cones while wearing inline skates.

Freestyle Snowboarding - competitors ride on a snowboard and do tricks along as they descend shoulders onto the mat to earn maximum scores.

Freestyle Swimming - in these events competitors can swim using any stroke of their choice.

Freestyle Wrestling - the objective is to pin down the opponent's shoulders onto the mat, the legs are allowed to be used.

Frescoball (see Matkot).

Fricket - a 'two-on-two' flying disc game, also known as disc cricket, cups, suzy sticks and crispy wickets.

Frisian Handball - a traditional sport from the Netherlands in which players attempt to land a ball at the end of a long rectangular field.

Frontenis - a sport using rackets and a rubber ball on a 'pelota court'.

Fullbore target rifle - using rifles, shooters hit the paper targets in a prone position.

Fußball (also spelled Fussball) - this is the German name for (Association) Football, and also the name used for Table Football.

Futsal - a variant of association football played on a smaller field usually indoors.

Fuzzball - a street version of baseball played in some regions of the US.

G Sports

Gaelic Football -a type of football from Ireland with a goal similar to that used in rugby but having a net attached below the crossbar. The object is to kick or punch the round ball into the net (three points) or over the crossbar (one point).

Gaelic Handball - a wall-based sport, played in Ireland, similar to squash though the ball is hit with the hand.

Gateball - a team sport played with a wooden mallet and wooden balls. Each player attempts to strike their allocated ball through all the gates and finally strike the goal pole.

Gilli-Danda - a South Asian game played with two sticks; the long stick is used to strike the shorter one in the air.

Gliding - an air sport in which pilots use an unpowered aircraft.

Glima - a belt wrestling style from Scandinavia, based on a popular sport of the Vikings from over 1200 years ago.

Goalball - a Paralympic sport for blind athletes using a ball with bells.

Golf - players use a club to hit balls into a series of holes on a course, using the fewest number of strokes.

Golf Croquet - a popular form of croquet in which each player takes a stroke in turn, trying to hit a ball through the same hoop.

Gorodki - a folk sport from Russia, where competitors strike down a group of cylindrical wooden objects by throwing a bat.

Grass Skiing - involves skiing on grass-covered slopes on skis with wheels.

Greco-Roman Wrestling - In this wrestling style, competitors are prohibited from holding any part of the opponent's body below the waist.

Greyhound Racing - a dog sport also called Dog Racing.

Gridiron Football - the term used outside of the US for American Football.

Guts - a disc sport derived from dodgeball, where players try to strike their opponents with a frisbee.

Gymkhana - a multi-game equestrian event that is performed to display the talents of the horses and their riders.

H Sports

Half-Pipe Skiing - athletes perform tricks while riding on a half-pipe wearing snow skis.

Hammer throw - a track and field event in which a heavy weight at the end of a wire is thrown for distance.

Handball - a sport usually played indoors between teams of seven players, who pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team. Also known as Team Handball, Olympic Handball, European (Team) handball or Borden Ball. Variations include Beach Handball, Czech Handball and Field Handball.

Hang Gliding - a type of air sport in which the rider flies a non-motorized aircraft called a hang glider.

Hardball Squash - like the indoor court sport of squash, but with a much harder ball.

Hare Coursing - hares are chased by greyhounds using their sight rather than scent. (not a sport).

Harness Racing - horses trot or pace while pulling a driver in a sulky.

Headis - combining table tennis and soccer, players use their heads to hit a soccer ball across the table tennis table and net.

Heptathlon - a women's track and field multi-event comprising 7 events.

High Diving - athletes dive into the water from considerably large heights.

High Jump - an Olympic Track and Field event in which the participants attempt to jump over the highest bar.

High Power Rifle - shooting competition using rifles such as the service rifle.

Hill Climb - riding on a motorcycle, one competitor at a time attempts to ride up a very steep hill. The rider to reach the top (if anyone makes it) with the shortest elapsed time wins. There is also a car version of this sport, Hillclimbing.

Hillclimbing - car drivers race on an uphill course in a time trial format.

Hitball - an indoor team sport from Italy in which players strike the volleyball-sized ball into the opponent's goal post only using the upper limbs.

Hockey Fives - a shorter and faster variant of field hockey played on a smaller field with fewer players.

Horizontal Bar - artistic gymnastics event also known as high bar, where athletes perform aerial stunts on a horizontal bar.

Hornussen - a traditional Swiss sport (farmer's golf), where the hornusser knocks a nut through the air with a long flexible rod.

Horse Polo - the traditional polo sport. Polo is also played on other animals such as Elephants and Yaks.

Horse Pulling - one or two horses harnessed to a weighted sled pull for the greatest distance.

Horse Racing - equestrian sport that involves jockeys riding horses or being pulled along by horses.

Horse Soccer - a variation of Pushball, a team sport where an inflated ball is driven through a goal while riding a horse.

Horseball - like a combination of polo, rugby and basketball, played on horseback where a ball with six handles around it is carried and shot through a high net to score. A similar sport is Pato.

Horseback Archery - shooting arrows at targets while riding a horse.

Horseshoes - players toss horseshoes at stakes in the ground.

Hot Air Ballooning - see Ballooning.

Hovercraft Racing - racing events usually done on tracks, just like auto racing, but part of the track is water and there is some part which is grass.

Hunting - an activity that involves tracking and killing animals with various weapons (not a sport?).

Hurdles (Track and Field) - a track and field sport that involves running and jumping over obstacles at speed.

Hurling - a Gaelic outdoor team sport where players use a wooden stick to hit a ball between the opposing team's goalposts.

Hydroplane Racing - racing of hydroplanes on an oval course mostly on lakes or rivers.

I Sports

Ice Canoeing - a team sport in which a five-member crew completes a course, in which riders have to push their canoe on the frozen parts of the river as well as row in the water.

Ice Climbing - athletes climb vertical ice formations with the use of ropes and other protective gear.

Ice Cross Downhill - an extreme winter racing sport that involves direct racing of multiple skaters on a downhill course.

Ice Dancing - one of the events in Figure Skating, which has its roots in ballroom dancing.

Ice Hockey - a contact sport that is played on ice while wearing skates and using a stick to hit a puck into a goal.

Ice Racing - racing of motorized vehicles on predominantly natural ice surfaces like frozen lakes or rivers.

Ice Speedway - similar to Motorcycle Speedway Racing, though using a motorbike developed specifically for racing on ice. The bikes race anti-clockwise around oval tracks between 260 and 425 meters in length.

Ice Skating - a range of sports that involve traveling on ice using metal blades attached to shoes, such as ice hockey, figure skating and speed skating.

Ice Sledge Racing - a winter Paralympic sport in which contestants use a lightweight sledge and propel themselves using two poles.

Ice Stock Sport - a winter sport similar to curling, in which ice-stocks are slid across the ice to a target area. Also called Bavarian Curling.

Ice Track Cycling - racing a modified bicycle around a 400 m frozen track.

Ice Yachting - sail boats called ice yachts are used to race on frozen lakes and rivers.

Icosathlon - a double decathlon consisting of 20 events, including the 10 traditional decathlon events with 10 additional track and field events.

Indoor Cricket - a modified version of cricket played indoor with nets for walls.

Indoor Field Hockey - indoor team sport that was derived from field hockey.

Indoor Netball - a variation of netball, played indoors with netting all around the court.

Indoor Rowing - competitions performed on a rowing machine that simulates the on-water action.

Indoor Soccer - an indoor version of Association Football developed in North America with side walls keeping the ball in play.

Indoor Triathlon - swimming in an indoor pool, cycling on a stationary bike, and running on an indoor track or treadmill.

Inline Hockey - similar to ice hockey, players move around on a wooden or concrete surface wearing inline skates.

Inline Skating - also known as roller blading, a variety of sports performed while wearing skates with two to five polyurethane wheels arranged in a single line.

Inline Speed Skating - athletes use inline skates to race around tracks.

Inner Tube Water Polo - a variation of water polo that is played while sitting on inner tubes in a pool.

Intercrosse - a non-contact version of lacrosse.

International Fronton - played by striking a ball onto a wall with bare hands, using rules adapted from many wall ball sports.

International Game - a team sport that is played by striking a ball with hands, created so that players from similar handball sports could play against each other.

Irish Road Bowling - competitors attempt to take the fewest throws to propel a metal ball along a predetermined course of country roads.

Ironman Surflifesaving - combines four major aspects of surf-lifesaving into a single race: swimming, board paddling, ski paddling, and beach running.

J Sports

Jai Alai - a sport derived from Basque Pelota, usually played indoors. Popular in many Latin American countries.

Javelin - track and field event involving throwing a spear-like implement as far as possible.

Jereed - a traditional Turkish team equestrian sport in which the objective is to throw blunt wooden javelins at players of the opposing team.

Jet Ski Racing - a water sport similar to powerboat racing, in which riders use jet skis to compete.

Jetsprint - a high-speed boat racing sport in which a team of two riders, race through a course by themselves in a time-trial format (also known as sprint boat racing).

Jeu Provençal (Boule Lyonnaise) - a popular French form of Boules, where the objective is to throw a set of hollow metal balls as close as possible to a target ball.

Jianzi - a traditional Chinese national sport, where players aim to keep a shuttlecock-type object in the air by kicking it, usually played with a net between teams. Also called Shuttlecock.

Joggling - running (jogging) races while juggling.

Jokgu - a Korean sport that resembles a mix of football and volleyball.

Jorkyball - a type of indoor soccer played between teams of two on a small rectangular field surrounded by glass walls.

Judo - the objective is to throw or takedown the opposing player to the ground.

Jugger - a brutal sport inspired by the movie "The Salute of the Jugger", the objective is for the team to get to the other team's foam dog skull.

Jiu-Jitsu / Jujutsu- a Japanese martial art using close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent, with only a short weapon or none at all.

Jukskei - a folk sport from South Africa where competitors throw wooden pins to try and knock down a target wooden peg.

K Sports

Kabaddi - a "raider" enters the opposite team's half to tag opponents without taking a breath.

Kaisa - a cue sport (type carom billiards) mainly played in Finland. (also known as Karoliina).

Kalaripayattu - an ancient martial art from Kerala, India.

Karate - a martial art developed in Japan that uses punching, kicking, knee strikes, elbow strikes, and some open-hand techniques.

Kart Racing - an open-wheel motorsport variant that uses small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts (or go-karts).

Kayaking - boat races using a small, narrow boat propelled using a double-bladed paddle.

Kayak Football - participants in kayaks attempt to get a small soft football into the end zone.

Kegel - a German nine-pin bowling game played in Australia.

Kelly Pool - type of pocket billiard game played on a standard pool table, with fifteen numbered markers which player select from.

Kemari - Japanese traditional sport with the aim to keep one ball in the air.

Kendo - a form of Japanese martial art that originated from kenjutsu, using bamboo swords and armor.

Kettlebell Lifting - a weight lifting sport performed with kettlebells, which are heavy weights that resemble a cannonball with a handle.

Kho Kho - the team that is quickest to tag all the opponents wins the game, from India.

Kickball - a type of baseball where the players kick the ball, instead of striking it with a bat.

Kickboxing - a group of stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching. Variations include Pradal Serey (Cambodia), Sanda (China), Savate (France), Sikaran (Philippines).

Kilikiti - a traditional Tuvalu sport similar to cricket.

Kin-Ball - played with three teams and a large inflated ball.

Ki-o-rahi - a traditional New Zealand Maori game played on a circular field.

Kite Fighting - battle to cut the lines on the opponents' kites.

Kite Foil Racing - kiteboard racing on boards with a hydrofoil that extends below the board into the water.

Kite Landboarding - using a kite and wind power to manoeuver a huge skateboard-type board over land.

Kitesurfing - a board and kite are used on the water utilizing different styles consisting of freeride, speed, down winders and racing.

Klootschieten - German sport in which participants throw a ball as far as they can.

Kneeboarding - a waterskiing event where a participant is pulled along while kneeling on a convex board.

Knife Throwing - like archery, the knife is thrown towards a target.

Kolf - an indoor sport from the Netherlands, the aim is to get a ball as close to a pole as possible with rings marked on the ground around the target used to determine the score.

Korfball - a mixed-gender ball sport that is similar to netball and basketball, developed in The Netherlands.

Krachtbal - a team sport from Flanders, where points are scored by throwing the ball using a neck or back throw into the opponent's goal area.

Krav Maga - a martial art system developed in Israel known for its focus on real-world situations and its extreme efficiency.

Krolf - a mix of croquet and golf from Denmark, players use a mallet to hit the ball into a hole.

Kronum - a team sport that combines aspects of football, handball, basketball, and rugby into a single sport.

Kubb - a lawn game where the object is to knock over wooden blocks ('kubbs') by throwing wooden batons at them.

Kung Fu - a general term for Chinese martial arts, the competition format is Wushu.

Kurash - folk wrestling style from Central Asia in which wrestlers use towels to hold their opponents, and their goal is to throw their opponents off the feet.

L Sports

Lacrosse - a team game, originally played by North American Indians, in which the ball is thrown, caught, and carried with a long-handled stick with a piece of shallow netting at one end. Versions include Field Lacrosse, Box Lacrosse, Women's Lacrosse, Sixes Lacrosse.

Lagori - from Southern India, this game involves a ball and a pile of flat stones. A member of one team throws a soft ball at a pile of stones to knock them over, then tries to restore the pile of stones while the opposing team throws the ball at them (also known as Lingocha).

Land Sailing - racing in three-wheeled vehicles moving across land powered by wind through the use of a sail. Also known as sand yachting or land yachting.

Land Speed Records - in various vehicle classes, competitors attempt to create the fastest time over a fixed distance. Two runs are required in opposite directions within one hour to set a new mark.

Land Windsurfing - similar to traditional Windsurfing though performed on land rather than water, using a four-wheeled deck to travel across the surface. Also known as "Terrasailing", "street sailing", "land sailing" and "dirt windsurfing".

Lapta - a Russian traditional bat and ball game. The aim of the game is to hit a ball, served by a player of the opposite team, with a bat as far as possible, then run across the field, and if possible back again.

Laser Run - four legs of laser pistol shooting, each followed by an 800m run. It is also the final leg of the modern pentathlon.

Laser Tag - a skirmish sport in which players attempt to score points by tagging targets, typically with a hand-held infrared-emitting targeting device.

Lawn Bowls - the objective is to roll biased balls so that they stop close to a smaller ball called a "jack" or "kitty".

Lawn Mower Racing - motorsport where participants use race-modified lawn mowers.

Lead Climbing - climbers attempt to get highest on challenging route on a vertical wall within a pre-determined timeframe.

Legends Car Racing - a racing sport using identical spec vehicles, with bodyshells made of 5/8-scale replicas of American automobiles from the 1930s and 1940s and powered by a Yamaha motorcycle engine.

Lelo Burti - a Georgian folk sport, a full-contact ball game very similar to rugby.

Lethwei - an unarmed Burmese martial art similar to other kickboxing styles from the region.

Letterboxing- an outdoor sport that combines orienteering, art, and puzzle solving. Small weatherproof boxes are hidden in publicly accessible places (like parks) and clues are distributed to find the box. Similar to GeoCaching.

Log Rolling - two challengers attempt to stay on a floating log the longest.

Longboarding - a skateboarding sport in which athletes use a longboard to compete in downhill races.

Long Drive - golf competition in which players attempt to hit the ball the longest distance.

Long Jump - a track and field event where the participant attempts to jump the longest into a sand pit. See also the similar Triple Jump.

Long Track Motorcycle Speedway - a version of motorcycle speedway, but taking place on longer tracks at much higher speeds.

Longue Paume - an outdoor version of the racket sport, jeu de paume, played without a net.

Luge - a Winter Olympic sport in which competitors race down an ice track in a small one- or two-person sled lying supine (face up) and feet-first.

Lumberjack - competitions involving many different events, including log rolling, chopping, timed hot (power) saw and bucksaw cutting, and pole climbing.

M Sports

Mallakhamba - a traditional Indian sport, where athletes perform various types of gymnastics moves and hold various poses on a vertical wooden pole or a rope.

Marathon - a distance running athletics event over 42.2 km.

Marching Band - a large team of participants play musical instruments as they perform various routines while moving around on a huge outdoor field.

Mas Wrestling - participants sit and face each other with their feet braced against a board and each with both hands on a stick. The aim is to pull the other player over to your side.

Matkot - a beach paddle sport from Israel that is very similar to beach tennis. Also called Frescobol.

Metallic Silhouette Shooting - players compete to test their skills by shooting at silhouette metal targets.

Metro Footy - a modified version of Australian football played on a rectangular field, predominantly in the USA.

Middle Distance - a set of track and field running events over distances such as 800m, 1500m, not a sprint and not an endurance race.

Military Pentathlon - a competition involving a shooting phase, obstacle run, obstacle swimming, grenade throwing, and cross-country running.

Mind Sports - a family of sports in which the objective is to test mental strength rather than physical strength. Some may be considered actual sports such as speed cubing, while others not (memory, chess).

Minigolf or Miniature Golf - a game utilizing only the putting aspect of Golf, played on short holes on artificial putting surfaces often with obstacles. Officially called minigolf, but also can be called by the name miniature golf, mini-golf, midget golf, goofy golf, shorties, extreme golf, put-put, crazy golf, adventure golf, mini-putt and many others.

Mini Rugby - a modified version for Rugby Union, to make the sport suitable to be introduced to children.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) - a full-contact individual combat sport that includes aspects of several other combat sports and martial arts.

Modern Pentathlon - an Olympic sport that comprises five events: fencing, 200m freestyle swimming, show jumping, and a combined event of pistol shooting and 3200m cross country run.

Mogul Skiing - snow skiers compete on a specially designed downhill course, in which the primary focus is on the technique used for turns, aerial maneuvers, and speed.

Mölkky - players use a wooden pin (also called "mölkky") to try to knock over wooden pins.

Mongolian Wrestling - a folk wrestling style from the Mongolian region, in which the aim is to get your opponent to touch his upper body, knee or elbow to the ground.

Moscow Broomball - a variation of Broomball, an ice hockey type sport, played in Moscow and only by non-Russians.

Motoball - similar to football, except all players (except goalkeepers) are riding motorcycles, and the ball is much bigger (also called Motorcycle Polo).

Motocross - a form of motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits which include embankments and jumps. See also Freestyle Motocross.

Motorcycling Road Racing - a motorcycle sport involving racing motorcycles as teams or individuals around a circular track. At the elite level it is in the form of MotoGP racing. Also known as Moto racing and Bike racing.

Motorcycle Gymkhana - a motorcycle time trial sport around cones on a paved area. The winner is the competitor who completes the course in the shortest time. Time penalties are incurred by putting a foot down, hitting a cone, or going outside the designated area. It is similar to car Autocross.

Motorcycle Sidecar Racing - rider and a passenger compete in custom-built vehicles.

Motorcycle Speedway - a Motorsport in which the motorcycles have one gear and no brakes, and race around a circular track. Also commonly known by just Speedway. Variations include Ice Speedway.

Motorcycle Trials - a test of skill on a motorcycle whereby the rider attempts to cover rocky terrain without placing a foot on the ground. The winner is the rider with the least penalty points. Known in the USA as "Observed Trials".

Motorsports - includes a wide range of sports, each linked with its use of a motor to propel a driver, and all have an element of thrill and danger for the driver and spectator.

Mountain Biking - held on steep and rough terrain, involving jumps, rock gardens, and other obstacles.

Mountain Unicycling - an adventure sport that consists of traversing rough terrain on a unicycle.

Mountainboarding - an action board sport like a snowboard with wheels or a cross-country skateboard. It is also known as Dirtboarding, Offroad Boarding, and All-Terrain Boarding (ATB).

Mountaineering - the sport of mountain climbing.

Mounted Orienteering - participants navigate from start to end through control points, usually on horseback.

Muay Thai - a full-contact fighting sport in which fighters try to defeat their opponents by using different techniques that make use of fists, elbows, knees, and shins.

Mud Bogging - an off-road motorsport that involves driving a vehicle through a muddy course.

Muggle Quidditch - the playable version of the sport of Quidditch invented for the Harry Potter books.

N Sports

Naginatajutsu - a Japanese martial art of wielding the naginata, a weapon resembling the medieval European glaive.

Naval Pentathlon - comprises an obstacle race, life-saving swimming race, utility swimming race, seamanship race, and an amphibious cross-country race.

Netball - a team game with seven players on a side, similar to basketball except that players are restricted to certain sections of the court, and a player receiving the ball must stand still until they have passed it to another player.

Newcomb Ball - an early variation of Volleyball, teams throw a ball back and forth until it hits the floor or is mishandled.

Nine-a-side Footy - a mini version of Australian Rules Football, with 3 players each designated as forwards, centers and backs.

Nine-Ball - a version of Pocket Billiards played with nine balls, numbered 1 through 9. A player who legally pockets the nine-ball is the winner. Most professional tournaments are conducted for the nine-ball format of pool.

Nine-Man Football - a variation of American Football for smaller schools.

Nine Pin Bowling - a variation of bowling with only 9 pins set up in a diamond pattern.

Ninjutsu - The traditional Japanese art of the Ninjas - incorporating stealth, camouflage and sabotage, now practiced as a martial art.

Nordic Skiing - a field of competitive skiing that includes all events where the heel of the boot cannot be fixed to the ski (as opposed to Alpine skiing). Includes Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, and Biathlon, Nordic Combined and Telemark Skiing.

Northern Praying Mantis - a style of Chinese martial arts, sometimes called Shandong Praying Mantis.

Novuss - a national sport in Latvia, with similarities to carrom and pocket billiards. Played on a 1-meter square wooden board with pockets in each corner. A small cue stick is used to strike a puck to hit small discs into the pockets.

O Sports

Obstacle Course Racing - an event requiring an athlete to run through a variety of different obstacles.

Ocean Rowing - involves rowing races across entire seas and oceans.

Offroad Boarding - another name for Mountainboarding.

Off-Road Racing - many motor sports have competitions 'off-road', meaning on rough terrain.

Oil Wrestling - a form of wrestling called Yağlı Güreş in Türkiye, is where the wrestlers cover themselves in oil.

Oină - a Romanian traditional sport, similar in many ways to Baseball and Lapta played outdoors by two teams of 11 players, taking turns either batting or catching.

Okinawan Kobudō - weapon systems of Okinawan martial arts, also known as Ryūkyū Kobujutsu.

One-Pocket - a version of Pocket Billiards where the objective is to pocket all the object balls into a single pocket.

Open Water Swimming - competitive swimming races conducted over various distances (10km at the Olympics) held in rivers, lakes and oceans.

Orienteering - participants find their way to various checkpoints across rough country with the aid of a map and compass, the winner being the one with the lowest elapsed time.

Outdoor Handball - another name for Field Handball.

Outrigger Canoeing - racing using a type of canoe featuring one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers, which are fastened to one or both sides of the main hull.

Over-the-line - a bat-and-ball sport related to baseball and softball with just 3 people per team. Unlike the other sports, the batter and pitcher are on the same team.

Oztag - a form of Tag Rugby

P Sports

Q Sports

Qianball - a racket and ball sport developed in China which can be best described as a mix of aspects from tennis and squash.

Quadrathlon - an endurance sports event composed of the four individual disciplines of swimming, kayaking, cycling and running - also called quadriathlon.

Quidditch - the sport invented for the Harry Potter books has been adapted for the real world. See Muggle Quidditch.

Quoits - a traditional target throwing game in which rings are thrown at a target spike, the aim is to get them as close as possible to the target.

R Sports

S Sports

T Sports

T20 Cricket - a fast-paced limited over cricket match played 20 overs per team.

Table Football - also called Fußball or Foosball, using figures mounted on rows of rotatable bars to hit a ball.

Table Tennis (also called Ping Pong) - a racket sport played with small paddles and a lightweight ball on a rectangular table with a net in the middle.

Taekwondo - a self-defense discipline that originated in Korea.

Tag Rugby - a team sport similar to touch rugby in which instead of a tackle, a velcro attached tag is pulled off the ball carrier. Similar in play to Touch Rugby. Also known as Flag Rugby. Played in several forms, such as OzTag and Mini Tag. American flag rugby played in the US K1-9 is a variation of Tag Rugby.

Tamburello - racquet and a ball based sport from Italy.

Target Archery - a popular Archery competition where competitors shoot at stationary circular targets from different distances.

Target Golf - players hit a golf ball at a large net, scoring points based on where the ball lands.

Target Shooting - guns of any type used for aiming at a target.

Target Sprint - a combination of sprint running and air rifle shooting.

Tee-Ball - an introductory sport for younger kids to baseball and softball, with the ball hit off a stationary tee.

Tchoukball - an indoor team sport in which the players can score by throwing a ball onto a rebound frame at either end of the court and the ball landing back on the court without being caught.

Team Handball - a commonly used name for the sport of Handball.

Team Penning - the objective for each three-rider team on horseback is to separate three specific cattle from a herd.

Te Ano - the national game of Tuvalu, with similarities to volleyball, though using two balls at once.

Tejo (Argentina) - a sport from Argentina in which two teams throw metal discs to land as close as possible to a neutral disc.

Tejo (Colombia) - a Colombian sport in which metal discs are thrown 20m to a target that explodes when hit.

Telemark Skiing - The bindings for telemark skiing holds the boot by the toes, unlike Alpine Skiing which is fixed-heel. Also known as free hill skiing and telemarking.

Tennikoit - played with a rubber ring, in which the objective is to catch and throw the ring back onto the opponent's half of the court. Also called ring tennis or tenniquoits.

Tennis - a court sport where players use a stringed racket to hit a ball to each other over a net.

Tennis Polo - an outdoor team sport, where players attempt to throw a tennis ball through a goal defended by a goalkeeper with a tennis racket. Also called Toccer.

Tenpin Bowling - a player rolls a bowling ball along a wooden or synthetic lane to knock down pins.

Tent Pegging - the objective for a horse rider is to pierce, pick-up and carry a target, with a lance or a sword, as they gallop towards the target.

Teqball - a new football-based sport that combines table tennis and football (soccer).

Test Cricket - the longest form of cricket, played over 5 days.

Tetherball - two players hit a ball attached by a rope to the top of a stationary pole.

Tetradecathlon - a double heptathlon consisting of 14 events, including the 7 traditional heptathlon events with 7 additional track and field events.

Tetrathlon - composed of 4 out of the 5 disciplines of Modern Pentathlon: Swimming, Running, Shooting and either Fencing or Equestrian.

Thoroughbred Racing - horse racing sport that involves the racing of thoroughbred horses.

Three-Cushion Billiards - a very challenging cue sport and Carom Billiards discipline, where the aim is to carom the cue ball off both object balls and contact the rail cushions at least three times before the last object ball.

Throwball - a sport very similar to Newcomb Ball (a variation of Volleyball) that is played in India.

Torball - a team sport for the visually impaired with an inflated ball with bells inside. The aim is to throw the ball through the opponent´s goal line.

Toros Coleados - involves chasing down a bull while riding on horseback (also called Bull-Tailing).

Touch Football - A version of American Football, where instead of tackling players to the ground, the person carrying the ball only needs to be touched.

Touch Rugby - a team sport derived from Rugby Football, in which the tackling is replaced with just a touch.

Touring Car Racing - a type of auto track racing, which uses heavily modified road-going cars.

Tower Running - grueling races up tall man-made structures. Also known as Stair Climbing.

Track Cycling - bicycle races conducted on velodromes or other specially designed tracks that feature a steep banking.

Track & Field- also known as athletics.

Tractor Pulling - a motorsport involving modified tractors that pull a weighted sled along a 10m wide, 100m track.

Trampolining - competitors perform acrobatics while jumping on a trampoline.

Trap Shooting - one of the variants of clay pigeon shooting, where 1 or 2 targets are thrown away from a trap situated 15m in front of the shooter.

TREC - a French equestrian sport in which the objective is to test both the horse and the rider in competitions consisting of three separate events.

Tree Climbing - competitions in which competitors climb trees as fast as possible using various techniques based on the daily working conditions of arborists.

Triathle - a shortened version of the Modern Pentathlon, athletes compete in shooting, swimming and running events as a part of a single race.

Triathlon - a race consisting of three events, usually swimming, cycling, and running in consecutive order.

Tricking - performers combine martial arts movements with flips, kicks, twists and various dance moves to show off their tricks.

Triple jump - a track and field event where the participant attempts to hop, skip and jump the longest distance. Also called the hop, skip and jump for obvious reasons. Similar to the long jump.

Trugo - Australian sport in which players strike a rubber ring, which is called a whell, with a mallet through goalposts.

Tug of War - two teams pull on opposite ends of a rope.

Tumbling - a gymnastics event involving tumbling along a mat performing flips, rolls, jumps, performing somersaults and handsprings.

Twenty20 - a fast-paced limited over cricket match played 20 overs per team. Also known as T20 Cricket.

U Sports

Ulama - a traditional ball sport from Mexico, players keep the ball inbounds by hitting it with their hips or forearms.

Ultimate - played with a disc (frisbee), with points scored by passing the disc to a teammate in the opposing end zone.

Ultralight Aviation - events with lightweight aircraft which have 1 or 2 seat fixed-wings.

Ultramarathon - very long-distance endurance events, ranging from greater than Marathon distance to several days. Ultramarathons can either cover a specified distance, or take place during a specified time frame, with the winner covering the most distance in that time.

Underwater Football - played in a swimming pool with snorkeling equipment, the aim is to maneuver a slightly negatively buoyant ball underwater (by carrying and passing) from one side of a pool to the other. Scoring is achieved by placing the ball in the gutter on the side of the pool.

Underwater Hockey - two teams of six push a puck along the bottom of a swimming pool. (also known as 'Octopush' or Water Hockey).

Underwater Ice Hockey - A variation of Ice Hockey played upside-down underneath frozen pools or ponds. Participants wear snorkeling equipment and wet suits and use the underside of the frozen surface as the playing area for a floating puck (also called sub-aqua ice hockey).

Underwater Orienteering - individual and team events in which competitors wearing scuba diving equipment swim an underwater course following a route marked on a map prepared by the competition organizers, using a compass and a counter meter to measure the distance covered.

Underwater Photography - teams of competitors using scuba gear and using a digital underwater camera dive and photograph the same saltwater ocean sites at the same time over a two-day period, with the submitted digital images assessed to find the winner.

Underwater Rugby - two teams compete for a slightly negatively buoyant ball (filled with saltwater) and score by placing it into the opponents' goal (heavy metal bucket) at the bottom of a swimming pool.

Underwater Target Shooting - competitors free dive in a swimming pool, using spearguns to fire at targets.

Underwater Wrestling - an alternative name for Aquathlon.

Uneven Bars - an artistic gymnastics apparatus used only by female gymnasts comprising a pair of parallel bars set at different heights (also called asymmetric bars).

Unicycle Basketball - a version of Basketball with all competitors riding unicycles. The sport uses a regulation basketball on a regular basketball court with the same rules.

Unicycle Handball - competitors ride unicycles and a handball-sized ball, with the aim to throw it into a vertical hoop placed about 6 feet (1.8 m) above the ground.

Unicycle Hockey - a team sport, similar to roller or inline hockey, though all competitors are riding a unicycle and using a tennis ball and ice-hockey sticks.

Unicycling Racing - a competition that involves racing using a unicycle.

Unicycle Trials - a form of unicycling that involves participants riding a unicycle over obstacles without any part of the rider touching the ground.

Unicycling - sports using a single-wheel cycle.

Urban Golf - golf played anywhere that there's free space and not too many people about.

V Sports

Vajra-mushti - an Indian martial art in which a knuckleduster-like weapon called the Vajra-mushti is employed.

Va lencian Frontó - modified Valencian Pilota version of the original Basque Pelota game. The players don't stand face-to-face as in the more popular Valencian Pilota but share a common playing area.

Valencian Pilota - is a traditional handball sport played in the Valencian Community of Spain. The ball is usually struck with a bare hand in a game involving two teams made from two up to five players each (depending on the particular version played). Unlike the original Basque Pelota, it is not played against a wall. Instead, teams are placed face to face separated either by a line on the ground or a net. Versions include Valencian Frontó.

Varpa - an old outdoor game dating back to the Viking Age. It is similar to boules but played with a flat and heavy thrower known as "varpa" instead of balls, once made of shaped stones but nowadays aluminum is more popular.

Vault - an artistic gymnastics event for men and women, in which the athlete leaps over a vault or pommel horse, using the hands for pushing off.

Vert Skateboarding - an acrobatic sport in which athletes riding a skateboard perform various tricks while being airborne.

Vert Skating - acrobatic inline or roller skating sport performed on a ramp.

Vintage Racing - a form of Auto-Racing, with vehicles limited to Vintage types.

Vovinam - a Vietnamese martial art.

Vx - a ball sport from the UK, originally known as Rock-It-Ball. It is played by two teams of five players. The court is roughly the size of a basketball court, with 5 balls in play. Players carry a VstiX for carrying, throwing and catching the ball.

W Sports

X Sports

Xare - a racket sport, a form of Basque pelota, where players face each other across a net that is strung across the middle of an indoor court.

Xingyiquan - is one of the major "internal" styles of Chinese martial arts (probably not a sport).

Y Sports

Yağlı Güreş - Turkish for Oil Wrestling, also called grease wrestling. In this form of the wrestlers cover themselves in oil. It is the national sport of Türkiye.

Yak Polo - a Mongolian variation of the sport Polo played on yaks instead of on horses.

Yoga Sport - the performance of yoga positions (asanas) in sporting competitions.

Yotsudama - a variation of Four-Ball carom billiards played in East Asia.

Yo-Yo - the competition version of playing with a yo-yo.

Yubi Lakpi - a seven-a-side traditional football game with similarities to rugby played in Manipur, India, using a coconut.

Yukigassen - a snowball fighting competition played between two teams with seven players each, originated in Japan.

Z Sports

Zorb Football - a team sport that was derived from association football (soccer) in which players are encased in an inflated bubble called Zorb.

Zourkhaneh - the Zourkhaneh (house of strength) is the traditional gymnasium where the sport of Varzesh-e Bastani or Pahlavani is practiced. The sport is sometimes known by this name. Alternative spellings are Zurkhaneh, Zorkhana or Zourkhaneh.

Zui Quan - The words mean Drunken Fist in Chinese. Also known as Drunken Boxing or Drunkard's Boxing.

Related Pages

Selected Comments
Commenting is generally closed on this page, though you can read some previous comments below which may answer some of your questions.

If we manage the competitions of different games between males & females (of all the nations i.e. one team of males & second team of females of different nations) then these competitive games will be something different for the public & almost every person in this world will show interest to watch. These will not only be the latest competitions for the public but this will also create unity in the nations. (from Sukhjit Singh, Nov 2022)

When I was between ages 5-14 my sports played with friends and NO ADULTS were baseball, football, kickball, frisbee, dogeball, kick the can, hide& seek, darts, pool, pingpong, bike races, jumprope, boxing, swimming, diving, fishing, kite flying, dumster diving. (Jerry lehane iii, 2020)

One more to add is sjoelen - on dutch Wiki and site of Algemene Nederlandse Sjoelbond it is written about WC and Dutch Champs - Rob Admin - Is it a sport? I think this one joins the borderline sports list with other competitive table games, though I'll probably add it to my list.

Ivan Sayenko (2018)
I've just found Icosathlon and Tetradecathlon (with championships organized by IAUM), I believe these should be added - Rob Admin - thanks Ivan, that's great.

Mini Ball (2020)
Here's a sport you forgot Mini Basketball it's a social form of Basketball. - Rob Admin - Thanks, though I'm reluctant to add it to the list of sports as I could not find any reference to any competitions in the sport or any organization overseeing for the sport.

Ashlyn (2020)
Dance is also a sport. - Rob Admin - Yes it is a sport.Dancesport is listed above, as is breakdancing. Actually, breakdancing may be on the 2024 Olympic Games program in Paris.

Mr big (2020)
Broom dancing - you dance with a broom

Ally (2020)
I would argue that jousting is not an extinct sport. Around where I live there are jousting tournaments that you can go see. Not common but not extinct. I'd say it's on the same level as Horseback archery. Rob Admin - I would say that the jousting tournaments that you can see today are just reenacting a medieval sport. You're right, maybe horseback archery should be relegated to my extinct sports list too, or maybe I should create a new list of revival sports.

Abby (2020)
Recreational dance is a sport. Also competitive dance is a sport. The only difference between the two are your opponent. In recreational dance your only opponent is yourself. In competitive dance your opponents are the judges and other dances in your category/from other studios. Plus I would know because I am a dancer.

Carter (2020)
Another one to add is canoe dancing - Rob Admin - I think it is a bit likeplayboating

Mehdi khabbazzadeh (2018)
what should i do if have an invention about yoga, pilates and spa massage? which category they belong to? thanks i need your guide. - Rob Admin - I'm not sure what you mean? They are not sports.

Mehdi khabbazzadeh (2018)
why yoga and pilates are not in the list? Rob Admin - because this is a list of sports and they are not sports.

Mehdi khabbazzadeh Rob (2018)
what shoul do if have an invention about them? which category they belong to?

Ivan Sayenko (2018)
Another one for the list - Teqball (with FITEQ as main organization) - Rob Admin - I'm going to add it to my NEW SPORT list. It is similar to headis

Tazi Isb (2018)
Amazing, I don't know mostly of this. Incredible Search .........

Cianni Smith (2018)
i never knew how many sports there where

Petrus Van Zyl Cianni Smith (2020)
How can I add endurance walking as competitve team sporting code on this list - Rob Admin - race walking is already on the list

Current

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List of Sports - Every sport from around the world

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Full list of over 800 sports played around the world

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https://stacker.com/sports/25-unique-sports-around-world

https://www.greatvaluevacations.com/travel-inspiration/popular-sports-around-the-world

https://www.realbuzz.com/articles-interests/sports-activities/article/top-10-most-popular-participation-sports-in-the-world/

https://www.rolcruise.co.uk/blog/cultural-and-traditional-sports-around-the-world

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Man's fascination with competitive sports goes back to at least Ancient Sumer, where depictions of wrestling competitions and foot races have been found at sites dating to 3000 B.C. Civilization first embraced sport not simply to entertain the idle populace, which it certainly did, but, more importantly, to instill martial prowess and teamwork in the young men who would form the local militia and national military. That's why the oldest recorded sports are wrestling, racing, archery, and other feats of physical and mental fortitude that would fit perfectly on a battlefield.

Much has changed, of course. Women are now as involved with organized sports as men are, inviting a whole new group of people to compete and welcoming a female perspective on sports. And with professionally trained armies, there's no longer any need to ready young men and women for military service through organized sports.

Now that sports serve primarily to entertain spectators, the sporting world has evolved and blossomed into a massive universe of interesting games. Never in human history have so many sports been followed, played, and managed by so many people. While physical prowess and mental fortitude still play an important role in sports, competitions also now require skill, specialized training, creativity, and cunning. Unshackled from military requirements, the wide world of sports even incorporates a whole new fundamental element of competition: fun.

To see just a sample of all the wild and wonderful sports out there, Stacker compiled a list of 25 unique sports from around the world using internet research, including sports, travel, culture sites, and websites of the sport's governing bodies. These sports may fly under the radar for most Americans, but after learning about the excitement of yukigassen or the intensity of kabaddi, they won't remain unknown for much longer.
You may also like: 25 weird competitions from around the world

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Stacker compiled a list of 25 unique sports from around the world using internet research, including sports, travel, culture sites, and websites of the sport's governing bodies.