List of sports

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The following is a list of sports/games, divided by category. There are many more sports to be added. This system has a disadvantage because some sports may fit in more than one category.

According to the World Sports Encyclopedia (2003), there are 8,000 indigenous sports and sporting games.[1]


Physical sports[edit]

Art Sports[edit]

Air sports[edit]

Lima Lima aerobatics team performing over Louisville.
Main article: Air sports
Wingsuit flying


Members of the Gotemba Kyūdō Association demonstrate Kyūdō.
Main article: Archery

Ball over net games[edit]

An international match of Volleyball.

Basketball family[edit]

Basketball player Dwight Howard making a slam dunk at 2008 Summer Olympic Games

Bat-and-ball (Safe haven)[edit]

Awaiting a pitch: batter, catcher, and umpire in Baseball
Main article: Bat-and-ball

Baton twirling[edit]

Board sports[edit]

Skateboard vert jump at the Sprite urban games 2006 in London.
Snowboard figure at the 2008 Shakedown
Surfing in Hawaii
Main article: Board sports

Sports that are played with some sort of board as the primary equipment.

Catch games[edit]


Main article: Climbing


Main article: Cycling

Sports using bicycles or unicycles.


Main article: Bicycle



Main article: Unicycle

Combat sports: Wrestling and martial arts[edit]

Main articles: Combat sport and Martial arts

Combat sport is a competitive contact sport where two combatants fight against each other using certain rules of engagement.


Main article: Grappling
Two men compete in Freestyle wrestling.


Main article: Strike (attack)
A kick in Kickboxing.

Mixed or hybrid[edit]

Further information: Mixed martial arts
Ground fighting in MMA.


Axe throwing at the Ming Culture Village, a theme park near the Yangshan Quarry, China
Two kendōka.

Cue sports[edit]

Pool balls
Main article: Cue sports

Equine sports[edit]

Horse racing at Arlington Park, 2007

Sports using a horse.


Main article: Fishing

Flying disc sports[edit]

Australia vs Canada ultimate players WUGC 2012 in Japan. Ultimate Canada
Main article: Flying disc games

Football family[edit]

Main article: Football
Tyrone try for a goal against Westmeath in a Gaelic football match


Main article: Golf


Trampoline gymnast Jason Burnett at 2008 Canadian National Championships
Main article: Gymnastics

Handball family[edit]

A 7-meter throw in Team handball.
Main article: Team handball


Main article: Hunting

Sometimes considered blood sports.

Ice sports[edit]

Kite sports[edit]

Mixed discipline[edit]

The three components of triathlon: swimming, cycling, running

Decathlon, Heptathlon, and the Pentathlons consist of ten, seven, and five component contests that are scored together using one points system.

Orienteering family[edit]

Pilota family[edit]

Racquet (or racket) sports[edit]

Sports where a player use a racquet (or racket) to hit a ball or other objects.

People playing matkot, a form of beach tennis, in Tel Aviv.
Justine Henin, a Tennis player.

Remote control[edit]


200 meters sprint
Main article: Running


Main article: Sailing

Snow sports[edit]


Main article: Skiing

Sled sports[edit]

United States Air Force Major Brady Canfield, 2003 U.S. skeleton champion, shows his takeoff form.
Main article: Sledding

Shooting sports[edit]

Main article: Shooting sports

Sports using a firearm.


Stick and ball games[edit]


Hurling and shinty[edit]

Cillian Buckley in action for Kilkenny against Galway in a hurling league game



Street sports[edit]

Tag games[edit]

Main article: Tag games



A game of squash

Games involving opponents hitting a ball against a wall/walls using a racket, or other piece of equipment, or merely gloved/barehanded.

Aquatic & paddle sports[edit]

These sports use water (a river, pool, etc.).

Main article: Water sports



Main article: Kayaking




Other paddling sports[edit]

Greece - Hungary Water polo match (World Junior Championship 2004 Naples, Italy)

Ball sports[edit]

Michael Phelps swimming breaststroke at the 2008 Missouri Grand Prix.

Competitive swimming[edit]

Main article: Competitive swimming
Kindred activities[edit]

Subsurface and recreational[edit]




Motorized sports[edit]

Auto racing[edit]

The start of a Formula One race in 2008
Main article: Auto racing

Motorboat racing[edit]

Motorcycle racing[edit]

MotoGP racing
Main article: Motorcycle racing

ATV racing[edit]

ATV racing on a motocross track

Marker sports[edit]


Mind sports[edit]

Main article: Mind sports

Requiring little or no physical exertion or agility mind sports are often not considered true sports. Some mind sports are recognised by sporting federations. The following list is intended to represent anything that is likely to be referred to as a mind sport, not to argue their validity as sports.

Card games[edit]

Main articles: Card game and List of card games



clock, megaminx, pyraminx, skewb, square 1, blindfolded 3x3, blindfold 4x4, blindfolded 5x5, one handed, fewest moves, multi blindfolded, feet solving.

Strategy board games[edit]

A game of mahjong being played in Hangzhou, China
Main article: Board Games

Competitive video games (Esports)[edit]

Main article: List of esports games

Different classification[edit]

  • potentially other sports are listed here.

Air sports[edit]

Athletics (track and field)[edit]

Pole vault

Electronic sports[edit]

Sports played using electronic devices.

Endurance sports[edit]

Skating sports[edit]


A snowboarder and a skier
A ski jumper using the V-style
Freestyle skiing

See #Skiing

Strength sports[edit]

Sports mainly based on sheer power.

Arm Wrestling

Tables sports[edit]

Target sports[edit]

Sports where the main objective is to hit a certain target.

Team sports[edit]

Sports that involve teams.

Match of Lacrosse
Jack and Jill competition, Lumberjack World Championships, Hayward, Wisconsin, 2007.


Sports which use the wind (apart from sailing):

Fictional sports[edit]

Miscellaneous sports[edit]

See also[edit]