Types of Sports: Sports Classifications
Sports can be grouped in different ways because they vary by how people compete, what skills they use, where they take place, what equipment is needed, and what the goal of the activity is. Sports can often fit within many categories.
AFL is a team sport, as well as a contact sport, ball sport and goal invasion game
Sports can be categorized ....
By nature of competition
- Team sports — played by groups working together, such as soccer, basketball, and rugby.
- Individual sports — one athlete competes alone, such as tennis singles, golf, and athletics (track events).
- Dual / opponent sports — head-to-head formats, such as boxing, badminton singles, and squash.
- Mixed team sports — men and women combined, such as mixed doubles tennis, mixed relays in swimming, and mixed team triathlon.
By skill or movement type
- Racket sports — use a racket to hit an object, such as tennis, badminton, and squash.
- Combat / martial arts — based on fighting or self-defence, such as judo, karate, and boxing.
- Target sports — aim at a fixed target, such as archery, shooting, and darts.
- Precision sports — require accuracy and control, such as bowling, curling, and billiards.
- Throwing sports — focus on projecting an object, such as javelin, shot put, and discus.
- Strength sports — rely on power and lifting, such as Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, and strongman events.
- Endurance sports — dominated by aerobic capacity, such as marathon running, triathlon, and long-distance cycling.
- Speed sports — straight-line or timed speed, such as sprinting, speed skating, and short-track cycling.
- Agility-based sports — quick changes of direction, such as fencing, basketball, and parkour.
By environment
- Outdoor sports — played outside, such as cricket, road cycling, and soccer.
- Indoor sports — played inside, such as volleyball, basketball, and gymnastics.
- Water sports — such as swimming, rowing, and surfing.
- Beach sports — sports played in the sand, such as beach volleyball, beach soccer, beach rugby, and beach tennis.
- Snow and ice sports — such as skiing, ice hockey, and figure skating.
- Air / altitude sports — such as skydiving, paragliding, and hang gliding.
- Adventure / extreme sports — such as rock climbing, mountain biking, and BMX.
By equipment - the primary components of the sport
- Ball sports — involving a ball, such as football (soccer), basketball, and rugby.
- Bat-and-ball sports — such as cricket, baseball, and softball.
- Stick or stick-handling sports — such as field hockey, lacrosse, and ice hockey.
- Board sports — such as surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding.
- Cycle-based sports — such as road cycling, track cycling, and BMX.
- Motor sports — such as car racing, motorcycle racing, and rallying.
- Equestrian sports — horse-based sports such as show jumping, dressage, and polo.
- Animal-assisted sports — involving animals other than horses, such as dog sledding, camel racing, and rodeo elements.
By objective
- Score / goals sports — aim to outscore the opponent, such as soccer, basketball, and handball.
- Time-based sports — fastest time wins, such as swimming races, track running, and downhill skiing.
- Distance-based sports — furthest wins, such as long jump, javelin, and shot put.
- Aesthetic / judged sports — performance judged on skill and artistry, such as gymnastics, diving, and figure skating.
- Combat victory sports — win by knockout, submission, or points, such as MMA, boxing, and wrestling.
- Race sports — finishing position matters, such as horse racing, marathon running, and motor racing.
By body interaction
- Contact sports — tackling or physical interaction allowed, such as rugby, American football, and ice hockey.
- Semi-contact sports — limited collision, such as basketball, water polo, and handball.
- Non-contact sports — no physical contact, such as badminton, golf, and track cycling.
By rule structure
- Goal invasion games — attack/defend a target area, such as soccer, hockey, and Australian rules football.
- Net / wall games — separated by a net or wall, such as tennis, volleyball, and squash.
- Striking / fielding games — batting vs fielding roles, such as cricket, baseball, and softball.
- Territory games — gain and defend space, such as ultimate Frisbee, rugby, and American football.
- Measured sports — performance measured objectively, such as track and field events, swimming, and cycling time trials.
As well as using classifications to group sports, we have also created groups of sports based on different theme.
Themes
- Olympic sports — such as athletics, swimming, and gymnastics.
- Popular Sports — lists of the most popular sports around the world.
- Most Dangerous Sports in the World — sports that are widely regarded as having high levels of danger because of their risk of serious injury or death
- National Sports — what is considered a national sport? Here are some of the countries of the world and their national sport.
- 10 Quirky Sports from Around the World
- Multisports List — sports which combine two or more sports.
- Traditional / indigenous sports — such as kabaddi, sumo, and sepak takraw.
- Mind sports — such as chess, competitive programming, and esports.
- Recreational Sports — such as social running groups, amateur leagues, and professional leagues.
Other
- Not Sports — Activites that are not sports though may people think they are.
Found an error or needs an update?
Let us know.
All Sports Lists
Featured List: Commonwealth Games Lists