List of Sports – S
Here's a list of every sport starting with the letter S:
- Sabaki Ball – A fast-paced ball sport involving tactical movement and quick passes to outmaneuver the opposing team.
- Sabre Fencing – A fencing discipline emphasizing cutting and thrusting with a light, curved sword and fast-paced attacks.
- Sack race – A novelty race in which competitors hop to the finish line while standing inside a sack or bag.
- Sailboarding – see windsurfing
- Sailing – A sport that involves moving a boat by using the power of the wind across a course or in races.
- Salsa – A partnered dance form performed competitively in social and ballroom dance contests.
- Sambo – A Russian martial art and combat sport emphasizing throws, submissions, and ground control.
- Samoa Rules – A hybrid football code combining elements of Australian Rules and rugby, adapted for local play.
- San shou (Sanshou / Sanda) – A Chinese full-contact combat sport combining striking and wrestling techniques.
- Sand drags – High-speed off-road competitions where vehicles race over short sandy straights.
- Sandboarding – A gravity sport in which riders descend sand dunes on a board, similar to snowboarding.
- Sandball – A beach handball variant played on sand, combining passing, aerial play and spectacular shots.
- Sand Yachting – Land sailing on three-wheeled wind-powered vehicles across beaches or flat open surfaces.
- Sawing – A competitive timber sport event where opponents or teams cut through large logs using saws.
- Scurry Driving – An equestrian carriage-driving spectacle where ponies pull a small carriage through a tight obstacle course.
- Schwingen – Swiss folk wrestling where opponents attempt to throw each other onto the ground using special grips.
- Scootering – Performing tricks and stunts on a kick scooter in skateparks or urban environments.
- Scrabble – A word-game competition in which players form interlocking words on a board to score points.
- Scrub baseball – An informal, player-rotation variant of baseball played without formal teams or positions.
- Scuba Diving – Underwater diving using self-contained breathing apparatus, done recreationally and in competitive events.
- Sea kayaking – Long-distance or coastal paddling using sit-in or sit-on-top kayaks to navigate open water.
- Seatball (Sitzball) – A seated volleyball-like sport designed for mixed disabled and non-disabled participation.
- Segway polo – A polo-like team sport played with players riding Segway personal transporters and using mallets to hit a ball.
- Sepak takraw – An acrobatic Asian net sport where players use their feet, head and chest to volley a rattan ball over a net.
- Seven-ball – A pool (pocket billiards) variant played with numbered balls where pocketing the seven-ball plays a key role.
- Shaolin kung fu – A Chinese martial arts discipline known for its wide range of striking, kicking and weapon techniques, often practiced competitively and demonstrations.
- Sheaf Toss – A Highland Games event in which competitors hurl a weighted burlap sheaf over a raised bar using a pitchfork-like tool.
- Shidokan – A hybrid Japanese combat sport combining kickboxing, grappling and street-fighting elements.
- Shinty – A Scottish stick-and-ball team sport similar to field hockey and hurling, played with curved sticks and a small ball.
- Shinty-Hurling – A composite international game devised to allow competitions between shinty and Irish hurling players.
- Shooting Sports – Competitive events involving precision shooting with rifles, pistols or shotguns at set targets or courses.
- Shorinji Kempo – A Japanese martial art blending self-defence, moral training and therapeutic techniques, practiced in competitions and demonstrations.
- Short track motor racing – Motorbike or small vehicle racing on short circuits that emphasize tight handling and frequent overtaking.
- Short track speed skating – Ice skating races held on a smaller rink where multiple skaters compete head-to-head at high speeds.
- Shot put – A track and field throwing event where athletes propel a heavy spherical shot for maximum distance.
- Show Jumping – An equestrian competition where horse-and-rider pairs jump a series of obstacles aiming for a clear and fast round.
- Shuai Jiao – A traditional Chinese wrestling style focusing on throws and takedowns.
- Shuffleboard – Players use cues to slide weighted pucks along a court toward scoring zones at the opposite end.
- Shuttlecock (Jianzi) – A foot-based sport where players keep a weighted shuttlecock aloft using any part of the body except the hands.
- Sikaran – A Filipino kicking martial art and sport emphasizing powerful foot techniques for scoring and knockouts.
- Silambam – A South Indian martial art focused on the use of the bamboo staff and other traditional weapons.
- Silat – A Southeast Asian martial arts family practiced competitively and traditionally with strikes, joint locks and weaponry.
- Single scull – A rowing event where one athlete propels a narrow shell using two oars in competitive head-to-head or time-trial racing.
- Sipa – A Philippine kicking game in which players keep a small object aloft using feet and other body parts, aiming for control and style.
- Six-man football – A compact form of American football designed for small teams, played with six players per side on a smaller field.
- Skateboarding – Riders perform tricks, lines and optional races on a board with wheels in street or park environments.
- Skater hockey – A hockey variant played on inline skates using a puck or ball and hockey sticks, indoors or outdoors.
- Skee ball – An arcade skill game in which players roll balls up an inclined lane to score points in target rings.
- Skeet shooting – A shotgun discipline where competitors attempt to break clay targets launched from two fixed stations in predictable paths.
- Skeleton – An ice sliding sport in which a rider descends a frozen track head-first on a small sled at very high speed.
- Skiff racing – Small-boat rowing and sailing races using light, fast skiffs for short-course competition.
- Ski archery – involves skiing and shooting arrows at targets.
- Ski flying – An extreme aerial ski discipline where athletes launch from very large hills to achieve maximum flight distance.
- Skiing – A sport in which participants glide over snow using long, flat runners called skis, often in racing, jumping, or cross-country events.
- Ski jumping – A winter sport where skiers launch off a ramp and attempt to land as far and as stylistically well as possible.
- Ski touring – Backcountry uphill and downhill skiing that combines mountaineering skills with alpine skiing for long mountain routes.
- Skiboarding – A snow sport using short, wide skis (skiboards) for maneuverable turns and tricks on slopes.
- Skibob / Skibobbing – Riding a bike-like frame mounted on skis to descend snow slopes, raced in several competitive formats.
- Skijoring – A winter sport where a person on skis is pulled by a horse, dog(s), or motorized vehicle across snow.
- Skimboarding – Riding a small board on the thin film of water at the shoreline or performing tricks on shallow waves.
- Skittles – A traditional pub-based game and precursor to bowling in which players knock down pins (skittles) with a ball.
- Sky Race – A high-altitude endurance race often traversing mountain ridges and technical terrain at speed.
- Skysurfing – A skydiving discipline where the jumper attaches a board to their feet to perform surfing-style aerobatics during freefall.
- Slacklining – Balancing and performing dynamic tricks on a tensioned webbing line anchored between two points.
- Slamball – A rebound-enhanced basketball variant played on trampolines to generate high-flying dunks and acrobatic plays.
- Sledge hockey (Para ice hockey) – Ice hockey adapted for athletes with lower-body impairments using sledges and two shortened sticks.
- Slopestyle – A judged skiing or snowboarding event where athletes perform tricks on a course of jumps and rails.
- Slow Pitch (softball) – A recreational softball variant where the pitcher delivers slow, arcing pitches to encourage hitting.
- Snatch – One of the two Olympic weightlifting lifts where the athlete lifts a barbell from floor to overhead in one continuous motion.
- Snooker – A cue sport played on a large table with 22 balls where players score points by potting balls in a specific sequence.
- Snorkelling – Recreational swimming near the water surface using a snorkel to observe underwater life and scenery.
- Snow kiting / Snowkiting – A winter sport where riders use kite power to glide across snow on skis or snowboards.
- Snowboarding – Descending snowy slopes on a single board, contested in freestyle, alpine and freeride disciplines.
- Snowboard Cross (Boardercross) – Head-to-head snowboarding races down a course featuring jumps, berms and rollers.
- Snowboating – Riding a kayak-like craft down snowy slopes, similar to snowkayaking or snowkayaking races.
- Snow Golf – Playing traditional golf on courses covered in snow, often with specialized balls and rules adaptations.
- Snowmobile racing – Racing powered snow vehicles on groomed or natural snow courses for speed and endurance.
- Snow Polo – Polo played on a flat snow field, adapting traditional polo rules to snowy surfaces.
- Snow Rugby – Rugby matches contested on snowy pitches, often as novelty or seasonal competitions.
- Snowshoeing – Traveling and racing over snow-covered terrain using specialized footwear (snowshoes) to prevent sinking.
- Soccer (Football) – A team sport played between two sides of eleven players who aim to score by kicking a ball into the opposing team’s goal.
- Soft tennis – A racket sport like tennis played primarily in Asia using a softer ball and slightly different equipment and rules.
- Softball – A bat-and-ball sport descended from baseball with a larger ball and underhand pitching; includes fastpitch and slow-pitch styles.
- Softball Throw – A throwing event where participants attempt to throw a softball as far as possible, often used in adaptive competitions.
- Sōjutsu – The Japanese martial art of spear fighting, focusing on techniques with a long pole weapon.
- Spearfishing – Underwater hunting using a spear or speargun to catch fish while freediving or scuba diving.
- Speed pool – A timed pocket billiards variant where players aim to sink balls as quickly as possible under the rules of a chosen game.
- Speed skating (Long Track) – Ice skaters race on a 400m oval for set distances against the clock or in pairs.
- Speed skating (Short Track) – High-intensity ice racing with multiple skaters on a shorter oval track competing head-to-head.
- Speed skiing – A discipline where skiers aim to reach the highest possible downhill speed on a straight course.
- Speedpool / Speed Pool – Another listing for rapid-time pocket billiards, where quick clearance is the objective.
- Speedway – Oval-track motorsports for motorcycles or cars featuring high-speed sliding around corners on dirt or shale.
- Spongee – A non-contact ice rink sport played in rubber boots with a sponge puck, emphasizing fun and accessibility.
- Sport aerobics (Aerobic Gymnastics) – A high-energy routine-based sport combining aerobics, dance and gymnastic moves performed to music.
- Sport climbing – Competitive rock climbing divided into lead, speed and bouldering disciplines on artificial walls.
- Sport Diving (competitive scuba) – Pool-based competitive events that test scuba skills, accuracy and problem-solving under water.
- Sport fishing – Competitive angling where anglers vie for the largest or most numerous catches within rules and time limits.
- Sport kite (Stunt kite) – Piloting maneuverable kites to perform choreographed aerial sequences, often judged in competitions.
- Sport stacking – Speed-based activity in which competitors stack and unstack a set sequence of cups as quickly as possible.
- Sporting clays – A shotgun shooting discipline where participants move across a course and shoot varied clay target presentations.
- Sports acrobatics (Acrobatic Gymnastics) – Partner and group gymnastics combining acrobatics, tumbling and choreographed balance elements.
- Sports car racing – Endurance and sprint racing using purpose-built or modified sports cars on closed circuits.
- Sports Table Football (Subbuteo) – A tabletop simulation of association football played with flicked figures and a felt pitch.
- Sprint (athletics) – Short-distance track running events such as the 100m, 200m and 400m that test raw speed.
- Sprint car racing – High-horsepower small-car racing on oval dirt or paved tracks, featuring large winged sprint cars.
- Sprint football – A collegiate American football variant for lighter-weight players, emphasizing speed and agility.
- Squash – An indoor racket sport where players alternate hitting a small rubber ball against the four walls of a court.
- Squash tennis – A hybrid game played in a squash court using tennis-style rackets and modified balls.
- Squat (exercise) – A foundational strength exercise and competitive lift in powerlifting when performed for maximum weight.
- Squirt Boating – Kayaking discipline focused on low-volume boats designed to perform surfy maneuvers and underwater 'squirts'.
- Ssireum – Korean traditional wrestling where opponents try to topple each other using belts and throws.
- Stair Climbing (Tower Running) – Competitive racing up the stairways inside tall buildings or towers for speed and endurance.
- Static trapeze – A circus and competitive aerial discipline where performers execute controlled tricks on a fixed trapeze bar.
- Steeplechase (athletics) – A distance track event with barriers and a water jump demanding endurance and technique.
- Steeplechase (horse racing) – Equestrian races over long distances including fences and ditches as obstacles.
- Stickball – A bat-and-ball street game with rules that vary widely by locality, often played with improvised equipment.
- Stické – A late-19th-century indoor racquet sport derived from lawn tennis, played on a small enclosed court.
- Still Rings – A men’s artistic gymnastics event featuring strength and controlled positions on two suspended rings.
- Stock car racing – Automobile racing featuring production-based cars modified for competition on oval or road circuits.
- Stool ball – An historical bat-and-ball game considered an ancestor of cricket, played with two stools as targets.
- Straight pool (14.1 continuous) – A pocket billiards discipline where players attempt to reach a set point total by pocketing called shots.
- Stratego – A competitive board game of hidden pieces and strategic movement played in tournament formats.
- Street football – Informal, small-sided football played in urban spaces with flexible rules emphasizing skill and creativity.
- Street football (American) – Informal, small-sided variations of American football adapted to urban or backyard play.
- Street hockey – Hockey played on asphalt or concrete using inline skates or shoes, with ball or puck, often informally organized.
- Street racing – Unauthorized motor vehicle speed competitions conducted on public roads (illegal and dangerous).
- Streetball – An informal, often improvisational version of basketball played on outdoor courts with relaxed rules.
- Streetboarding – Riding a board designed for urban terrain, performing tricks on stairs, rails and other street features.
- Streetluge – Downhill racing lying supine on a wheeled board, reaching very high speeds on closed road courses.
- Subak – A traditional Korean martial arts and sports system historically associated with folk fighting games.
- Subbuteo – A table-top football game where players flick miniature figures to move a ball and score goals.
- Sudoku – Competitive number-placement puzzles where participants solve logic grids under time pressure.
- Summer Biathlon – running and rifle shooting (summer variant of biathlon). Sometimes the running leg will involve roller skiing.
- Sumo – Japanese ring wrestling where rikishi seek to force their opponent out of the circular ring or make them touch the ground.
- Superbike racing – High-performance motorcycle road racing using production-based superbikes on closed circuits.
- Supercross – Indoor motocross-style motorcycle racing featuring tight tracks, jumps and technical obstacles.
- Supermoto – Motorcycle racing combining road-race, motocross and flat-track sections in the same event.
- Superside – Sidecar motocross racing where teams of rider and passenger negotiate rough tracks on a three-wheeled outfit.
- Supersport racing – Production-based motorcycle racing for mid-displacement sportbikes on closed circuits.
- Surf fishing – Shore-based angling from a beach or shoreline, targeting species in nearshore waters.
- Surf Kayaking – Riding ocean waves in a kayak using surf techniques adapted from surfing and whitewater kayaking.
- Surfboat Rowing – Teams row surfboats from shore through breaking waves to compete in beach launch and rowing contests.
- Surf Lifesaving – Beach-based competitions derived from lifeguard skills including rescue, surf swims and board races.
- Surfing – Riding breaking waves on a surfboard for style, duration and maneuvers, contested in many formats.
- Swamp football – A variant of association football played in boggy or swampy terrain to create a tougher physical challenge.
- Swedish football – A traditional folk ball game from Sweden with local rules and historical significance.
- Swimming – Competitive propulsion through water using recognized strokes like freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly.
- Swimrun – multiple alternating swim and run segments, often in pairs, while carrying all equipment and with no clothing changes.
- Swing (dance) – Competitive and social swing dancing featuring partner improvisation to swing-era jazz music.
- Swordfighting – Competitive and historical fencing-style combat using bladed weapons under sport or reenactment rules.
- Synchronized diving – Two divers perform the same dive simultaneously, judged on execution and synchronicity.
- Synchronized skating – Teams of figure skaters perform coordinated formations and footwork as a unit on ice.
- Synchronized swimming – Artistic and athletic routines performed in water by teams or duets, synchronized to music.
- Systema – A Russian martial art focusing on breathing, relaxation and adapted combat techniques practiced in both training and demonstrations.
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