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What Are the Different Types of Sports?

Want to know about the different types of sports?

On this page, we have categorised the different types of sports, broken these into categories even further and then provided a list of the different types of sports that are accepted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Most sports are organised and run by National or International Governing Bodies and more sports are also being included in the Olympics In Tokyo. Find out all the different Olympic sports that are now included at the bottom of this article. You can also view all of our resources and articles here.

What are the different types of sports?

The different types of sports categories are:

  • Individual Sports

  • Partner Sports

  • Team Sports

  • Extreme Sports

Team sports can then be broken down into four categories:

  • Invasion Games

  • Net Games

  • Fielding & Striking Games

  • Target Games

What is an invasion game?

An invasion game is any game a team has to attack another teams area and to score a point. For example, Football is an invasion game as one team has to maintain the position of the ball, take the ball into the other teams half and then try and score a goal in the opponents net (invade another teams area).

What is a net game?

A net game is when a net is involved in the sport and keeps players separated. For example, Badminton is a net game as there is a net in the middle of the court and two players remain opposite the net at all times.

What is a Fielding and Striking game?

A fielding and striking game is when a game involves a set of fielders and one person striking an object at one time (such as a ball) and running a set course. For example in cricket, a Batter strikes a cricket ball and has to run from one crease to another to score a run. There are also fielders form the opposite team around the cricket field.

What is a Target game?

A target game is when a player has to aim and project an object to a designated area. For example, golf is a target game as a player has to hit a golf ball to a set area aiming to putt the ball into a set hole.

Below, we have included lists of individual sports, partner sports, team sports and extreme sports across the world. If you feel any have been missed out please comment below:

Individual Sports

  • Alpine & Cross Country Skiing

  • Archery

  • Arm Wrestling

  • Athletic Track and Field

  • Badminton (Singles)

  • Biathlon

  • Bodyboarding

  • Body Building

  • Bowling

  • Bowls

  • Boxing

  • Canoeing

  • Chess

  • Chess Boxing

  • Croquet

  • Cycling

  • Darts

  • Diving (Singles)

  • Draughts

  • Downhill Skiing

  • Duathlon

  • Fencing

  • Golf

  • Gymnastics

  • Horse Riding

  • Jet Skiing

  • Judo

  • Kayaking

  • Mixed Martial Arts

  • Motor sports (Auto & Bike)

  • Orienteering

  • Powerlifting

  • Tennis

  • Rodeo

  • Rollerblading

  • Rock Climbing

  • Skateboarding

  • Skating (figure)

  • Sport Climbing

  • Snooker

  • Snowboarding

  • Squash

  • Surfing

  • Swimming

  • Table Tennis (singles)

  • Trampolining

  • Triathlon

  • Weight Lifting

  • Wrestling

Partner Sports

  • Badminton

  • Diving 

  • Figure Skating

  • Golf

  • Table Tennis

  • Tennis

  • Trampolining

  • Volleyball

Team sports

List of Team Sports:

  • American Football

  • Athletics

  • Australian Rules Football

  • Baseball

  • Basketball

  • Bobsleigh

  • Cricket

  • Gaelic Football

  • Handball

  • Hockey

  • Hurling

  • Ice Hockey

  • Korfball

  • Lacrosse

  • Netball

  • Polo

  • Rowing

  • Rugby Union

  • Rugby League

  • Rounders

  • Roller Hockey

  • Roller Derby

  • Soccer/Association Football

  • Softball

  • Swimming

  • Ultimate Frisbee

  • Underwater Football

  • Volleyball

  • Water Polo

Extreme Sports

Extreme sports normally have a risk of danger involved and can also be called adventure sports.

A list of extreme sports

  • BASE Jumping

  • Bobsleigh

  • BMX

  • Climbing

  • Free Climbing

  • Free running

  • Freestyle skiing

  • Gliding

  • Ice Climbing

  • Ice Cross

  • Ice Diving

  • Ironman events

  • Kayaking

  • Luge

  • Mountain Boarding

  • Mountain Climbing

  • Paragliding

  • Parkour

  • Rock Climbing

  • Scuba diving

  • Ski Jumping

  • Skeleton

  • Trail running

  • Skateboarding

  • Skydiving

  • Water Skiing

  • Whitewater Rafting/kayaking

List of Official Olympic Sports (Tokyo 2020)

You can view all of the Official One Minute sport videos here. These videos explain each Olympic sport in one minute.

  • 3×3 Basketball

  • Archery

  • Artistic Gymnastics

  • Artistic Swimming

  • Athletics

  • Badminton

  • Baseball/Softball

  • Basketball

  • Beach Volleyball

  • Boxing

  • Canoe Slalom

  • Canoe Sprint

  • Cycling BMX Freestyle

  • Cycling BMX Racing

  • Cycling Mountain Bike

  • Cycling Road

  • Cycling Track

  • Diving

  • Equatorial

  • Fencing

  • Football

  • Golf

  • Handball

  • Hockey

  • Judo

  • Karate

  • Marathon Swimming

  • Modern Pentathlon

  • Rhythmic Gymnastics

  • Rowing

  • Rugby

  • Sailing

  • Shooting

  • Skateboarding

  • Sport Climbing

  • Surfing

  • Swimming

  • Table Tennis

  • Taekwondo

  • Tennis

  • Trampoline Gymnastics

  • Triathlon

  • Volleyball

  • Water Polo

  • Weightlifting

  • Wrestling

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