List of sports

sport date of origin place of origin governance sources
Aerobatics see notes USA Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FIA)

notes — Aerobatics evolved from early exhibition flying (1900s) and barnstorming (1920s).

Air racing 23 May 1909 Port-Aviation airport, Paris Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FIA)

notes — The purpose of the inaugural air racing event on 23 May 1909 was to travel furthest, not fastest.

Alpine and nordic skiing see notes see notes Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS)

notes — The difference between nordic and alpine skiing is essentially in the way that the ski is attached to the skier's boot. The purpose of nordic skiing is to walk on the snow and, to facilitate this, only the toe of the ski boot is fixed to the binding so that the heel of the boot can rise off the ski and a walking action is possible. In alpine skiing, the purpose of which is to slide downhill, the boot is attached to the ski from toe to heel and walking is therefore very difficult. Alpine skiing evolved from the older nordic skiing after ski lifts were first introduced in 1908; without the need for a free-heel binding to walk up the hill, a new style of fixed-heel ski could be developed to enhance and accelerate the skier's movement downhill. Nordic skiing disciplines are cross-country skiing, ski jumping and nordic combined; alpine skiing disciplines are downhill, the three slalom varieties and alpine combined. See the individual entries per discipline.

Alpine combined Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS)

notes

American football 6 November 1869 (college);
26 September 1920 (NFL)
New Jersey National Football League (NFL; professional)
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA; college)

notes — American football evolved from rugby football and the first-ever game was between teams from Rutgers and Princeton, two New Jersey universities.

Archery

notes

Association football

notes

Athletics

notes

Australian rules football

notes

Auto racing

notes

Badminton

notes

Ballooning Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FIA)

notes

Bandy

notes

Baseball

notes

Basketball

notes

Basque pelota

notes

Beach volleyball

notes

Biathlon

notes

Billiards

notes

BMX freestyle

notes

BMX racing

notes

Boat racing

notes

Bobsleigh

notes

Boules

notes

Bowling

notes

Bowls

notes

Boxing

notes

Canadian football Canada

notes

Canoeing

notes

Caving

notes

Chess

notes

Climbing

notes

Contract bridge

notes

Cricket unknown south-east England International Cricket Council (ICC)

notes — Cricket is believed to have originated in the medieval period; the earliest definite reference in 1597 confirms that it was being played c.1550.

Croquet

notes

Cross-country running

notes

Cross-country skiing (nordic) Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS)

notes

Curling

notes

Cycling

notes

Darts

notes

Diving

notes

Dog sledding

notes

Drag racing

notes

Dragon boat racing

notes

Draughts

notes

Dressage

notes

Drone racing Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FIA)

notes

Eventing

notes

Fell running

notes

Fencing

notes

Field hockey

notes

Figure skating

notes

Fishing

notes

Fives

notes

Floorball

notes

Formula E

notes

Formula One

notes

Freestyle skiing

notes

Freestyle wrestling

notes

Gaelic football

notes

Giant slalom skiing (alpine) Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS)

notes

Gliding Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FIA)

notes

Golf

notes

Greco-Roman wrestling

notes

Greyhound racing

notes

Gymnastics

notes

Handball

notes

Hang gliding Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FIA)

notes

Harness racing

notes

High diving

notes

Hillclimbing

notes

Horse racing

notes

Hovercraft racing

notes

Hurling

notes

Ice dancing

notes

Ice hockey

notes

Ice skating

notes

IndyCar Series

notes

Jet skiing

notes

Judo

notes

Kabaddi

notes

Karate

notes

Kart racing

notes

Kayaking

notes

Kickboxing

notes

Kite flying

notes

Kitesurfing

notes

Korfball

notes

Lacrosse

notes

Lawn mower racing

notes

Luge

notes

Martial arts

notes

Mixed martial arts

notes

Modern pentathlon

notes

Motocross

notes

Motor rallying

notes

Motorcycle racing

notes

Mountain biking

notes

Netball

notes

Nordic combined Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS)

notes

Open water swimming

notes

Orienteering

notes

Parachuting Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FIA)

notes

Paragliding Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FIA)

notes

Pigeon racing

notes

Polo

notes

Pool

notes

Powerboating

notes

Rackets

notes

Racquetball

notes

Radio-controlled car racing

notes

Radio-controlled model aircraft racing

notes

Rafting

notes

Rallycross

notes

Rallying

notes

Real tennis

notes

Road cycling

notes

Rodeo

notes

Roller hockey

notes

Roller skating

notes

Rounders

notes

Rowing

notes

Rugby league

notes

Rugby union

notes

Sailing International Sailing Federation (ISAF), which became World Sailing on 14 November 2015

notes

Sandboarding

notes

Scuba diving

notes

Shinty

notes

Shooting

notes

Short track speed skating

notes

Show jumping

notes

Skateboarding

notes

Skeleton

notes

Ski jumping (nordic) Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS)

notes

Slalom skiing (alpine) Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS)

notes

Slot car racing

notes

Snooker

notes

Snowboarding

notes

Snowmobile racing

notes

Softball

notes

Speed skating

notes

Speed skiing

notes

Speedway

notes

Sports car racing

notes

Squash

notes

Stock car racing

notes

Sumo

notes

Surfing

notes

Super giant slalom skiing (alpine) Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS)

notes

Swimming

notes

Synchronized swimming

notes

Table football

notes

Table tennis

notes

Taekwondo

notes

Tennis

notes

Touring car racing

notes

Track cycling

notes

Trampoline

notes

Triathlon

notes

Truck racing

notes

Tug of war

notes

Volleyball

notes

Water polo

notes

Water skiing

notes

Weightlifting

notes

Wheelchair racing

notes

White water rafting

notes

Windsurfing

notes

Yachting 17th century Netherlands International Sailing Federation (ISAF), which became World Sailing on 14 November 2015

notes — The origin of sailing is prehistoric but sailboat racing in modern times began in the 17th century Netherlands and the words "yacht" and "yachting" are derived from the Dutch word jacht (meaning "hunt").